Beautiful from Every Angle:::::

[Pujgnie]

Love the comment - '.......and very little obvious damage done to the plane....'

[Saracenman]

i liked the squealing wheels sound-track

[Mayfly]

rubber fuselage ..

[Delhud]

Travelled on a "Connie "

Back in the early 60`s an outfit called "Skyways of London " had a couple
of ex TWA aircraft they used mainly I believe on runs to what was then Yugoslavia
via Klagenfurt in Austria( There were no civil airports in the north of Yugoslavia at that time )
very easy going I recall if a tad hairy the Alps being in the way

Delhud

[Dan4th]

Speaking of the Alps........

#4 running a little rich, I think....



And a nice start-up......



Danf.

[Saracenman]

i don't think I'll ever tire of looking at Connie clips

any news on the Lufte rebuild Danf?

sm

[Dan4th]

They've slowed-down with the reports on
their website, but it seems things are just
buggling along for over the winter. Aircrew
have been training with the Breitling Connie
(see above...) and I wouldn't be surprised to
see her do a first flight by the end of next
summer. I keep meaning to call over -- they're
about 100 miles away -- and see if I can't get
in for a quick look. We'll see....

Oh, and here's Part the Third from above.....



I recently learned they don't do 100% power
takeoffs any longer. That's a shame, but I
guess it helps everything to last longer.

Danf.

[Saracenman]

including the takeoff run it seems

beautiful!

sm

[Dan4th]

Well, yeah, but it would take a longer
roll at that high altitude anyhow, wouldn't
it? Looks like he used every last inch of
runway on that one, though.....

Danf.

[Dan4th]

Posted today but from three years back:::::



Smokey!

And from the cabin of another Connie:::::



Let's GO!

Gosh, I love that second clip! It's the one in
Kansas City that's been glued to the ground
for 5+ years due to totally solveable nonsense.
Beautiful period TWA livery, too!

D.

[Xplumberlives]

Very nice thanks

[Dan4th]

MATS Connie cockpit in flight 1998.........



Takeoff from Antwerp same year............



Danf.

[Saracenman]

anything new on the Lufte Connie Danf?

sm

[Dan4th]

They were w-a-y ahead back in October, so
what did they do? Cut the restoration staff
to a skeleton crew until April when things will
start going great guns again.

Engines all done and test-run (I think nine, maybe
more...). The jury's still out regarding whether
they'll get it flyable and then finish it off in
Germany or do it all in Maine and have a big,
triumphant homecoming.

When test flights start, I am hopeful they will be
done in Bangor. Where they are in Auburn is a
very basic airport to say the least. BGR is just
100 miles east of them and has everything they
could possibly want.

Danf.

[Saracenman]

well I'm certain that, with you and Round_Engine as our correspondents, we'll have virtual ringside seats!

sounds good though, even if it is only ticking over at the mo

sm

[Dan4th]

Funny you should mention RE.......

He just now sent me this link:

http://www.ruudleeuw.com/uscan09-auburn.htm

As you can see, Lufthansa ain't messin' around!

D.

[Saracenman]

wow - that's gonna take some dedicated time to read through!

thanks Danf

sm

[Saracenman]

well, that really is a superb summary of the restoration!

and i LOVE the background pic too...





sm

[Dan4th]

One thing about the Starliner is that the
wings are totally different from the
Constellations that came before and
share some of the same technology with
the Herc and the L-188 Electra.



Connie et Concord(e)

(...but not the Starliner...)

It really is, to me anyhow, the ultimate
expression of the four-engined propliner.

Danf.

[Saracenman]

well i can't agree there Danf - as much as i LOVE the Connie, in every way, i firmly believe the epitome of prop airliners has to be...



not as elegant as the Connie, but still a good looking bird

Britannia was the pinnacle of prop (albeit turboprop) airliner design, in an era when such beasts were already far behind their jet counterparts. a stunning machine that simply came along at least ten years too late

sm

[Dan4th]

To each his own, Saracenman..........

Did you know that Lockheed made four
turboprop Constellations -- two each for
Air Force and Navy?





The intention was for airliners, too, but then
the Big Boeing happened........

Danf.

[Sploosher]

I too like the `Connie`, and was itching to see one on the airshow circuit over here in the uK, but alas, it did not happen.


Any idea when `Connie` is due to display again over here anyone..........


I love tyhe `Brit` aswell, flew back from Cyprus in one wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in 1971

[Dan4th]

Best chance for a UK appearance would be
the Breitling Connie out of Der Schweitz, but
I hear they are generally staying closer to
home these days....

The Nederlander one is still grounded, but
who knows? They just might make it to
Waddington this year (finally!) if justice
prevails.

D.

[Mags]

If the Connie turns out to be a flyer at Waddo this year, I'll definately be going

[Dan4th]

The Breitling Connie has been grounded until at least August.

This was posted yesterday on Round_Engine's Website:::::::::

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-connie_news.htm#JAN13

At least it's fixable and being dealt with in a
Timely and Forthright Manner.........

D.