Warbird Information Exchange

Great News for Connie lovers:

The Luftansa Connie looks to be staying in the US after the restoration is complete:
http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/ ... -Lufthansa

Rod Lewis has purchased Planes of Fame's example with the intention of returning it to the air:
http://planesoffame.org/index.php?mact= ... eturnid=57

What about the Save-A-Connie in KC? How close is that to being airworthy?

Could be 3 Connies flying in the U.S. by next year. Don't forget that the "Columbine II" VC-121A may be flying in addition to "Bataan."

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-res ... pdate.html

What I wouldn't give to see a Connie in the air again... The last time I saw a Connie fly was the MATS Connie at one of the early Yankee Air Museum shows. I hope the Airline History Museum can get theirs airworthy again as well. It seems like they've been trying to raise funds for forever.

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Matt

I'm very surprised at the news the Lufthansa machine will remain in the USA. Great news for enthusiasts there, but still a mystery to me.

And a Rod Lewis Connie....awesome!

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

I think next year is pushing it a little. When is the last time the Planes of Fame's Connie (now Rod Lewis') took to the sky? I'm sure it will need at least a few years of work before it flies again.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I parked next to the Breitling Connie in Zurich a couple of weeks ago. Nose cone and a spinner missing but still looking gorgeous. I saw her fly at Duxford last year and she was gone from Zurich this week so presumably good to go for this season.

http://www.superconstellation.org

I agree that Bataan may very well be beyond 2016 before it flies again. But I suppose to some degree it depends on how much money and effort Rod Lewis and Lewis Air Legends want to put into the project.

In any case, it does look like we will have the Starliner flying next year and a reasonable chance that they may have Columbine II flying next year.

The EC-121T that Yanks has in Chino could fly again, but it looks like that is not going to happen anytime soon. As for The AHM and Kansas City, we can still hope someday......

At least as of now the future of seeing Connies flying in North America is looking much better than it has for MANY years.

Updates on Columbine II from "Warbird News" - moving forward, but challenges to overcome for sure.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-ne ... pdate.html

The Text in the link was wrong and has now changed! The Plane will not remain in US.

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http://www.pozefilm.de

Warbird Videos:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34289

What I am reading does NOT say that the airplane is NOT staying in the U.S. as far as where it will be based, but that it will "fly across the U.S., Germany and the rest of the world." Wherever it is based, it sounds like we will have an extensive opportunity to see it fly here in the U.S. Perhaps it will end up doing pleasure flights primarily in Germany, but I look forward at a minimum to seeing this beautiful airplane make an extensive air show tour of the U.S.

"Once it is fully restored, it will be piloted by a Lufthansa crew and fly across the US, Germany and the rest of the world. “The Starliner will then serve as an ambassador of Lufthansa for pleasure flights,” said Ambassador Peter Wittig at a dinner honoring the German company."