Fabric

[skywords]

I covered the rudders on this Dutch Connie (first pic), and repaired the rudders on this Super Connie (second pic) that fell on it's tail during an ice/ snow storm in Europe. Lots of compond curved pieces were to be made. The third pic is the office of the Dutch Connie. My Dad flew the Engineers seat for TWA on all their Connies until they retired them for jets. The airport I am based at used to be a meca for Connies but it has only two left here. One is Columbine the Eisenhower Connie and it will fly someday again.

 

[mikephillips]

Always liked the lines of the Constellation. From a time when aircraft could be almost an artform as well as a functional machine.

 

[Nickodell]

Rick; the Connie was generally considered one of the half dozen best-looking aircraft of all time.

Back in 1961 I was on a temporary posting to RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire (I came back a couple of years later for my last 18 months in the service, as a Nav/Bomb instructor) and during that month we were visited by Gen. Nordstadt, at that time NATO Supreme Commander. We all expected his "VIP plane" to be on of the USAF's latest jets, and were eagerly anticipating getting to nose around it. So it was something of a surprise when he turned up in a Super Connie. You could see how unfamiliar the base was with a big prop aircraft by the hesitancy the crew chief showed in approaching it to plug his intercom set into the port in the fuselage, keeping well clear of those fans. Lovely plane.