As a kid, my family flew on the military version of the Constellation from Japan to California when my dad was reassigned back to the States. Somewhere over the Pacific at night, a kindly stewardess took me up to the flight deck. All I remember was this huge green radar screen.
Lockheed VC-121A Constellation at Chino completed a test flight in preparation for its journey to Oshkosh and it's new home with Lewis Air Legends. What a beautiful airplane.
“You’ll own nothing” — And “you’ll be happy about it.” K. Schwab
I used to go to Oshkosh every year around 2012-2014.
The Warbirds were always my favorite area.
I need to find the time to get back soon.
Wichita is home to Doc the B-29. It has it's own glass front hangar at Eisenhower. We went there and got to crawl around in it. I would have hated to be the tail gunner back in the day as you crawl through a really long tube in the middle of the plane to get back there and I'm highly claustrophobic! They are giving rides in it and a Mitchell there over 4th of July weekend.
'63 Dodge 330 11.19 @ 121 mph Pump gas, n/a, through the mufflers on street tires with 3.54's. 3,600 lbs. 10.01 @ 133mph with a 250 shot of nitrous an a splash of race gas. 1.36 60 ft. 3,700 lbs.
While on vacation back around in 1976, driving thru the Everglades in Florida, we gassed up at a gas station that had a Connie mounted overhead. Here's a picture from the internet of the gas station Connie as I didn't have a camera back then. It was full of birds as I recall.
“You’ll own nothing” — And “you’ll be happy about it.” K. Schwab
Re: Lockheed Constellation 'Bataan' returns to Flight
[Re: FM3AAR]
#3154555 06/27/2312:03 AM06/27/2312:03 AM
I was able to once again step inside a Connie back in 2004 when the Star of America Connie flew in to our local airport airshow. Based out of Kansas City and painted in TWA livery, she was beautiful. Here's a picture I took as she took off. I believe she was grounded shortly after that. I don't know if it has returned to the skies or not.
Last edited by FM3AAR; 06/27/2302:52 AM.
“You’ll own nothing” — And “you’ll be happy about it.” K. Schwab
Re: Lockheed Constellation 'Bataan' returns to Flight
[Re: FM3AAR]
#3154559 06/27/2312:11 AM06/27/2312:11 AM
After learning that the Constellation wing is very similar to the P-38 wing, I now have this “itch” wondering if Kelly Johnson could have designed a flap that would have allowed a P-38 to turn a tighter circle than a Japanese Zero.
I'm wondering if those planes used the same 28 cylinder radial aircraft engines that had four rows of seven cylinders per row that the Spruce Goose maybe the B29 Bombers used them also and Convair B36 bombers used I took a tour of the Spruce Goose display when it was in SO CA years ago, I'm trying to remember the exact C.I. but I can't now I think it was 4300 and some more C.I. for each motor with compound supercharging and turbo charging I can't remember the correct amount of HP for those engines now, I'm thinking 2800+ H.P.
Last edited by Cab_Burge; 06/27/2302:41 PM.
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)