HARS Lockheed Super Constellation arrives at Australia's Museum of Flight

On February 3rd, 1996, the Lockheed Super Constellation VH-EAG “Southern Preservation” appeared in the skies over Sydney resplendent in the Qantas trim of the 1950s. This beautiful aeroplane had been reborn in Tucson at the skilled and dedicated hands of Australian enthusiasts who were members of the Historic Aircraft Restoration Group (HARS) under the stewardship of Bob Delahunty. It had been more than 30 years since the last Qantas Constellation flew out of Sydney on 3rd May 1963 – she was VH- EAG “Southern Constellation” and her departure confirmed the success of the Boeing 707 -138 which had been introduced in 1959 to replace the Constellation and inaugurate the Qantas jetliner era.

It was fitting that HARS was able to make use of the VH-EAG registration index for the restored Super Constellation they had located in the extraordinary graveyard of modern aircraft at the US Airforce storage facility near Tucson, Arizona. Before it could take to the air there were to be four and a half years of devoted restoration by members of HARS. The culmination of their heroic efforts came with the generous donation of the painting of the aircraft in Qantas trim by Lockheed Martin. Qantas requested their name not be used on the aircraft, so she was dubbed “Connie” and named “Southern Preservation”. The lower half of the fuselage could not be left in the original metal finish because of surface deterioration so it was sprayed grey. The wingtip tanks are dummies.

53 years earlier, in January 1943, the prototype Constellation was flown. It had been designed by the legendary Kelly Johnson to the design requirements of Howard Hughes for Transcontinental and Western (later TWA). The remarkable machine featured many new concepts such as fully feathering reversible propellers, thermal wing de-icing, hydraulically powered controls, tricycle undercarriage. She also bore the hallmarks of previous Johnson designs - extending flaps, underfloor baggage compartments and most obvious of all, multiple fins and rudders.

Qantas introduced four of the L-749s onto the Kangaroo Routes from Australia to Britain and back on December 1st, 1947, naming the first “Sir Charles Kingsford Smith”. The Constellation reduced the seven-day trip in Qantas Short “Hythe” flying boats to four days. Cabins were pressurized and the latest freeze-dried techniques were used to preserve the food served to the 38 passengers. Passengers overnighted in Singapore and Karachi. The crew was comprised of a First Officer, Second Officer, Navigating Officer, Flight Engineer, three stewards and, later, one hostess.

The more powerful Lockheed L1049 Super Constellation (see caption to my sketch below) arrived on the Qantas Sydney- London routes in 1954. For the first time, “tourist” fares were introduced – at £537/15/0 return. The configuration was 27 de-luxe, 30 tourist. By 1956, flight-time was reduced to around 54 hours by cutting out the night-stop at Singapore and overflying Jakarta and Bangkok.

Thanks to HARS, the Constellation, with the distinctive sound of its four Wright Cyclones, still graces Australian skies as it commutes from air show to air show to give popular flying displays at the hands of Bob Delahunty.

Marshall’s original painting of Connie arriving on the runway at the HMAS Albatross at Nowra was painted to mark her arrival in Australia and timed to coincide with one of the Museum ‘Fly-in’ Days. The HARS Neptune, also a popular attraction at air shows, is in the picture too. However, “Southern Preservation” was delayed for over a year with engine trouble. But I went ahead with the painting anyway and donated it to the Museum Foundation to raise money for them; it was raffled and is now in England.

Finally, a little piece of gossip; Marshall was told that Qantas crews used to call their Super Constellations “the best three-engined airliner in the business”. Apparently, they regarded the complex Wright Cyclones as somewhat fickle. Despite that, the HARS Connie is a crowd favourite and, along with the Jumbo and the Spitfire, would be about the only aircraft to which the general public could give a name. Long may she excite us with her presence.

Above: The prototype Lockheed C69 Constellation of 1943, modified in 1950 to become the first L 1049 model. More powerful 2700hp Wright R 3350 engines were installed and provision was made to carry 33 more passengers by adding extra sections to the fuselage.