C-121C Super Constellation
In 1996, Amoco Corporation purchased a lot in Penndel, Pennsylvania, which contained a restaurant topped by a Lockheed C-121 Constellation aircraft. Realizing the historical significance of the plane, Amoco offered the plane to the Air Mobility Command Museum. It was transported to the museum in December of 1997 and is now completely restored.
The Constellation was the first commercial transport plane to travel at 300 mph and was the last of the great American propeller-driven airliners.
Although President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to fly while in office in 1945 on the C-54 “Sacred Cow,” President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to fly on an aircraft using the Air Force One call sign. This aircraft was the VC-121A “Columbine II.”
The military adapted the plane for its further use in the 1950s and 60s by modifying it for radar and using it as an aerial extension of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, and in aiding in the rescue of downed aircraft in Southeast Asia. In addition, the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) used a fleet of 70 C-121s from 1948 to 1967.
There are 40-50 Constellations worldwide today.
Mission
Howard Hughes was one of the driving forces behind the design of the Lockheed Constellation commercial transport. During WWII, the USAAF purchased 22 early- model Constellations which were designated C-69s. At the end of the war, the USAAF decided to standardize the Douglas C-54 as its four-engine transport of choice and promptly declared most of the C-69s as surplus. Production of the basic design was turned over to the civilian markets which lead to the famous Constellation series of airliners.
The C-121A was the military variation of the commercial Model 749 Constellation. Between 1948 and 1955 the USAF ordered 150 C-121As for use as cargo/passenger carriers, executive transports, and airborne early warning aircraft. As a troop carrier they could carry a maximum of 44 passengers.
Fifty-five percent of the Super Constellations built by Lockheed were delivered to the U.S. Navy and Air Force. A majority of the aircraft were used for electronic reconnaissance and airborne early warning. In the mid-1960s, the Air Force sent the first EC-121 “Warning Star” to Southeast Asia to maintain radar surveillance over North Vietnam and then later to warn of MIG attacks and alert American pilots who were straying over Chinese territory.
Most C-121As were later converted to the VC-121A VIP transport configuration for use by top-ranking officials such as Generals MacArthur and Eisenhower. The lone VC-121E Constellation (#53-7885) was named “Columbine III” and was used throughout the Eisenhower Administration as Air Force One.
Thank you for restoring this great airplane! I joined the NJANG in 1966 and was a dock mechanic on these airplanes. I wanted to fly, so was given an opportunity to be an Engineer on the 121, however, during my training we were assigned C-141s, which were never received,, then we were assigned C-7s, which I believe you also still have one there. Finally about 1980 assigned KC-135A, which were converted to KC135E and finally, KC-135R, after my time.
Thanks!
I was a navigator on the 121 in 1962-3, flying from Navy Moffet Field in Calif. to Travis where we picked up our passengers to the Far East, stopping for fuel at Hickam AFB, Wake, Guam, Midway. In 1963 we converted to the C-130. In the C-121 we never flew above 12,000′. That was tough for us navs because we were sometimes in the clouds which made the sexton useless. No such problem in the C-130s–flew above the clouds mostly. Jack Williams
As a military “brat” of maybe 10 (at the time it was Navy) we flew from Clark AFB, we were stationed at Sangley Point but its runway was too short, to the U.S. aboard one of these grand ladies. I remember my canvas covered port side window seat gave me a grand view of her engines of which one of them kept quitting making us land at both Guam and Wake while awaiting replacements. I was with my mother and brother of 3, who was seated behind me and afforded the luxury of having his seat back laid forward and flat to make a baby bed. I was not able to recline a degree due to this and was never so happy to disembark at journey’s end.
In 1962 my Dad was Transferred to Japan and we flew from Travis AFB to Japan it took 36 hrs and we loved it I was in Jr High at the time. The next time I flew in it was 1968 to Viet Nam.
I live in NE Phila. so I was familiar with the Connie at the Flannery restaurant in Penndel.
I used to take family vacations in Virginia and Maryland. On the way home, I would stop at the Air Mobility Command Museum to see the aircraft. Then Flannerys was sold and the Connie disappeared, but I saw it in crates at the AMC Museum. Eventually it was reassembled rather quickly.
I stopped at the AMC Museum on a Labor Day holiday. There was an open house with ceremonies and we went out to the Connie which was open for tours. My wife and I sat in the seats and a guide took our picture. He said that he had worked on the plane when it was owned by the Air Force.
I wrote a little article about the plane and sent it to the Courier Times in Bucks County with our picture and it was published.
Was this connie restored to full flight capable condition
Our C-121 was not restored to full flight condition. All of the museum’s aircraft are display pieces only, including the ones that flew in on their own power.
I worked for “Capitol Airways” 1965-1966, before joining the USAF. Capitol flew charter flights, my job was setting up the interior with the proper number of seats and galley needed for the charter. I had a few short flights on, ” Super Constellation, serial number 4557″
Now I am a volunteer at the AMC museum
My father, CMSgt John C. McKellar, flew the “Connie” during his 26 year career in the USAF. He loved this plane and claimed this was his favorite aircraft. A photograph of the Connie was always displayed in our home. He was a flight engineer stationed at National Airport, Washington DC, and Andrews Air Force Base, Camp Springs MD.
Growing up as a ‘USAF BRAT’ in the ’60s & ’70s afforded our family a great deal of travel around the world. The ‘SUPER CONNIE’ holds a special place in my heart when @ age 5, we were about to REUNITE with ‘Daddy’ on Kadena AB, Okinawa after he flew ahead about a month to arrange for housing. We departed from Travis AFB on a MATS C-121 & arrived ALL OF 2 DAYS LATER with refueling stops in Honolulu & on Wake Island. A grinning Dad was standing on the ramp @ the bottom of the stairs as we deplaned!
I worked for LASNY (Lockheed Aircraft Service) in the 60s. We worked on RC121 and EC121 (1049s) Airborne Early warning aircraft with upper and lower radar domes (we called them radomes). Planes came from Wallops island VA., Reykjavick and Keflavick Iceland and a few from Viet Nam for major overhauls and repairs. Still have a place in my heart for these beautiful aircraft. Several have been saved and are on display around the US. My favorite is Tail #555 outside of Dayton Oh at Wright Patterson, the U.S. Air Force Museum. Glad to see another one saved from being cut up.
Flew Connies as Flight Engineer at Flying Tigers 1965-67. Remember feeding popcorn to a baby elephant on his way to a new home. Listening to a full grown Bengal Tiger howling behind that canvas fire curtain. The elephant took one look at the Newark ramp and threw up. Such was life in the air cargo biz.
In 1958 as a child I rode in this Constellation with my parents from New York city to Ireland. I have a slide of N1005C before we boarded it. Those were the days. During the flight we were invited to the cockpit for a tour.
It was also Christina’s Restaurant from 1986.-1989 My father owned it at that time.
I had the privilege of working in this Connie in the late 70’s after she was grounded sitting atop her three pedestals as Jim Flannery’s Constellation Lounge and Restaurant. I’m fairly certain Jim was an air force pilot himself and this served as part of his inspiration for the restaurant.
There was a bar in the rear of the plane as you entered the fuselage door from the main staircase with a small parquet dance floor in front of it. Some of the seats were reversed with tables placed between them to seat four together. The windows had aerial views of famous landmarks that were backlit with fluorescent lighting for night viewing. Dinners were typically brought up from the kitchen in the main restaurant below but there was a small steam table in the front of the plane from which we could serve prepared foods like Prime Rib and vegetables.
The cockpit was covered with a sheet of plexiglass and the controls were painted fluorescent so they glowed in the dark under black lights installed among the instruments. The front fuselage doorway served as an emergency exit with a spiral staircase leading to the ground. And yes the commode in the rear was also functional. I have a matchbook cover photo of how she was painted at the time and will send it to be included with the others. She looked much better as Flannery’s in her Red, White and Blue stripes. Can’t wait to visit her at AMC and see how much she’s changed.
In Nov 1958 I flew to the PI aboard a MATS C-121. The seats faced the tail. Are these pix of the plane I flew in?
(I was a young mother of a toddler son, so the AF assigned a young airman to help me. It was my first “grand adventure” and my son adored his cheerful new friend. An officer gave me a lei in Hawaii & the pilot allowed me to visit the cockpit after dark. A crew member let me wedge in between the garbage collector & window with my movie camera to film our landing on Kwajalein Island!)
Is there any thought of restoring the interior of the Connie?
The interior of our Connie has been completely restored. We’ll upload some more images of the inside once they’ve been retaken.
I GREW UP IN LOWER BUCKS CO. & SOUTH JERSEY. I REMEMBER PASSING THROUGH PENDELL AND SEEING THIS C-121 SITTING ATOP OF FLANNERYS REST. SO I THINK IS FITTING TO SEE THAT IT IS NOW AT DOVER..