Continuing on with our tour we moved on to the Super Constellation
This was not its original registration, it has that registration only as part of the display
N4247K. Lockheed 1049-55 Constellation. CN 4144.
The aircraft has also been registered as 131643.
This aircraft was built as a Lockheed 1049-55-75 at Burbank, California
It was delivered to the United States Navy as a Lockheed R7V-1 on the 8th December 1953
It was allocated Bureau Air Number '131643'
It was allocated to Fleet Tactical Support Squadron (VR-1) at Maryland on the 8th December 1953
It was transferred to Airborne Weather Reconnaissance Squadron 15, NAS Patuxent River on the 2nd October 1955
Then transferred to Airborne Weather Reconnaissance Squadron 14, Hawaii on the 2nd July 1956
Transferred to Fleet Airborne Weather Maintenance Squadron 2, Hawaii on the 26th February 1957
Transferred to Navy Barrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 15, NAS Patuxent River on the 12th June 1958
It was redesignated as a Lockheed C-121J on the 31st October 1962
Then it was transferred to Military Aircraft Storage & Disposal Centre at Davis Monthan for storage - on the 3rd October 1973
Listed for sale by the Department of Defense on the 11th February 1981
Northern Peninsula Fisheries made an offer on the 12th March 1981
Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N4247K in May 1981
It was the removed from storage and prepared for the ferry flight to Arlington, Washington State
On the first attempt to depart Davis Monthan the aircraft blew two engines and made a forced landing beside runway
It finally arrived at Arlington, Washington State in June 1981
Officially sold to Northern Peninsula Fisheries on the 1st September 1981
This aircraft was acquired for hauling fish during the Alaskan fishing season but certification problems resulted in the aircraft remaining grounded at Arlington, Washington for several seasons
During the lay-up the aircraft was named 'Winky's Fish' in honour of the president of Northern Peninsula Fisheries
Sold to World Fish and Agriculture Inc in October 1987
The aircraft was to be used to fly fresh tuna from Palau to Nagoya (Japan) twice a week
It operated its first revenue service Palau - Nagoya on the 23rd November 1987
It was observed parked at Manila with a broken right windscreen in March 1988
Qantas was approached to charter this aircraft for the Australian Bicentennial Air Show in May 1988
It was intended to repaint the aircraft in the Qantas livery and display it at RAAF Richmond in October 1988
The Constellation was embroiled in litigation so it was unable to leave the Philippines
It was officially impounded at Manila under a court issued order in June 1988
While it was stored at Manila the engines were regularly fired up until 1989
The aircraft was abandoned at Manila by World Fish & Agriculture Inc in September 2007
Manila International Airport Authority announced its intention to sell off several abandoned aircraft on the 7th July 2014
It was sold to the Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach, Queensland on the 12th September 2014
It was dismantled at Manila in preparation for shipment to Australia in March 2015
It had to be raised out of the mud, propellers and engines removed, complete tail assembly removed, landing gear and wings removed and generally made safe for transportation to Australia
All sections were moved from Manila Airport to the Port Of Manila pending shipment in December 2016
It is intended to restore the aircraft to display standards in the Qantas livery at Longreach, Queensland
The three sections were successfully loaded onto the vessel in Manila on the 8th May 2017
This ship docked at Townsville on the 18th May 2017
The three sections departed the Port of Townsville on trucks for Longreach on the 24th May 2017
The aircraft was restored to display condition by volunteers at Longreach
The aircraft has also been registered as 131643.
This aircraft was built as a Lockheed 1049-55-75 at Burbank, California
It was delivered to the United States Navy as a Lockheed R7V-1 on the 8th December 1953
It was allocated Bureau Air Number '131643'
It was allocated to Fleet Tactical Support Squadron (VR-1) at Maryland on the 8th December 1953
It was transferred to Airborne Weather Reconnaissance Squadron 15, NAS Patuxent River on the 2nd October 1955
Then transferred to Airborne Weather Reconnaissance Squadron 14, Hawaii on the 2nd July 1956
Transferred to Fleet Airborne Weather Maintenance Squadron 2, Hawaii on the 26th February 1957
Transferred to Navy Barrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 15, NAS Patuxent River on the 12th June 1958
It was redesignated as a Lockheed C-121J on the 31st October 1962
Then it was transferred to Military Aircraft Storage & Disposal Centre at Davis Monthan for storage - on the 3rd October 1973
Listed for sale by the Department of Defense on the 11th February 1981
Northern Peninsula Fisheries made an offer on the 12th March 1981
Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N4247K in May 1981
It was the removed from storage and prepared for the ferry flight to Arlington, Washington State
On the first attempt to depart Davis Monthan the aircraft blew two engines and made a forced landing beside runway
It finally arrived at Arlington, Washington State in June 1981
Officially sold to Northern Peninsula Fisheries on the 1st September 1981
This aircraft was acquired for hauling fish during the Alaskan fishing season but certification problems resulted in the aircraft remaining grounded at Arlington, Washington for several seasons
During the lay-up the aircraft was named 'Winky's Fish' in honour of the president of Northern Peninsula Fisheries
Sold to World Fish and Agriculture Inc in October 1987
The aircraft was to be used to fly fresh tuna from Palau to Nagoya (Japan) twice a week
It operated its first revenue service Palau - Nagoya on the 23rd November 1987
It was observed parked at Manila with a broken right windscreen in March 1988
Qantas was approached to charter this aircraft for the Australian Bicentennial Air Show in May 1988
It was intended to repaint the aircraft in the Qantas livery and display it at RAAF Richmond in October 1988
The Constellation was embroiled in litigation so it was unable to leave the Philippines
It was officially impounded at Manila under a court issued order in June 1988
While it was stored at Manila the engines were regularly fired up until 1989
The aircraft was abandoned at Manila by World Fish & Agriculture Inc in September 2007
Manila International Airport Authority announced its intention to sell off several abandoned aircraft on the 7th July 2014
It was sold to the Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach, Queensland on the 12th September 2014
It was dismantled at Manila in preparation for shipment to Australia in March 2015
It had to be raised out of the mud, propellers and engines removed, complete tail assembly removed, landing gear and wings removed and generally made safe for transportation to Australia
All sections were moved from Manila Airport to the Port Of Manila pending shipment in December 2016
It is intended to restore the aircraft to display standards in the Qantas livery at Longreach, Queensland
The three sections were successfully loaded onto the vessel in Manila on the 8th May 2017
This ship docked at Townsville on the 18th May 2017
The three sections departed the Port of Townsville on trucks for Longreach on the 24th May 2017
The aircraft was restored to display condition by volunteers at Longreach
Over a period of 13 months, Qantas specialist engineers, volunteers and contractors worked in trying conditions to prepare and restore the exterior of the aircraft. This has included replacing corroded and missing areas, reassembling the aircraft and repainting it in the Qantas Super Constellation livery. The livery details were provided from original Qantas 1950’s drawings, sourced and reproduced by Qantas’ Curator and Engineering technical staff.
The exterior of the aircraft was repainted to represent the Qantas Constellation 'VH-EAM - Southern Spray'
The interior was refurbished with the main cabin featuring a display that outlines the essential elements
of the Lockheed 749 and 1049 Constellations operated by Qantas from 1947 to 1963
The forward cabin features the story of this particular airframe from recovery to refurbishment
The cockpit has been refurbished into a 'good-as-new' condition
Information sourced from Wikipedia, QANTAS Founders Museum and aussieairliners.org
of the Lockheed 749 and 1049 Constellations operated by Qantas from 1947 to 1963
The forward cabin features the story of this particular airframe from recovery to refurbishment
The cockpit has been refurbished into a 'good-as-new' condition
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