The HARS Aviation Museum is a volunteer group of aviation professionals and enthusiasts based in Australia and we are proud to operate the world's only flying Lockheed Super Constellation (there are several Connies flying, but we have the last Super Connie) and it's a pleasure presenting her to museum visitors and performing flying displays at local airshows.

Unfortunately our Connie is currently grounded and needs a new engine, and we need your help. Being delivered to the US Military as a C-121C (serial number 54-0157, c/n 4176) in October 1955, this makes her 70 years of age so parts are increasingly difficult to source and very expensive.

We have several options including refurbishing a R-3350 that we already have but if that's deemed unsatisfactory, we might need a new engine which could cost around $300,000 AUD (approx $220,000USD) and this is where we need your help. If you are in the position to donate (we have Deductible Gift Recipient status so it will be a tax deduction in some countries, including Australia) then we would love your support.

Your kind contribution will help fund a new engine and return her to the skies for all of us to enjoy.

More information about our Connie:

VH-EAG ‘Southern Preservation’ is in fact the militarised version of the Super Constellation or ‘Connie’ as it is affectionately known. It was originally built as a C-121C for the United States Air Force, serial number 54-0157, c/n 4176, and was delivered on 6 October 1955 when it was allocated to the 1608th Military Air Transport Wing based at Charleston, South Carolina. On 25 July 1962 it was transferred to the Mississippi Air National Guard and on 14 February 1967 it moved on to West Virginia Air National Guard, where it served for the next five years. Connie’s last active duty was with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard from mid 1972 until its relegation to storage at Davis Monthan Air Base at Tucson, Arizona in June 1977.

In 1990 some Society members were in Tucson collecting Neptune spares and saw this derelict Super Constellation. In a moment of madness the thought occurred that it should be recovered to complete Australia’s aviation history and negotiations commenced for its acquisition.

Considered obsolete and of no further use, storage maintenance ceased in 1981 and as a result was designated of scrap value only. In addition most of the engine accessories and instruments had been cannibalised. Failure to re-seal the aircraft after an inspection permitted access to legions of birds to nest and foul the interior over many years. This in turn discouraged the scrap metal merchants from bidding on the aircraft due to the infestation of guano and the subsequent imperfections that it would cause in the smelting of the aluminium.

In November 1991, HARS started what was to become a major project when 54-0157 was placed in our care for restoration and delivery to Australia. Relying solely on volunteer labour and aiming at a high standard of restoration and serviceability, the project was to take five years. The restoration work commenced in May 1992 at Pima Air & Space Museum and in September 1994 the Super Constellation took to the air after nearly eighteen years on the ground. Another solid year of work was required to prepare the aircraft for the Pacific crossing and in late 1995 final flight training was undertaken. On 3 February 1996 the Super Constellation VH-EAG arrived in Sydney after an incident free crossing of 39.5 hours flying time. Stops on the delivery flight to Australia were made at Oakland, Honolulu, Pago Pago and Nadi.

The major difficulty in the restoration process was the need for the volunteers to continually travel to Tucson to carry out the restoration work. This was time consuming and costly even with wonderful support from Qantas. The assistance given by both organisations and the countless individuals in the US and Australia eased the volunteers’ burden and made the restoration process a rewarding experience.

Connie is now the only flying L-1049 Super Constellation in the world. Until recently, the other was the Breitling Super Constellation in Switzerland. Amazingly both aircraft were built next to each other in the factory. Connie is #4176 and Breitling Constellation is #4177. An L-1649A Super Star (the last model of the Constellation line) is currently in the USA being restored to flight by the Lufthansa Museum.

Information on our official website: https://hars.org.au/display/lockheed-c-121c-super-constellation/