The First Air Force One

[Ice]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ehwvZXVKmPU

[Robert]

Pretty awesome thanks for the video. I am surprised no one knew what they had. I am also surprised it was in such disrepair considering there was probably no expense spared for the maintenance when the president was flying.

[solo1]

I had the pleasure of boarding a Super Connie when afully restored one flew into Ft. Wayne.  Very impressive and a perfect example of form following function.  The landing gear is tall to give clearance for the big props powered by four Wright 3350 turbocharged 18 cylinder engines.  Each engine developed 3250 hp and the top speed was higher than the Japanese Zero.  The wing was the same configuration as a P-38 and the triple tails allowed this tall airliner to go through most hanger doors.

Every bulkhead was a different shape and the plane would be too expensive to build today, but it sure looks nicer than the 'tube' fuselage of current jets.

The shape of the  Connie AND the 1953 Stude Starliner coupe was designed by the same man and, IMHO, both are beautiful.

When I heard the sound of those Wright engines at full power on takeoff, they reminded me of a different era. much nicer sound than jets.

No, i'm not smart.  I got this off the internet.

[Hoser]

I flew on a super connie when I was sent to NAS  Corpus Christi  from NAS Jacksonville for duty while I was in the navy. Hoser 

[sandy]

That's about 80 miles South of me. Been meaning to do a day trip to see it.

[old2soon]

I M H O the Super Connie MIGHT be one of the finest looking passenger planes ever built!  Like Hoser I was able to fly a few times in a Super Connie compliments of Uncle Sugars Canoe Club!  Those four big radial engines once set for cruise WOULD put you to sleep even if you weren't tired!  And being on the ground when those big engines started sent a shiver thru me.    Hope the are able to save the original Air Force 1! RIDE SAFE.

[Pappy!]

Have had the pleasure of flying on several Connies out of Miami International....back in the day!
Loved 'em!

[ricoman]

great plane
Eastern Airlines had a bunch of them. After the jets became the way to fly, Eastern had the Connies on the New York to Boston and New York to DC shuttles back in the 60's.
They were so gorgeous way up there on those long legs, and the sound was music.
If you flew on one, you might remember that the cabin floor was not flat-the fuselage had quite a curve in it, if you sat in the rear and looked forward it was really noticeable.

[RP#62]

Good stuff.  Thanks.
Well, at least they're close together.  Columbine 1 is at the Pima Air Museum across from Davis Monthan in Tucson.  Columbine 2 must be up at Marana a few miles up the road.


I never fooled with the civilian version, but I used to help out with engine work on the Navy version.  The Navy called them WVs (Willie Victors) whereas they were EC-121s in the Air Force, (see below) although the military version was a super connie.


The R3350 turbo compound engine was about the highest development of the radial engine before the jets came along.  I think it had the best weight to horsepower ratio of anything out there.  I helped change a PRT one time.  The engine had three power recovery turbines.  They used exhaust gas to spin up the turbines which were coupled back to the crankshaft.  Each one made around 150 HP which would have been exhausted overboard otherwise.  That engine either ran like a swiss watch or it was screwed up big time, there was no middle ground.  The super connie had tip tanks and would operate with two crews as it could stay aloft for 24 hours.

-RP