THE SUPER CONNIES Part 1 of 4: Save A Connie 1990 - Ops, Technicals and Histories

This Part 1: We review the Super Constellation's role in aviation history, its technical evolution and my involvement in the earliest years with Save A Connie and its Super Constellation L-1049H N6937C "Star of America" (labeled by them as a "G" model). This includes inside-and-out operational footage, and also featuring its debut Oshkosh performance in 1990.
Part 2: We change an R-3350 cylinder jug in March 1990 and get some more Save A Connie history from it's very first Chief Flight Engineer, Walter "Willie" Davis. Then experience the resultant maintenance test flight from the flight engineer's perspective. This flight is a hectic eye-opener on the complexities of operating a large 4-engine propliner.
Part 3: We fly a trip on "Star of America" from Kansas City to participate in a Jefferson City, Missouri airshow in September 1990. Full flight deck and passenger cabin window perspectives, and some short clips from the airshow.
Part 4: We fly back home to Kansas City. We then jump forward two months to November 1990 to savor winter maintenance hangar operations, including preparation for its iconic "long" radar nose" modification.
Thanks for watching, hope you enjoy all this!
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Authors, former aviation contacts, providers of current useful commentary and information, and those with business inquiries may reach us at:
John A. Reed
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[@seanpratherful]

Thanks for the great videos, as always. We’re in the thick of Covid-19 here in NYC and this is such a welcome reprieve.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks and I'm glad to provide a diversion! Sorry you're in the middle in the worst hot spot--my best wishes for a smooth return to normalcy in NYC. I'm stuck at home too, so guess I'll just make more movies. At least I'm allowed to walk in a park.

[@seanpratherful]

AeroDinosaur Cheers buddy. Stay healthy.

[@WitchidWitchid]

These super connie's are among my all time favorite vintage.propliners. They are also my favorite aircraft.to fly on simulators. I guess you can say I do my part to keep them alive and flying in the cyber world.

[@starliner1649A]

Lockheed should have offered Alisson 501s on L1049s and L1649A as an option to R3350s.

[@turbocompound]

Turbo Compounds are the best „fuel to noise converters“ ….✌️😎👍👍

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yes, noise is what they did best! Thanks for checking us out! J.A. Reed

[@RedArrow73]

So who would be "Captain Save-a-Connie"?

[@AeroDinosaur]

I guess I would nominate Larry Brown--Lead Founder! I was never excited about the name "Save-A-Connie" but so be it.

[@sfreply]

Any 1649-A Starliners still around ?

[@AeroDinosaur]

Three of them exist that I know of, but no flying restoration attempts have succeeded to date and probably never will. One is now a nice static display just completed at the JFK Airport that seems popular with the public. Another is a rotting hulk at Kermit Weeks' now defunct Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk, FL. Around 2001 it was the last one ever to fly. Another is a stillborn restoration in Germany that was supposed to fly the airshow circuit at some point. That project died when sponsor Lufthansa Airlines pulled out. I think the latter two hulks will eventually be scrapped. All three of these were saved by the early 1980's by Maurice Roundy and flown to Auburn-Lewiston Maine.

[@HJBounell]

edit out the music

[@allen480]

Be quiet.