Fly Past

http://www.fl ypast.com

The Qantas Founders Museum has

completed all external work on

Lockheed Super Constellation VH-EAM

(formerly N4247K) at its Longreach,

Queensland base.

The museum purchased the aircraft

from the Manila International Airport

Authority in September 2014. Over

two-and-a-half years, with the

support of Qantas Engineering and

a devoted team of volunteers, the

aircraft was extracted from its mud-

encrusted position. Following this

tricky operation, the machine was

disassembled and transported by ship

from Manila to Queensland. It arrived

at the Longreach attraction by road

last May.

Since then, engineers, volunteers

and contractors have been working

in sometimes challenging conditions

to prepare and restore the exterior

of the aircraft. This has included

replacing corroded and missing areas,

reassembling the huge airliner and

repainting it in Qantas colours.

The livery details were derived from

original 1950s drawings, sourced

and reproduced by the curator and

engineering staff.

Museum boss Tony Martin described

it as a great achievement by all

involved. “It has been a long and

at times trying project, but the end

result – a beautiful aircraft externally

restored – is well worth it,” he said.

“This is an important addition to

our collection and enables us to tell

a signifi cant part in the history of

Qantas.” http://www.qfom.com.au

Qa ntas Super Constellation is ‘externally complete’

The Qantas Founders Museum’s Super

Constellation ‘Southern Spray’ following

restoration. QFOM

September 2018 FLYPAST 7

The New England Air Museum at Bradley

International Airport, Connecticut

is close to fi nishing its four-year

restoration of Douglas DC-3 NC44792.

Originally ordered by American

Airlines, the aircraft was instead

diverted to the USAAF and modifi ed

as a C-49J. The latter differed from

the standard C-47 Skytrain by having

an alternative seating confi guration

and Wright Cyclone rather than Pratt

& Whitney engines. The changes were

made while the aircraft was still with

Douglas at its Santa Monica plant

in California.

The completed machine was

delivered as 43-1973 on November 14,

1942 and remained with the USAAF

for most of the war, serving as a

troop transporter. It was released

from military service on April 3, 1945,

and converted to a DC-3 for Eastern

Airlines, initially fl ying as NC44792.

It served with several other civilian

operators before being purchased by

the museum on November 1, 1992, with

55,434 fl ying hours ‘on the clock’. It

now represents the fi rst commercial

airliner to land at Bradley, in 1947.

http://www.neam.org

Final touches for

American DC-

project

Douglas DC-3 NC44792 has been returned to Eastern Airlines livery in New England. TONY SACKETOS

Invader being prepared for

long road trip

Australian restoration company

Reevers Warbirds has been

gradually disassembling Douglas

A-26C Invader 44-35898 at

Archerfi eld Airport in Brisbane,

Queensland, with the help of

skilled volunteers, including retired

RAAF personnel.

The aircraft is to be moved to

Adelaide, where Reevers hopes to

restore the Invader to airworthy

status over 30 months. Prior to

it leaving its current home, both

Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double

Wasp engines and propellers were

removed. After further sections

have been taken apart, the aircraft

will commence its lengthy road

journey – a distance of some 1,

miles (1,950km). PHIL BUCKLEY

Douglas A-26 Invader 44-35898 being disassembled in Australia. PHIL BUCKLEY