VH-EAG [#2] Southern Preservation
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| Type: | C-121C (L-1049F-55-96) Super Constellation |
| MSN: | 4176 |
| Previous Identities: | 54-0157
(USAF) N4115Q (for first post-restoration flight only) |
| Owner: | Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Albion Park, Wollongong, N.S.W |
History:
| 11JUL55 | Delivered to the USAF at Lockheed, Burbank as 54-0157. (Source: 1) |
| JUL55 | Assigned to the 41st Air Transport Squadron (Heavy) of the 1608th Air Transport Wing, Military Air Transport Service (MATS), Charleston AFB, South Carolina. The 41st ATS had transferred from Wiesbaden, Germany to Charlston in April 1954 and was transitioning from the C-54 to the C-121. (Source: 1) |
| OCT56 | Reassigned directly to the 1608th ATW(H) at Charlston AFB. Subsequent deployments included Lajes AB, Azores and Nouasseur AB, Morocco. (Source: 1) |
| C-121C operations by the 1608th ATW involved the carriage of passengers, cargo and mail on scheduled flights to destinations including: Rhein-Main, Germany; Chateroux, France; Nouasseur, French Morocco; Tripoli; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Lajes, Azores; Torbay, Newfoundland; Goose Bay, Labrador; Kindley AFB, Bermuda; Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico; Howard AFB, Canal Zone; Piarco, Trinidad; Rio de Janiero, Brazil and Ascension Island. From July to December 1960, the wing flew in support of downrange missile tracking for the Air Force Missile Test Center at Cape Canaveral. It should be noted that specific operations by 54-0157 are unknown. (Source: 1) | |
| JUL62 | Transferred to the 183rd Aeromedical Airlift Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, Hawkins Field, Jackson, Mississippi. The 183rd was the first ANG squadron to operate the C-121C. (Source: 1) |
| JAN63 | The 183rd AAS relocated to the new Jackson Municipal Airport. The squadron also commenced flying general transport missions in addition to its aeromedical tasks. (Source: 1) |
| JAN64 | The 183rd AAS came under the newly activated 172nd Air Transport Group (Heavy) of the Mississippi Air National Guard based at Jackson Municipal Airport and was redesignated as the 183rd Air Transport Squadron (Heavy). Source: 1) |
| 01JAN66 | The 172nd ATG (H) was redesignated as a Military Airlift Group and the 183rd ATS (H) was redesignated as a Military Airlift Squadron as part of the activation of Military Airlift Command. (Source: 1) |
| FEB67 | The aircraft was transferred to the 167th Military Airlift Group of the West Virginia Air National Guard at Martinsburg Municipal Airport as the 183rd MAS was converting to the C-124C. (Source: 1) |
| MAR72 | Transferred to the 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Group of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard at Harrisburg Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania (the former Olmstead AFB which closed in 1969). The primary mission of the 193rd TEWG was psychological operations in Vietnam using four EC-121S which had been converted from C-121C. However, 54-0157 was not converted and served the squadron in a supporting transport role and on other transport missions assigned by MAC. (Source: 1) |
| MAY76 | Deployed to Torrejon AB, Spain in support of the USAF in Europe 401st Tactical Fighter Wing. This deployment lasted until August 1976. (Source: 1) |
| APR77 | The 193rd TEWG was redesignated a Special Operations Group and converted to the EC-130E Hercules. Constellations assigned to the 193rd TEWG were progressively withdrawn from service and ferried to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center at Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona from late 1976. (Source: 1) |
| 28MAR77 | Arrived
at MASDC, Davis Monthan and assigned MASDC Production Control Number
AACK0201. Total Time: 18,452 hours. Last periodic Depot Level Maintenance 05NOV71. (Source: 2) |
| DEC91 | Inspected at Davis Monthan by HARS. (Source: 3) |
| 22APR92 | Departed MASDC under tow for the Pima Air & Space Museum where the restoration by HARS was undertaken. (Source: 2) |
| APR94 | First engine runs. (Source: 3) |
| JUN94 | All engines run. (Source: 3) |
| 23SEP94 | First flight from Davis-Monthan to Tucson (as N4115Q) after restoration by HARS. Fitted with tip tanks. (Source: 3) |
| 23SEP94 | Registered VH-EAG. (Source: 4) |
| 23JAN96 | Departed Tucson for Oakland where it was delayed for one day by a fuel leak. (Source: 3) |
| 25JAN96 | Departed Oakland for Honolulu. (Source: 3) |
| 27JAN96 | Departed Honolulu for Pago Pago, American Samoa. (Source: 3) |
| 28JAN96 | Departed Pago Pago for Nadi, Fiji. (Source: 3) |
| 03FEB96 | Departed Nadi for Sydney after a planned layover. The aircraft landed in Sydney at 1145. The aircraft was based initially at Bankstown Airport, Sydney. (Source: 3) |
| 21FEB97 | Ownership passed from Museum of Victoria to HARS. (Source: 3) |
| 07NOV02 | Flown to the new HARS base at Albion Park, Wollongong. (Source: 3) |
| 26AUG17 | Returned to Albion Park after being repainted in Wagga. |
|
SOURCES
|
|
|
1
|
Air Force Historical Research Agency via Mark Morgan, Air Mobility Command via Doug Boleyn, March 2016. |
|
2
|
309th AMARG Marketing & Public Affairs, MAY07. |
|
3
|
HARS. |
|
4
|
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Australia). |
The
full story of the HARS Connie
Visit the HARS Website www.hars.org.au
|
Other
Connies associated with HARS
|
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 22MAR24 | |
| 21 | 28DEC22 | |
| 20 | 26NOV22 |
Added
a trial slideshow to this page.
|
| 19 | 23NOV22 | |
| 18 | 02AUG21 |
Added
another image of the aircraft at
Greenham Common in July 1974.
|
| 17 | 19SEP20 | |
| 16 | 27AUG17 |
Aircraft
has returned to Albion Park after repainting in Wagga.
|
| 15 | 10MAY16 |
Added
a dusk take-off image thanks to Phil
Vabre.
|
| 14 | 05MAY16 |
Added
another fine image from Phil Vabre.
|
| 13 | 25MAR16 |
Major
update from Source 1.
|
| 12 | 25FEB16 |
Revised
presentation of type.
|
| 11 | 22DEC15 |
Added
an image of the aircraft at an open
day at Essendon in 1996. Thanks to Phil Vabre.
|
| 10 | 10FEB10 |
Added
more details of the restoration and delivery flight drawn from
Gary Squire's book "Bringing Connie Home".
|
| 9 | 09OCT07 |
Added
five new images of VH-EAG taken at Narromine in September 2007.
Thanks to Phil Vabre for these magnificent images.
|
| 8 | 05MAY07 |
Added
dates in and out of MASDC thanks to Rob Raine.
|
| 7 | 31AUG04 |
Added
a new image to show progress with Connie's new hangar. Thanks
to Bob De La Hunty.
|
| 6 | 02SEP03 |
Changed
base to Albion Park.
|
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