C-121 Constellation First Flight

we were in Valley Arizona which is about 20 miles south of the Grand Canyon South Rim and Valley is the home of one of our satellite museums that planes of fame and we're here with a part of our collection from the museum and standing out in front of the constellation which was a c-121 a that was built back in 1947 and used for military airlift command until it was a sign dude General Douglas MacArthur and through his term in Korea and Japan and then it came stateside and was used with by NASA as part of the tracking system to set up the satellite system for the space program so and after that would four trucker down Alabama and it sat there for twenty some years and before we picked it up and when we're fortunate enough to be able to trade something to the Air Force for it actually to the army I think it was and then we flew II got it back home to Chino and through a lot of our some help from some ex Lockheed employees at whatever able we were able to get the airplane pleased stripped and put in the McArthur markings and then company in Addison Texas put the replica the MacArthur interior back in it and we flew it around for a couple years aeroccino it did some air shows and then we brought out here to valley and it's been sitting here in the desert good place for an airplane to be stored and said last time it flew was I just looked a logbook yesterday it was 20 years ago 20 years and about two months so we've woken it up now we've got all the systems operating we've had unfortunately one of the engines started to show a little metal where it started show up on the screen so we were lucky enough to be able to borrow an engine qec from Carl sulfus who's started restoration of the columbine constellation the one that Eisenhower flew which is a really a sister to this airplane so thank you Carl yeah anyway that saved saved us a lot of work a lot of expense and I don't know and he was so good about letting us use it right away we made a couple phone calls next thing you know he said come get it so our guys drove dad Toussaint picked it up brought it here and that's probably what you been filming in there swapping parts around to get the thing running and we should ever run in today we're 99% actually ready to go we've got our flight engineer is coming out tomorrow guy named Jay our turn and then stood Osun will be out on Tuesday and we'll go over the project Stu isn't familiar with the Connie at all and other than what he's been reading no actually it's been a great project you probably even noticed we've got we graded the runway we made a 6,000 foot strip it is a runway we landed on and we came here originally the paved runway here was only 45 feet wide so that really wouldn't work pretty well link to the runway ting a problem the airplane is really light you know gross weights over a hundred thousand pounds and we're gonna fly at about 85,000 pounds so you know the performance is well within the scope of of this airport so anyway the next few days will tell a good story hope the you know first flight to get it out of here and take it over to Kingman and look it over get it on some solid asphalt and then we'll go on to Chino and but any luck we'll do that on Thursday you know rods been a rod Lewis has been a great supporter planes of fame and the warbird industry in general he's been a very generous guy and it's got a very good feel for these kind of planes collecting this kind of stuff and you know rod one evening we were just talking about interesting projects and he had made mention that he thought that airplane he'd really like to it would be a constellation and so we start talking about it you know a museum we've been fortunate enough to have for last 20 years but we have been able to do anything with it it's a very expensive airplane to operate you know that's a big airplane I'm you know at the bottom of the wings 8 and 1/2 feet up you're gonna take the cowling off takes two or three guys in a and a lift you know I mean it's a it's quite a jump in commitment to have an airplane like that but rod thought that that'd be something that he'd like to do and we were able to come to an agreement know on how rod likes things were we're hoping that we can you know go through the whole airplane we'd like it over all four engines for it we'd like to pull the tail off and get inside the change a lot of hardware I mean it's it's definitely air worthy but at this being will you know will be one of the most attractive planes on the flight line so to speak and I know rod will want it to match its looks and came from an era of manual valves I mean you said in the flight engineer panel and you don't even see outside but it's got valves on the floor it's got knobs and fuel selectors and it fire extinguishers with pull handles and you know the pilot and the copilot are you know less than 50% of operating this airplane you know I'm pushing real hard to get out of here before the weather changes that's a big thing because you know it actually has a real winter here and we have a El Nino year this year coming up so it's liable to be a real snowbound high desert I mean they got a lot of rain here it's been raining as you know the last few days and we're looking good so I'm real happy with it and really excited about it and and we've got an area they're at right outside our shop area there that we're gonna fence off and make it kind of a display the restoration will be kind of display will be outdoors but it's in a covered area so I think it'll be interesting to watch it grow through the years too you know I say through the years hopefully we can was enough help we can knock it out pretty you know I'd say in a couple years I would think [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] now is there anything you can brief us to have what's kind of a common Pawnee issues that you find flying these things well hello it's gonna be communication filing commands engineer he's gonna command me for power he's gonna say okay looks good green yes we go see anything we don't like I'm gonna call right on immediately something's wrong with a prop engine or something we don't like it we got time to shut down we don't have reverse so we got a caution on that I've got good brakes we should be good this thing gets off the ground it's pretty good short field airplane v1 v2 we go if we have a problem continuing flight engineer we'll work it out with a co-pilot by that wanted you guys must fly the airplane again that will be me okay and then me and Steve will work out the issues feathering whichever does you back me on feathering I'm sure I'm grabbing the right one with them and pretty good at that but still always back everybody with eyes we want to see and just Cove it I mean there's not a whole lot you guys have never flown one which is fine I'm not afraid of that I want you to feel elevator my recommendation was we do a high-speed well we're getting kind of limited and some sticks out anymore I know it's gonna get mushy so if you guys want to get it going 60 knots you can really feel that elevator that's what it is they're gonna do it we'd start with a little after elevator when it starts getting light blue pullets yes yes and get to know it if you don't something you don't like the little boy almost when I get off now the rudder authorities gonna be you be on the tiller about 60 knots come off the tiller then you got ready that's gonna be you 60 knots I call my controls as far as reverse brief you on reverse a flag so if we're not gonna reverse get it let's go I can't think of anything but what can you tell me about like you recommended power cities where do you get a chute for what I'm gonna shoot for is 24:41 and if we've got to buffer factors I've measured all the props I'm not scared but number one pretty balanced oh yeah you can feel them let's just take care of the girl we'll go as long I have the ability to always take it up even the 2800 even I'm so sorry folks if goes to hell in a handbasket we're gonna shove everything forward anything so it no problem there we'll do a modest takeoff if you guys don't like that power city I don't think you will have a problem with his house like I said we left Aspen Oh gotta be 15,000 pounds heavier than this and we got no problem okay remember though when we stand at granite yesterday at 2650 full throttle was only forty four dozen inches yeah okay all right you get 40 you get about 41 42 as you start rolling okay you've flown fixed-pitch they're variable pitch like this without conscious speed man but she's good the only thing we get an ultimate authority is say if a prop were to go away you can do a V to climb out okay stand it on its tail try and slow it down but by that time I'm gonna be screaming it on the feather anyway I can use feather unlike a hydra-matic I can do burp it a little bit and that'll help control the problem okay we just don't want anything to go run away over speed and hold judging by the look you know the health of these props I don't want to see him go to my well that's of my own paranoia because I had one complaint about noise with gear retractions is a big slam bang he going are you gonna hear it in the nose no no this is gonna go up and I use you to account I watched I look over as I'm flying it I do account my head and then I hear that there the nose okay it's very very audible in the feeling I know when the nose lights up okay um now we're gonna sue that engine fire engine fire everybody screams runs around lot of them are precautionary unless we have actual flames in that showing I'm not gonna discharge a bottle until it's absolutely necessary all the time so go out the dive slide I've never had I've had various little bit of fires but nothing a huge confederation Charlie human and old immature mommy hell he up this with this airplane okay yeah I was like a little kid around mascot that was asking all these questions oh he was great I said okay ultimate fire I got he said take your time relax don't panic but you got over three minutes before you breach into that main spar say we can't get fire up say everyone so we got time he said don't rush he said that's when everybody makes a mistake oh my boy the bottles too soon do this it just makes a mess of things so we got time you anything yep good I think you'll be good anything dad I'm subtract everybody keep keep your eyes and because we're gonna have three airplanes up there okay okay so everybody watch out what engines pretty cool are there any 85 is the speed you don't go okay okay you're comfortable applying this with your speeds right yeah we lose one on takeoff and we got enough speed Lechem v 1 v RV to which everyone yeah well we're gonna go to the 110 indicated okay now they'll give me some dual if we start smoking [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Fito okay okay and the Hawks take dumbbells or handles di sir they're in vacuum system engines clear ready to start okay [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] 3 4 to 1 so 3 3 4 to 1 okay [Applause] [Applause] [Music] come on let's go like that man they cool again they don't like that they go I get it's just that's what we're going okay [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] okay or was the one that was really plain something really bad and because the table stakes going on just set them right now [Applause] Thanks [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] stop I don't pressure deserve split just like the be all the lights are out parking brake lights le red up here [Music] [Applause] okay I'm gonna get the [Applause] [Music] let me know you're a buddy after I'm pissed already on you guys just boot in a autopilot Sundown fine instruments I'm good good okay and then I cup us in a taxi identical in flight controls break away [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] okay guys briefed to go so Steve are you up okay well here we are and we're getting ready to go right now okay guys [Applause] [Applause] alright guys what you are okay [Applause] and of course that makes years of ever number one I realize the work release now we're gonna go for cover let go you go get the pops up and he's gonna get old city still let us know what he's all set thank you [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] okay [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] just kind of busy in the cockpit everything's good [Applause] 25 inches there you go [Applause] she's a cruiser can you catch us people [Applause] [Music] and a little cooler doors just call them out for us one two three four they open [Applause] [Applause] we'll just paint mm okay [Applause] okay with your good Stephen we're going to add the kingman we're just 1 to 25 inches in 2000 we uh right before guys working on back there Stevo people that's why we got going here we're just looking like 26 and 2000 [Applause] [Applause] there was complete PHP on for it's been doing that just bouncing [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] now we had a couple of different engine these things going on here we're trying to figure out what's up [Applause] are you drinking [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] and if things go the other way I don't know but now we just started we launched number two then number three start going and then over four and then so he doesn't want speedo on and everything's back alive again [Applause] there was a dead Idol there for a little bit [Applause] [Applause] I need the beautiful names of gauges work in there because network there's no way we fuel another way did we [Applause] they were to do in the clock see that little Wanda but to thank another give God just dirt yeah yeah I see good [Applause] so Elvis records in it there can you tower for to to deliver up radio check for the constellation up of Valley and over up and we were gonna hit come to your direction and orbit there a little bit Britt seven point a long time okay field at 7,500 feet how about we just pick a left big orbit around the airport [Applause] the direction is a negative end for November out sorry Porcha - number about though we're about to find out and we've got a bearing with us he's just gonna follow us around a little bit [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] picking a left or bigger ogether cross B top now or just running on no we had the Bruce bump off but that's when things start going bad so we just see what it does here okay I'll just leave it to you to plan for us right now Steve will go this here obviously [Applause] [Music] she's of a goal based what are you thinking [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] negative services like say first played a long time we just for safety near airport we can orbit so one more orbit and if we're good we're going to head on say Kingman thanks yeah it's the only one in the world right now I'm flying only one mistake only seven four nine Donny anyway the baby Donnie this was General Douglas MacArthur Scotty Q so you could find a write-up in history books [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] okay alright Creek inion Connie for to toot over bro thank you for your real estate we're heading to Kingman [Applause] I know it's November of 42 number bro [Applause] welcome today's take on Hillary Kirby's making Akane Oh [Applause] politically [Applause] it's good hey you know what else you busy were just stupid engines all over the damn thing let me just fibre get knots we're gonna play oh wow yeah so carry all that crap oh yeah I really have come off your described before quit there we go [Applause] now we're not syndicated here now there's a demon out there Santana I think I think that would be one of the propeller lmj pitch it off no I think that's Bella been adjusting themselves - okay order [Applause] Papi's very poor [Music] [Music] [Applause] 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Channel: Lewis Air Legends

Views: 309,689

Keywords: aviation, connie, C-121 Constellation, C-121, Constellation, warbird, aerospace, plane

Id: nhgU7XmyNko

Length: 45min 5sec (2705 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 10 2019