W/NW: Connie and other "MILF"

[Swissmadepix]

Mam, I Love to Fly !!

Sorry for the pun, but I believe those older machines are indeed very fine Ladies: would love to see how you captured their curves and proportions.

This past weekend, we received the visit of N73544, formerly known as "Camarillo Connie". This venerable Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation has been built to the specs of Howard Hughes and delivered to the US Air Force in 1956; she has been brought back to full functionality by the "Constellation Historical Society" and is today leased to the "Super Constellation Flyers Association", based in Switzerland.

I could not miss the opportunity to give this magnificent bird a closer look and exite some silver halide in the process.

 

[zuikologist]

Nice shots of a nice plane.

 

[Swissmadepix]

The first picture was an experiment with Cokin's #830 soft focussing filter. I like the result.

The middle one is a mistery to me. Since I don't own any ND filters and since I wanted a shallow DoF, I screwed on a 80B blue and a 85B orange filter, in addition to a polarizer. Was able to open to f1.7 and focussed on the writing on the fuselage. The first prop was at about 1.5ft from the camera: shouldn't it be way more out of focus ?

As for the third one: shortly before landing.

 

[Paul1287]

"Milf?" I think thos eare looking pretty masculine.

 

[Swissmadepix]

Thank you, zuikologist !
Hmmm..Paul, was a joke on the acronym - Have yet to find a sharp angle on that beauty, hence very Ladylike, IMHO. But...yes, I can see what you mean..

The most annoying thing, whe shooting film, is to realize that you did not pack the extra roll you prepared on the kitchen table :bang: !!

So, I had to revert to digital..sorry (last 3)

 

[rover]

Thread titles that make Moderators worry and people at work wonder. 😉

 

[ChrisN]

Avalon Airshow, 18 March 2005.

 

[ChrisN]

A few more. All digital I'm afraid. Black Cat. F-111 dump and burn (favourite party trick).

 

[Solinar]

I enjoyed the photos of the Super Constellations. The one Chris shows even has wing tanks. That PBY probably has a lot of hours logged in and if were a person have some stories to tell as well.

I grew up adjacent to the Miami International Airport back when DC-6, DC-7 and Constelllations ruled the sky.

 

[FrankS]

I am so disappointed.

 

[Solinar]

Give Frank a motorized hang glider.

 

[Swissmadepix]

Chris - Awesome pictures and great to see another Connie..hehe. I actually researched the registration of that Australian one and..."your" and "my" Connie served together: from 1962 to 1967 in the Mississippi ANG. Neat ! "Yours" retired in 1977 and rejoined "mine" at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, where was sitting since 1972.

Oh yes, Solinar...those stories they could tell. But if you listen carefully to those pistons...maybe something can be gleaned.

Frank truly..sorry...😛

 

[Gordon Coale]

I flew in one of these across the Pacific in 1960. My dad was stationed in Japan in 1957. We flew in a DC-6 with refueling stops in Hawaii and Wake Island. It was a 36 hour flight. I had asthma problems and returned to the States for a year in 1959 on a Boeing Stratocruiser and in went back to Japan in a Super Connie in 1960. The Connie was a favorite of mine as a kid. I remember making a Revell model of one. Talk about noise! When my entire family returned to the States in 1961 it was on a Boeing 707. In today's age of really big jet airliners, it's hard to appreciate what a breakthrought the jet powered 707 was. The piston powered airliners, like the Connie, had four abreast seating and lots of noise and vibration. Lots! Walking into the 6 abreast seating 707 was like walking into a barn. A really long barn. And so quite. It was a 12 flight back with one stop in Hawaii.

 

[David Murphy]

I've been inside this plane when it was on the ground -- it's very impressive. It flew into the airport that I fly out of (I am a pilot) in El Monte, California a few years ago to attend the annual Air Fair they hold there.

El Monte is a small, but very urban airport and this plane made a fairly steep approach (required there for noise abatement) and planted itself down on a 4000 ft. runway -- a runway both narrow and short for a Connie I am sure. It was a magnificient event.

The plane is based at the Camarillo airport -- easy to get to if you are ever in the Los Angeles or Santa Barbara area -- you can go see it there (and some others of similar interest, like a Convair)

 

[rover]

I promised some contributions at the beginning of the week.

 

[Solinar]

I flew in one of these across the Pacific in 1960.....It was a 36 hour flight. .......The Connie was a favorite of mine as a kid. I remember making a Revell model of one. Talk about noise! ........The piston powered airliners, like the Connie, had four abreast seating and lots of noise and vibration. Lots! Walking into the 6 abreast seating 707 was like walking into a barn. A really long barn. And so quite.

You forgot to mention the blue flames shooting out of the exhaust at night, an expecially comforting sight when over open water.

 

[OldNick]

As a Aero Engineer, I once looked into the cowling of a Martin 404 at night and commented to my wife that I never realized that the exhaust system glowed red hot at night. She has reminded me since that time that engineer's interests can make the novice flyer uneasy.

Visit my gallery for some interesting photos from a recent static display at a local airshow.

Jim N.

 

[raydm6]

I only have pics of large MILFs 😋

 

[Deleted member 82967]

Constellation mention brings back memories:

1. As a kid in the fifties listening to the drone of their transatlantic flights in- or out-bound to London Heathrow.

2. As a RAF aircraft tech in the sixties cleaning up oil puddles left by Ace Freighters' machines.