Super Connie Plane: The Revival of an Australian Icon

The Lockheed Super Constellation is a stunning aircraft – a vintage American design from the 1950s, defined by its graceful curves, powerful propellers, and striking triple tail fin.

It’s no surprise that, even when one particular 'Super Connie' was left to decay in a muddy Southeast Asian field for 25 years, its story didn’t end there.

Abandoned in a corner of Manila International Airport after its owners became tangled in a lengthy legal dispute, this sleek and elegant plane, exposed to the harsh tropical elements, seemed doomed for the scrapyard.

That’s when a group of passionate Australian enthusiasts stepped in to save the day.

Before the jet age took over, the Lockheed Super Constellation was the last long-haul piston-engine airliner to rule the skies. It also holds a special place in the history of Qantas, Australia's flagship airline, and, by extension, Australian aviation itself.

The 'Super Connie' was the first aircraft to showcase Qantas' iconic kangaroo livery, symbolizing the 'Kangaroo Route' that connected Australia to the UK.

This aircraft played a pivotal role in expanding the Qantas brand beyond Australian borders, helping it reach destinations across Asia, Europe, and America.

It was also the first aircraft in Qantas’ fleet to feature pressurization and the first to have a female cabin crew on board.

So it’s no surprise that when airport authorities in the Philippines decided to auction off the Super Connie, the Qantas Founders Museum, managed by the Qantas Foundation Memorial, took notice.

The effort to restore Super Connie to its former splendor

Securing a winning bid for a rusted airframe is one thing.

However, the real challenge for the Qantas Founders Museum team was transporting the Super Connie from Manila to Longreach, Queensland, where the museum is based, and then restoring it for public exhibition.

Where would the money come from?

The funds had to be raised somehow.

The Qantas Foundation Memorial contributed AUD 455,000, with half of that coming from the airline’s annual support fund, and the rest from its own coffers. The remainder of the funds were sourced from government-backed tourism promotion initiatives.

The Super Connie is anticipated to be a key attraction at the Qantas Founders Museum.

By drawing in more visitors, the Super Connie will help boost the local economy of Longreach and the surrounding region of Western Queensland.

Although the Super Connie has been restored to resemble the classic late 1950s Qantas livery, this particular aircraft never actually flew for the Australian airline.

Built in 1953 for the US Navy, it served in multiple capacities for the military for over 20 years, including a 14-year assignment (1959 to 1973) at the Pacific Missile Range in California.

In 1973, the plane was flown to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. However, it wasn't until 1981 that the Department of Defense made it available for sale.

It was eventually bought by Northern Peninsula Fisheries, who intended to use it during the Alaskan fish-hauling season. However, due to certification issues for civilian use, the aircraft remained grounded at Arlington Municipal Airport in Washington state until 1987.

It was then sold to an Alaskan company, World Fish and Agriculture Inc., which flew it all the way to the Pacific island chain of Palau.

The aircraft was initially meant to operate a twice-weekly fresh tuna airlift service between Palau and Nagoya, Japan. However, this plan failed as the plane's cargo capacity was insufficient, and Nagoya Airport did not have the proper fuel for the aircraft.

A legal dispute over contractual issues led to the plane being impounded in Manila in 1988, where it was ultimately abandoned by its owners. It was officially removed from the US aircraft registry in 2007.

In 1988, Qantas received a proposal to bring the Super Connie, painted in the airline's colors, to Australia for the Bicentennial Air Show at Richmond RAAF Base in New South Wales. Unfortunately, this plan never materialized.

However, legal hurdles prevented the aircraft from being transported to Australia for the event, and it remained in limbo.

By 2015, a dedicated team of volunteers from the Qantas Founders Museum and the Qantas Foundation Memorial arrived in the Philippines to begin the painstaking recovery and restoration process of the Super Connie.

The journey to Queensland began with a major challenge – getting the aircraft out of the mud.

The plane had been trapped beneath layers of thick silt, burying its undercarriage. To move it, the Qantas Engineering Aircraft Recovery Team had to dig it out and replace the wheels, which were sourced from the US, before rolling it onto firmer ground.

The tail section of the Super Connie stood tall, a testament to its enduring beauty.

The aircraft had to be disassembled into its major components – fuselage, tail, wings, engines, landing gear – and custom steel frames were built to fit each part. These frames were then moved to a storage site with help from Cebu Pacific Airlines, where they would be kept until they could be shipped to Australia.

However, the shipping process took another year. A fleet of low loaders transported the components in convoy to the Manila port, where International Container Terminal Services provided free space for the steel frames to be completed and the parts readied for their sea voyage.

In May 2017, after a long wait, the parts finally reached Townsville, Australia, aboard the ship BBC Maine.

Once the Super Connie arrived at its final destination in Longreach, the serious restoration work began.

From December 2017 to February 2018, a dedicated team of Qantas metalworkers and volunteers from the Qantas Founders Museum carefully prepared the aircraft, grinding away corroded areas, trimming damaged sections, and applying patches to ensure the aircraft’s integrity.

The Super Connie was then prepared for Quick Strip Dustless Blasting Services, a specialized team from Cairns tasked with stripping and repainting the aircraft in sections. To facilitate this, a structure was built to enclose the disassembled aircraft.

The restoration process involved removing all remaining paint and corrosion using wet glass bead blasting, followed by body filling to restore the aircraft's surface. Finally, a primer and topcoat were applied to protect the surfaces from further corrosion.

A great deal of research was done to replicate the aircraft’s final appearance, with new livery designs based on Qantas' delicate tracing-paper originals.

The decision was made to repaint the aircraft to match the historical Qantas Super Constellation, VH-EAM ‘Southern Spray.’

The final stages involved reassembling the Super Constellation, a task completed by a team of mostly retired aircraft engineers and volunteers, along with applying the finishing coat of paint.

Once complete, the Super Connie will join other legendary Qantas aircraft on display, including a Boeing 747, Boeing 707, Douglas DC-3, and a Catalina flying boat.

The Super Constellation will provide visitors with a unique look into a pivotal time in commercial aviation history, the 1950s.

In the years leading up to the jet age, the first pressurized, long-haul airliners, such as the Super Connie, were already laying the groundwork for the kind of transcontinental travel that would flourish in the decades that followed.