C-121S "Constellation"

C-121S "Constellation". . The C-121, so designated by the Air Force in 1948, was developed from the C-69 military transport that had originated as a commercial transport for Transworld and Pan American Airlines. The C-69s were assigned to Air Transport Command during the last stages of World War II and thereafter were resold to the airlines as surplus. Massive modifications were made to the "Super Connie" beginning in 1962 and extending into the 1970's. The long-range transport C-l21 C (model 1049B) became the standard for all succeeding Constellation model's. Some were modified to include radomes, topside, and beneath the fuselage for Air Force and Navy aircraft, EC-121C and WV-2, respectively, for radar and reconnaissance missions. Early in the C-121 series, Military Air Transport Service was equipped with the Constellation for VIP missions. The most famous of these aircraft were Columbine 1 (48-614), used by Gen. Eisenhower as a presidential transport and Bataan, used by General MacArthur. A later version of the Constellation, VC-121 E, known as the Columbine III, was also added to the presidential fleet. This EC-121S on display has the colors and marking of the C-121C model, a larger military long-range transport version of the "Constellation (Lockheed Model 1049) assigned to Military Air Transport Service., This aerospace vehicle (C-121S) is a part of the USAF Heritage Program Collection.