The Connie is a dead accurate rendition of the Save-a-Connie operated by the museum in Kansas City. I mean every detail is there. Wingspan: 12 ft. (3.7 m) Takeoff weight: 54lbs. (24.4 kg.) Power is electric and endurance is 10 minutes with enough reserve to go around. Construction is conventional wood, balsa sheeting, and fibreglas finish. Custom decals are computer cut vinyl. Landing gear is custom made aluminum/steel and is scale. All landing gear doors are present and synchronized to operate during retraction/extension. Other features include landing lights, rotating beacon, ice detect lights, and a sound system to be installed later.
Cowl flaps are fixed in open position to allow for cooling of the brushless electric motor.
Fowler flaps track out as they deflect downward just like the real thing.
Yes there are two pilots behind the cockpit windows dressed in appropriate TWA uniforms.
Left side view may look odd due to lack of windows upfront and the large cargo door. That's because the museum Connie this was modeled after was really a Lockheed 1049H. It's just painted up to look like a G Model. Behind the operating cargo door is the control panel for powering up the systems for the scale model.
There are no printed plans for this model. The commercially available plans were all sadly lacking in detail and were not faithful to scale. The builder essentially took a "clean sheet" approach to this bird. Of all of the giant scale airliners we studied none come close to rivaling this Connie for accuracy. The airline museum in K.C. did provide about 100 close up photos of the real thing to assist in getting everything correct.
Ground testing is almost complete. First flight will hopefully be within the next month.
Someday the builder hopes to join up with the Save-a-Connie group at an airshow to display both aircraft side-by-side. If the model survives its flying career it will most likely and hopefully be donated to the museum in K.C. It is not for sale at any price.
Being a collector of big airliner display models I look at this Connie as the ultimate display model. Ed, the builder, made her to fly and fly she will. I just hope the skies are kind to her.
Ladd
