C-121S "Constellation"

The C-121, designated by the Air Force in 1948, was developed from the C-69 military transport, which had originated as a commercial transport for Transworld and Pan American Airlines. During the last stages of World War II, C-69s were assigned to Air Transport Command and afterward were resold to the airlines as surplus. Massive modifications to the "Super Connie" began in 1962 and continued into the 1970's. The long-range transport C-121C, model 1049B, became the standard for all succeeding Constellation models. Some were modified with radomes above and beneath the fuselage for Air Force and Navy aircraft, designated EC-121C and WV-2 respectively, for radar and reconnaissance missions. Early in the C-121 series, Military Air Transport Service used 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, the VC-121E known as the Columbine III, was also added to the presidential fleet. The EC-121S carries the colors and markings of the C-121C model, a larger military long-range transport version of the Constellation, Lockheed Model 1049, assigned to Military Air Transport Service, and it is part of the USAF Heritage Program Collection.

Lackland AFB, Texas · United States