Wearing 'Lockheed Constellation' titles for publicity pictures before delivery to TWA in June 1948. Photo from: Lockheed Martin

Refuelling stop at Shannon. Aircraft modified to L-749A. To Air France in December 1949 as F-BAZV. Photo by: Nat Farbman / Life

later repainted in period KLM colors - photographer unknown

Trying to catch the propblur on a bright sunny day. Setting my camera to 1/60sec at F22. Engine testrun of the Aviodrome Constellation, with Mr. Erling Brom at the nosewheel.

from my collection, photographer unknown, delivered new to TWA Transcontinental and Western Air Jul 1948 as N91209 Star of New Mexico, transferred to Trans World Airlines May 1950, wfu Dec 1966 and b/u Kansas City Jun 1968

Retired by ACE in September 1966 when the Company went out of business

Photographer: Not known.

Photographer: Not known.

Sold in Mexico as XA-LIP in November 1955. Photo from: Whites Aviation Collection/Alexander Turnbull Library

Leased by Pan Am in 1947, this L-749 made the 'first commercial flight around the world' - New York to San Francisco via Europe and Asia. It completed the circumnavigation as a ferry flight because Pan Am was not allowed to fly domestic services. PAA could carry passengers between foreign cities on the route, however, and it was in the timetable as PA flight 1 and 2 for many years. The Constellation became F-BAZR and F-ZVMV and survives with the Musée the l'Air. Photo from: University of Miami

Delivered as PH-TEP in 1947 then later re-registered as above. Sold to Aerotransportes Entre Ríos in 1964 as LV-PZX/LV-IGS and later scrapped at Montevideo in 1982 having been abandoned there many years before.

Sold in 1952 to BOAC as G-ANUR. Photo from: State Library of New South Wales

Served with CEV as F-ZVMV.

Served with CEV as F-ZVMV.

'500th [postwar] flight to Batavia [Jakarta]'. The airport is still in shambles in the background. Aircraft registered in August 1947. Not yet named Roermond here. The Connie crashed into sea off Bari during return flight from Jakarta on 23 June 1949. All 33 people on board lost their lives. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Taxiing past to to some high speed tests on the Schiphol-East runway 04 - 22

Delivered to the USAF in 1949 as 48-0612. Withdrawn from use in October 1967. To Christler Flying Services in July 1970 as N9465. To Beaver Air Spray in July 1979 as C-GXKR. Withdrawn from use and stored at St. Jean, Quebec, Canada. To Conifair Aviation around October 1981 as N749VR. Seen in April 2002 as N749NL at Avra Valley, Arizona. Restored by May 2002 and made its first flight since 1994. The ferry to The Netherlands started on September 15, 2002., routing Fort Worth, Alpena, Goose Bay, Keflavik, Duxford, Manston, Lelystad and Schiphol. Forever a shame she wasnt given a chance to fly.

Our Dutch Connie standing beautiful in the autumn sunshine, in preparation of an engine run later that evening. Forever a shame she was never given the chance to fly.

Work in progress on everyone's favourite propliner. Unfortunately she would not return to the sky.