Eisenhower’s Columbine II reflecting the rising sun in the Arizona desert. (Ken Stoltzfus photo)
Close on the heals of our mid-April update regarding the engineering work that Dynamic Aviation is performing on president Eisenhower’s VC-121 Constellation Columbine II, we have news that the team has paused their work for a while as they await the return from overhaul of the numerous components they have sent off for rework. The team is still very much in the game, but it will probably be a little while before serious work resumes. That being said, Ken Stoltzfus has sent us some nice images showing the team at work on the aircraft, and we thought you would enjoy seeing them…
The key players behind resurrecting Columbine II – (from left to right) – David Oliver, former Dynamic Aviation pilot, currently Commemorative Air Force Squadron Operations Officer and Fifi captain; Scott Glover, Mid America Flight Museum; Karl Stoltzfus Sr., Dynamic Aviation founder and much more; and Neils Agather, CAF Board Chairman. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
The jumble that was the spare parts store before Karl Stoltzfus got to work on it… (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
The storage area once Karl Stoltzfus had got through organizing the mess! (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
A close up view of the flaps… (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
Another view of the technical and aesthetic marvels of the main flaps, with a pair of dormant Douglas transports to the rear. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
On of the engines undergoing maintenance. Note how much cleaner the engine bay appears after the hard work the team has been putting in! (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
A closeup of the complex hydraulic and mechanical jungle hidden beneath the Constellation’s tail cone fairing. This maintenance nightmare is where the control inputs to the tail control surfaces channel through. The team has been hard at work ensuring that it all works as advertised, but it’s clear what a significant task must be. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
A broader view of the tail area to add context to the previous image. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
The team is going through the brakes. The Connie originally had expander tube brakes but Columbine II now has the Goodyears. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
One of the freshly overhauled brake units ready for reassembly. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
Planning the next moves inside the Dynamic Aviation maintenance trailer. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
The team’s makeshift lunch shelter! (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
Running one of the engines at low power settings. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
A fascinating view from atop the left wing. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
All four engines with the cowlings up… They act as very effective weather shields when working on the engines. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
Loading up the Dynamic Aviation maintenance trailer at close of day. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
Columbine II sitting in the sun, awaiting the return of key components from the overhaul shops. Alone for the moment, but not for long. (photo via Dynamic Aviation)
WarbirdsNews will be sure to post any updates to Columbine II’s story as soon as we receive them!
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
I absolutely love to see someone, or a group, take an interest in keeping the beautiful birds flying! The amount of aircraft sitting in the boneyard in Arizona staggers the imagination, and most of them perfectly usable.
I absolutely love to see someone, or a group, take an interest in keeping the beautiful birds flying! The amount of aircraft sitting in the boneyard in Arizona staggers the imagination, and most of them perfectly usable.