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| At Toronto on August 8, 1961 while in service with TCA (Photo by Nelson Hare via Stephen Miller) | Both the Toronto Aerospace Museum and the Museum of Flight want CF-RNR (Andrew Semon) | Disassembly complete on February 27, 2006 with ultimate ownership still unclear (Joseph Galati) |
- Final registration - CF-RNR
- Delivered to Trans-Canada Airlines May 1954 as L1049C CF-TGE
- Converted to L1049E and later L1049G configuration
- To Radio Industries October 1963 as N8742R but never left Canada
- To Montreal Air Services 1964 and leased to World Wide Airways summer 1964
- World Wide Airways license revoked on August 15, 1965 and aircraft impounded at Montreal
- Stored Montreal 1965-68
- Nordair stripped engines, electronics and other usable spare parts 1965-66
- To Mr. Ferrand who disassembled and moved aircraft 100 miles by road to St-Marc des Carrieres, Quebec in December 1968
- Owner unable to get necessary permits for conversion to a bar/restaurant and aircraft stored disassembled
- To Bertrand Camirand June 1985 for $15,000 and moved 110 miles by road to St-Jean Port Joli, Quebec on July 2 and July 4, 1985
- Assembled July 9 thru July 12, 1985 and opened for display at Mr. Camirand's Musee Les Retrouvailles in June 1987
- To Philip Yull September 1995
- Moved 600 miles by road to L.B. Pearson International Airport, Toronto on June 6 thru 9, 1996 for restoration
- Moved to the Regal Constellation Hotel in Toronto on August 5, 1996 for use as a conference facility
- Assembly completed by August 10th with grand opening on August 22, 1996
- Conference facility failed but operated as a cocktail lounge and lunch delicatessen until August 1997
- Philip Yull found new investors and aircraft moved to a new site at the north end of L.B. Pearson International Airport the third week of August 1998
- Opened October 15, 1998 as a fine dining restaurant
- Closed January 2002 and advertised for sale
- A number of museums, including the Toronto Aerospace Museum and the Museum of Flight in Seattle were interested in acquiring the aircraft for their collection.
- In early 2004 the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) announced within the aviation community that it was going to seize the aircraft for several years back rent.
- GTAA entered into discussions with the Toronto museum to transfer aircraft
- Offered for sale July 21, 2004 on ebay $200,000
- Purchased Spring 2005 by Seattle's Museum of Flight (MOF)
- Disassembly began January 2006 and by February 27th was complete
- By March 8th aircraft removed from site and stored in Cargo Star's yard less than a mile from its former home
- Even though MOF claims clear title to the aircraft on page 8 of its January/February 2006 newsletter, on May 26, 2006 the Department of Canadian Heritage denied the museum a permit to export it to the United States. Permit was denied after it was determined that the Super Connie was “of significant cultural and historic importance to Canada”. (see the Constellation News page of this website for additional details)
- MOF appealed the decision and the appeal was denied in September 2006
- A fair market value of $329K was established and Canadian museums were given the opportunity to purchase the aircraft from the MOF
- No offers were forthcoming and on March 8, 2007 the coveted export permit was issued
- Aircraft was transported from Toronto to the old Griffis AFB in Rome, NY on June 7, 2007 where it will be reassembled, inspected, repaired, painted in TCA colors and transported to Seattle for display at the MOF. This effort is expected to take upwards of 12 months to complete
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