Lockheed Constellation Survivors

N548GF c/n 4363

L1049A 53-548 January 18, 1986 L1049A N548GF October 16, 1995 L1049A N548GF July 5, 2005
Displayed at the Pima Air and Space Museum from 1981 to 1994, little in the way of restoration is evident in this January 1986 photograph (RM Pettersen) Operated on the airshow circuit for a few years in the mid-90's, N548GF is shown landing at her home base of Camarillo, CA in October 1995 (Graham Robson) Patienty awaiting her fate at Camarillo Airport on July 5, 2005, the old girl looks pretty good in spite of a lack of attention in recent years (Terry Wall)
  • Current registration - N548GF
  • Delivered to USAF August 1955 as RC-121D 53-548
  • Redesignated EC-121D 1962 and later EC-121T
  • To USAF Reserves by June 1976
  • Retired and flown to Davis Monthan AFB for storage October 1978
  • To Pima Air and Space Museum by September 1981
  • Excess to needs of museum and sold to Wayne Jones/Global Aeronautical Foundation December 29, 1994 as N548GF with AEW radar system intact
  • Restored and ferried from Davis Monthan AFB to Tucson International Airport, AZ April 14, 1995
  • Ferried Tucson to Camarillo, CA April 15, 1995
  • Based at Camarillo and flown on a limited west coast airshow circuit in USAF markings 30548
  • Grounded in 2001 due to corrosion in outer wing panels
  • Wing tip tanks removed August 2001 and repairs made to corroded areas in accordance with applicable Lockheed manuals. The affected areas were not chemically milled ribs
  • Wayne Jones passed away in June 2002 and aircraft offered for sale in Trade-A-Plane the same month for $695,000
  • Aircraft stored Camarillo, CA in reasonable condition
  • Aircraft registered to Yanks Air Museum on January 24, 2006
  • Aircraft restored to airworthy condition March thru May 2006
  • FAA refuses to issue a ferry permit citing concerns about the aircraft's airworthiness
  • Yanks completed FAA mandated corrosion repairs in April 2007 but FAA has still not issued a ferry permit


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