N749NL c/n 2604

This is a classic "before" picture of N749NL taken on November 15, 1997 before she was beautifully restored by the Dutch Aviodrome Museum (RM Pettersen)	Pictured on October 7, 2001 after the first year's restoration effort had been completed...what a difference from the 1997 photo! (RM Pettersen)	N749NL made two test flights on July 2, 2004 sporting her new KLM paint scheme and newly installed Hamilton Standard props (Willem Honders)

• Current registration - N749NL
• Delivered to USAF January 1949 as C-121A 48-612
• Flew the Westover AFB-Rhein-Main route in support of the Berlin Airlift
• Converted to a VC-121A in 1950 and flew VIP missions for the remainder of its USAF career
• Retired by USAF and flown to Davis Monthan AFB for storage October 1967
• One of five VC-121A's sold to Christler Flying Service at DoD auction on May 5, 1970
• Registered N9465 on July 10, 1970 and converted to an agricultural sprayer by Desert Air in Tucson, AZ
• To Les Arrosages Castor/Beaver Air Spray, Inc April 1979
• Registered C-GXKR by Beaver Air Spray July 1979
• To Conifair Aviation, Inc by December 1979
• To Vern Raburn August 1993 as N749VR. Planned to use as a source of spares for sister-ship N494TW
• Ferried Mont Joli, Canada to Avra Valley, AZ September 11/12, 1994
• Curtis Electric props had been sold to the operators of the two surviving Martin Mars and were immediately sent back to Canada
• To the Dutch Constellation Association (Stichting Constellation Nederland) in October 1995
• To the Dutch Aviodome Museum in early 2001
• Restoration began March 2001 and the aircraft was flown to The Netherlands using borrowed Curtis Electric Props and number three engine in September 2002
• During restoration at Avra Valley, the museum purchased three engines from Ralph Dominquez. These engines had been salvaged from L749A N6011C (c/n 2647) in Arica, Chile
• Two engines installed at Avra Valley and the third after aircraft arrived in The Netherlands
• Museum could not find replacement props and modified aircraft to accept Hamilton Standard Super Constellation props
• First flight in KLM colors and with new props was made on July 2, 2004
• #3 engine experienced a failure during a flight on July 5, 2004
• On display at Dutch Aviodrome Museum at Lelystad
• Two engines salvaged in April 2006 from L749A N494TW, which is on display at the Korean Air Museum in South Korea. One of the engines will be used to replace the unservicable #3 engine and allow flight operations to resume in 2007
• #3 engine installed and successfully tested on October 17 and 21, 2006