Origional "Air Force One" flies again.

USMCmech

USMCmech

Well-Known Member
Columbine 2 which was Eisenhower's "Air Force One" made it's first flight in over 20 years today. It had been rotting away in Marana AZ and bound for the scrap yard.

"At Marana Regional Airport, near Tucson, Arizona, a team from Dynamic Aviation is preparing to fly Columbine II to their company headquarters in Bridgewater, Virginia, early next month. The Lockheed Constellation first flew in 1948 for the U.S. Air Force, and later was used by President Dwight Eisenhower, then flew for Pan Am and later returned to the Air Force. Dynamic Aviation bought the airplane last year with the goal to restore it to flying condition. Once the restoration is complete, the company says it expects the airplane will be transferred to a nonprofit museum and will fly at airshows"

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Doc-And-Connie-Prepare-For-Flight-225851-1.html

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A friend of mine from LeTourneau was part of the crew that got it ready to fly again, and will be chasing it back home in a B-25.
 
I remember when it was sitting in an aircraft junkyard here decades ago being parted out for an aerial spray company's Connies here, before it was figured out what its significance was. Good save.
 
I've read that the first one was converted b25... My company also has a ac50 that was used by the Eisenhower administration.
 
Very cool. Pardon my piston engine ignorance, but what was going on with that engine test? Lots of smoke so I assume there is fuel and ignition, but it cranks forever and then once it starts speeding up, it still never seems to fire off. What were they doing?
 
RDoug said:
Sounds as if they both fired up to me, at least on some of the cylinders.
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yeah I suppose that was part of the question……just didn't sound like the motors were actually ever at a steady idle…..just wondering why from the radial experts.
 
///AMG said:
yeah I suppose that was part of the question……just didn't sound like the motors were actually ever at a steady idle…..just wondering why from the radial experts.
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Not an expert, but most radials have solid valve actuating systems (no hydraulic lifters) so until the engine is at operating temperature the valves are opening and closing all over the place. That's at least part of it. Also even with turning the engines through by hand the lower cylinders tend to have oil collect in them, which will cause rough running and smoke until it burns out.
 
Hacker15e said:
Even highly-tuned, frequently-run, and well taken-care-of radials smoke and sound like they're chugging along on only half the cylinders before they get up to good operating temps and RPMs.
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Because they ARE chugging along on only half the cylinders
 
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