super constellation

Star of Switzerland

Airport Lahr was home of a unique treasure. The Super Constellation (Connie) gets her annual maintenance done at Lahr airport.
The goal of the Super Constellation Flyers Association registered in Basel / Switzerland (Abbr. SCFA) is tomaintain and fly this beautiful aircraft.
Many enthusiasts and Connie veterans perform countless hours of work on this historic aircraft during its time in winter maintenance, in order to prepare it for its upcoming flight season.
The Star of Switzerland (registered HB-RSC) is fascinating her fans with static displays and flight displays during airshows and events all over Europe.

Only 2 flying Connies in the world

Today, there are only two Super Constellations left that are able to fly. The Star of Switzerland in Switzerland/Europe and the Southern Preservation in Australia.

Why does the Connie have three rudders?
In case of a dual engine failure on the same side, the pilot still needs to be able to maintain control of the aircraft. Therefore the rudder surface must have a certain size in order to maintain aircraft stability and controllability. If only one enormous rudder had been created, the aircraft would not have fit in any hangar. That is why the necessary rudder area was divided up into three individual surfaces.

Why are the propellers so large big?
Each engine puts out 3,200 horespower. In order to transform this amount of power into thrust, large big propellers are necessary. If they were smaller, the RPM’s would have to be increased, which is not possible. That is why the Connie is equipped with the largest biggest propellers (4.63 meters diameter).

How many passengers could fit into the Connie originally?
The earliest Constellation aircraft had approximately 40/50 seats, in some models up to 60 seats. The longer Super Constellation offered a seating capacity of up to 100 passengers.

Information about the Super Constellation Flyers:   www.superconstellation.org

Super Constellation as it left Lahr 2011