Lockheed 1049-55-84 RC-121C Constellation

Lockheed 1049-55-84 RC-121C Constellation

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02/28/2006. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "This aircraft was ordered as a R7V-1 for the USN but was converted on the production line to a Model 1049-55-84 and delivered to the USAF as the first of ten RC-121C-LOs on December 31, 1953. The plane was designed as a high altitude reconnaissance and early warning radar picket with dorsal and ventral radomes and a crew of 31. It was initially assigned to the 8th Air Division (Airborne Early Warning and Control) of the USAF's Air Defense Command based at McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California. In July 1955, the 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing was activated at McClellan to control all of the Air Defense Command's west coast airborne radar systems and this aircraft was reassigned from the 8th Air Division to the 552d Wing.

In 1961, the radar was removed from this aircraft by Lockheed and the aircraft was redesignated C-121C-LO and later TC-121C-LO. The aircraft remained assigned to the 552d AEW&C Wing until 1967 when it was transferred to the Military Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, with 13,202 hours on the airframe. The plane was subsequently scrapped."


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02/28/2006. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "This aircraft was ordered as a R7V-1 for the USN but was converted on the production line to a Model 1049-55-84 and delivered to the USAF as the first of ten RC-121C-LOs on December 31, 1953. The plane was designed as a high altitude reconnaissance and early warning radar picket with dorsal and ventral radomes and a crew of 31. It was initially assigned to the 8th Air Division (Airborne Early Warning and Control) of the USAF's Air Defense Command based at McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California. In July 1955, the 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing was activated at McClellan to control all of the Air Defense Command's west coast airborne radar systems and this aircraft was reassigned from the 8th Air Division to the 552d Wing. In 1961, the radar was removed from this aircraft by Lockheed and the aircraft was redesignated C-121C-LO and later TC-121C-LO. The aircraft remained assigned to the 552d AEW&C Wing until 1967 when it was transferred to the Military Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, with 13,202 hours on the airframe. The plane was subsequently scrapped."