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The Super Constellation is in front of the Grounding

The disappointment is huge. The Super Constellation, a 1955-built and, since 2004, of a club to be worn over the propeller plane, can't fly in 2019 but out as

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The Super Constellation is in front of the Grounding

The disappointment is huge. The Super Constellation, a 1955-built and, since 2004, of a club to be worn over the propeller plane, can't fly in 2019 but out as planned. This message applies to the members of the Super Constellation Flyers Association (SCFA) based in Basel, Switzerland hard. Since the spring of 2017, "the most beautiful passenger aircraft in the aviation history", as it is called, in the Hangar.

The forced break was necessary, because the rust of the valve mechanism of the 24 country and hairline cracks were discovered on the rims. 1.5 million francs, the Association for the reconstruction of the parts collected. The Super Connie was not already in the autumn of 2018 back in the air, had to do with the elaborate Tests and a rigorous examination procedure by the Federal office for civil aviation (Foca).

The office made it clear to the SCFA, that only a fully restored vintage aircraft would be re-issued with a flight permit. This uncompromising attitude of the Foca is not least after the crash of the other Swiss vintage aircraft more than understandable. In August 20 people were killed in the Crash of a Ju 52 in the mountains of Grisons.

redevelopment will take four years

at the end of October it was said that the SCFA test flights in the first year plan, half of 2019. Now this project of a major setback is obsolete in the Hangar. Before Christmas, the chips were discovered on the front spar of the right wing. "These chips are the consequences of the use and the age of our Connie", as stated in the letter to the SCFA Supporter of mid-February. "It is inevitable that we need to take both wings completely apart and, if necessary, remediate."

Even worse: this Time, the impact of the damage goes beyond previous temporal and financial dimensions of the project, to get the only passenger airworthy Super Connie in the world. "The complete renovation of the wing is expected to last four years and around 10 million francs in costs," writes the Association's President, Hans Breitenmoser. Mechanics salaries, hangar rental and Administration, as well as a Reserve for the Unexpected, and excluding the "lack of us currently around 15 to 20 million Swiss francs in the Treasury."

Three months period

The Executive Board of the SCFA has, therefore, prepared four scenarios. They range from renovation and continued operation of the aircraft in the future on sale to give away, decompose, part, sale, or scrapping. An extraordinary General meeting of the members a few days ago, has decided unanimously by the Board of Directors preferred heart blood variant. Under all circumstances, is to be tried, the Swiss Connie is the project to continue.

The order of the Board of Directors, however, is limited in time. The prospect of a secure financing must be submitted within three months. This includes global donations to search calls, sponsors, and Crowdfunding. The goal is that the entire amount is ensured before the renovation is begun. It should therefore be no more money in vain spent. A cancellation of the Work after one or two years, the Board of management referred to as a No-go.

This article was, for the first time on 13. February in the Zürichsee-Zeitung published.

(Zürichsee-Zeitung)

Created: 13.03.2019, 10:01 PM

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