VH-EAE (1)  Lockheed L-749A Constellation               (c/n  2505)

                                    

                                        VH-EAE was formerly Air India's VT-CQR 'Rajput Princess' delivered to that airline in 1948.
                                        It only spent 18 months with them until sold in December 1949 to Qantas, who named it 'Bert
                                        Hinkler'.   In March 1954 it was a back up aircraft for a Royal Tour and is seen in that event
                                        above in this rare shot from the Peter Gates collection.   A few months later (August 1954) it
                                        was sold to BOAC  as G-ANTG and named 'Bournemouth'.   Four years later (November
                                        1958 it was sold to Pacific Northern Airlines as N1552V.  '. This shot is by Jim Dyson and comes to me via the David Molesworth collection.  Mascot, circa 1958.
                                        It was sold back to Lockheed as N9720C in 1960.