N422NA Lockheed C121 Constellation

Lockheed C121 Constellation

Registration N422NA

Built in 1948 and served as a private airplane for General Douglas MacArthur, called "Bataan".

Planes of Fame Museum Valle Airport (VLE) Arizona United States

 

Current registration - N422NA

Delivered to USAF January 1949 as C-121A 48-613

Flew the Westover AFB-Rhein-Main route in support of the Berlin Airlift

Converted to a VC-121A in 1950

Was the first VC-121A fitted with APS-10 weather radar

Personal aircraft of General MacArthur from September 1950 to April 1951 and named "Bataan"

Personal aircraft of General Ridgeway from 1952 to 1953

Transferred to HQ, Pacific Air Command as VIP transport from 1953 to late 1965 when it was declared surplus by the USAF

Flown to Davis Monthan AFB in January 1966 for storage

To NASA June 1966 for use by the Goddard Space Center, Greenbelt, MD as NASA422

NASA stripped out the VIP interior and installed instrumentation for use on the Apollo space program

Registered N422NA June 1969

Retired by NASA late 1969 and flown to the US Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker on March 10, 1970

Declared surplus by the Army and sold to the Planes of Fame Museum on May 7, 1993

Made airworthy at Fort Rucker and ferried to Dothan, AL June 23, 1993 for additional restoration

Flown to Addison, TX May 1994 for restoration of the interior

Ferried Addison, TX - Avra Valley, AZ - Chino, CA December 3-6, 1994 and to The Planes of Fame Museum Annex in Valle, AZ early 1995

On display at the museum as 48-613 "Bataan" with interior restored to how it was during service with General MacArthur

Sold to Lewis Air Legends of San Antonio, Texas April 2015. Lewis plans on making aircraft airworthy and putting it on the US airshow circuit

Ferried Valle, AZ - Chino, CA January 14, 2016 for restoration

Undergoing comprehensive restoration in 2018

Done