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For a number of years the SAA Museum Society had known that the inevitable would happen i.e. the order to relocate our beloved Starliner to a new home.
The order came in the first week of 2011, the Connie must go!
Since then numerous meetings have taken place as to who, what, where, when etc. Our dear friends at Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung (DLBS) in Germany have been simply awesome and have given us plenty of information to work with. They have had a couple of years involvement with their own three Starliners and are able to offer the SAAMS advice as well as access to much needed technical information, manuals and special tools required for dismantling ZS-DVJ.
SAA Technical and the SAA Apprentice School have also been of immense help and will be there to guide the museum through what is undoubtedly a daunting task.
It's actually quite simple really, undo the aircraft, move the bits and put it all together again. When we're done we'll look back and say "piece of cake", but for now our problems have just begun.
A working committee was in place by June 2011 and a document (Moving D-ALAN) had been been drafted that would serve to guide us through the initial phase. The document was been compiled by Johannes Wiesner, Technical Manager BizJet Auburn - The Lockheed Super Star Project.
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Dismantling begings mid 2011 at SAA Technical
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By July 2011 the spinners and some wing panels had been removed.
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Removing the engine cowlings, 22 October 2011
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Removing the props, 5 November 2011
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2012
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Unfortunately it was not possible to continue the dismantling process at SAA Technical and arrangements were made to continue at Denel Aviation on the north east side of OR Tambo International Airport.
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Awaiting a tug to tow her to Denel Aviation the Starliner stands next to a soon to be scrapped Angola Boeing 747. 12 May 2012
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ZS-DVJ crossing between the two main runways at OR Tambo International Airport, 12 May 2012.
It was nearly 41 years since she last trundled around the airport, known then as Jan Smuts, on 9 October 1971.
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At Denel Aviation. Dismantling was soon to begin. 12 May 2012
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The first workday at Denel Aviation - cold and damp! The start of removing many pannels begins. 23 June 2012
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Labelling the panels for future identification and re-fitting. 23 June 2012
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The first of many hundreds of rivets being drilled out. 23 June 2012
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In the following weeks the centre panels had been removed as well as the left flap.
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The right hand flap being removed. 1 September 2012
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New front passenger door
21 November 2012
Photograph:Bernhard Scholz
New doors were manufactured as ZS-DVJ's original doors will "fly again" on Starliner c/n 1018
owned by Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung (DLBS) German Lufthansa Berlin Foundation
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New front passenger door
21 November 2012
Photograph:Bernhard Scholz
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New back passenger door
21 November 2012
Photograph:Bernhard Scholz
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New back passenger door
21 November 2012
Photograph:Bernhard Scholz
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2013
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Four dummy engines arrived 4 June 2013 from the USA.
These will be fitted once the aircraft is re-assmbled at Rand Airport.
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Removal of the tail, 15 June 2013 |
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The four bolts that hold the tail in place
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On 13 August 2013 work began on the removal of the Starliner engines. The four engines were sent to Anderson Aeromotive based in Grangeville, Idaho, USA, for potential overhaul and/or the recovery of components suitable for overhaul for the Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung (DLBS) Starliner N7316C which was being restored to flying condition in Maine USA. The SAA Museum society received dummy engines in return to install on ZS-DVJ once she is at Rand Airport.
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On 18 February 2014 the go-ahead was given by the Museum for Airside Enterprises (Pty) Ltd to manufacture fuselage shoring, consisting of rigging equipment, wing cradles and belly cradle. The items were duly manufactured in 2014 and stored.
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No further progress was made with the Starliner during the rest of 2014 as well as 2015 and 2016 as it was decided to work on relocating the museum's Vickers Viking, ZS-DKH, from OR Tambo to Rand Airport. The Viking was relocated on 22 January 2017.
And so it was that on 17 February 2017, the man who had successfully headed up the Viking move, Matt Harvey, found himself at Denel Aviation listening to Richard Hunt explaining how to "take apart" the Connie and move it to Rand Airport.
The task ahead was major; the Viking move had acted as a rehearsal and Matt and his team had some insight as to what lay ahead - albeit on a much larger scale.
The story of the relocation of our beloved Starliner unfolds below.
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The "Connie Restoration Team" paid the old girl a visit on Friday 17 February 2017, a rather gloomy day as a result of tropical storm Dineo.
Richard Hunt explaining some of the finer points of separating wings from fuselage.
The relocation project was due to commence; the goal to have her at the museum before winter.
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The shoring had spent three years exposed to the elements and would need to be inspected for structural integrity.
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The team that visited on 17 February 2017.
Ray Hudson, Ken Wadmore, James Engels, Kyle Baytopp, Keith Lennard, Mike Paterson, Matt Harvey, Digby Sherwood, Ian Cruickshank and Richard Hunt.
Photograph: John Austin-Williams.
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The team that visited on 17 February 2017, this time with the photographer of the first image, John Austin-Williams, in shot.
Ray Hudson, Ken Wadmore, James Engels, Kyle Baytopp, Keith Lennard, Mike Paterson, Matt Harvey, Digby Sherwood, Ian Cruickshank and John Austin-Williams.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Winter was in full swing when the aircraft was lowered onto supports, Thursday 17 August 2017 was an exceptionally windy and cold day!
Thanks to SAA Technical for the use of aircraft recovery bags and the team that helped.
Photograph: Matthew Harvey.
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Photograph: Matthew Harvey.
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Note the retracted main gear, 17 August 2017.
Photograph: Matthew Harvey.
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24 August 2017
Photograph: Barry Neuwerth
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24 August 2017
Photograph: Barry Neuwerth
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24 August 2017
Photograph: Barry Neuwerth
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Wings finally separated, 24 August 2017.
Photograph: Matthew Harvey.
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Wings finally separated, 24 August 2017.
Photograph: Matthew Harvey.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Digby Sherwood.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Digby Sherwood.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lifting fuselage off the wings. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire and DMX Electrical. 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lowering fuselage onto abnormal load trailer. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire, DMX Electrical and Transcor 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Richard Hunt.
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Lowering fuselage onto abnormal load trailer. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire, DMX Electrical and Transcor 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Digby Sherwood.
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Lowering fuselage onto abnormal load trailer. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire, DMX Electrical and Transcor 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Digby Sherwood.
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Finally on the abnormal load trailer. Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire, DMX Electrical and Transcor 6 October 2017.
Photograph: Irene Leys.
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Waiting to leave, road permit was delayed! 11 October 2017.
Photograph: Matt Harvey.
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Wings separated, 11 October 2017.
Photograph: Matt Harvey
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Click here for the move from Denel Aviation, via OR Tambo International Airport, to Rand Airport beginning on the evening of Thursday 12 October through Friday 13 October 2017.
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