VH-EAD. Lockheed 1049E-82 Constellation. c/n 4607.

Was also registered as: N9721C; N9751C.

This aircraft was built as an L-1049E-55 but converted during construction to L-1049E-82-140 for Qantas

First flown at Burbank - November 14, 1955

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAD - November 14, 1955

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Sydney

The aircraft was named 'Southern Dawn'

It was accepted by Qantas at Burbank - November 18, 1955

Departed Burbank, California on the delivery flight to Australia - November 23, 1955

It arrived at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on completion of the delivery flight - November 26, 1955

Delivery route: Burbank - San Francisco - Honolulu - Nadi - Sydney

Total elapsed time of 36 hours 12 minutes

Operated its first revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Tokyo - January 04, 1956

It was the first Super Constellation to land at Adelaide Airport (Captain R. Uren) - February 24, 1956

Carried out 6 courtesy flights during the Adelaide visit

Operated the inaugural Sydney - London Express service carrying 43 First Class passengers - March 02, 1956

Route: Sydney - Darwin - Singapore - Calcutta - Karachi - Cairo - Rome - London

Flying time: 54 hours 30 minutes

It was withdrawn from service for the fitting of weather radar - May 12, 1957

Re-entered service - June 09, 1957

It was withdrawn from service for modification to L-1049G-01-55 with wingtip tanks - December 01, 1957

Re-entered service - December 22, 1957

Operated its final revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Darwin - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - February 08, 1960

Withdrawn from service and stored at Sydney (Kingsford Smith)

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 10, 1960

Sold to Lockheed - March 08, 1960

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N9721C - ?

Performed an acceptance flight at Sydney - March 14, 1960

The aircraft had flown 12,505 hours with 2,393 cycles to date

Departed Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on the ferry flight to Burbank (Captain W. A. Killingworth) - March 15, 1960

Leased to Twentieth Century Airlines - 1960

Withdrawn from use and stored at Lockheed Aircraft Service, Ontario

Sold to Trans International Airlines - May 20, 1962

Reregistered as N9751C - ?

Leased to Standard Airways - June 19, 1963

Returned to Trans International Airlines at the end of the lease - October 1963

Sold to California Airmotive - July 1968

Withdrawn from service and stored at Oakland, California - August 1968

Ferried Oakland - Fox Field, Lancaster, California for storage - November 1969

Cancelled from the United StatesAircraft Register - 1970

The aircraft was scrapped at Fox Field - May 1971

VH-EAD. Qantas - 'Southern Dawn' in the standard livery over Sydney Harbour, circa 1958.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1802-049.)

VH-EAD. Qantas - 'Southern Dawn' in the standard livery over Sydney, circa 1958.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1802-080.)

VH-EAD. Qantas - 'Southern Dawn' in the standard livery over Sydney, circa 1958.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1802-081.)

VH-EAD. Qantas - 'Southern Dawn' in the standard livery over Sydney, circa 1958.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1802-050.)

VH-EAD. Qantas - 'Southern Dawn' in the standard livery over Sydney, circa 1958.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1802-082.)

VH-EAD. Qantas - 'Southern Dawn' in the standard livery over Sydney, circa 1958.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1802-169.)

VH-EAD. Qantas - 'Southern Dawn' in the standard livery over Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, circa 1958.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 1802-079.)