Auburn loses Lufthansa Constellation restoration project to Germany
After 10 years at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport, Lufthansa Technik is moving its project to restore its Lockheed L-1649A “Super Star” Constellation back to Germany.
The Sun Journal reported the project has employed hundreds of people in a leased hangar over the years and has 70 there now.
“The airplane is too complex to finish here because it’s a very old aircraft, coming from the ’50s,” Project Manager Oliver Sturm told the paper.
No departure date is set yet.
“It’s time for the airport and both Lewiston and Auburn to look boldly forward to the future economic impact the infrastructure that they leave behind will bring to our community,” Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque said.
Lufthansa Technik is a subsidiary within the Lufthansa Group. According to statements on the Lufthansa website, the Super Star left the Lockheed final assembly line in 1957. When the Lockheed “Super Star” entered commercial service with Lufthansa in 1957 it was the epitome of the legendary piston propeller era between Europe and North America. Furthermore the “Super Star” was the most elegant and technically advanced flying symbol for the emerging West German – U.S. TransAtlantic cooperation in post-war times.
The vintage propliner rolled into the purpose-built restoration hangar in Auburn in 2008. About 95% of the fuselage structure and approximately 85% of the wings have been replaced by new material and incorporating modern features like a digital “glass cockpit” featuring the latest generation of flight instruments and computer systems.
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