For years in the late 1950s a billboard featuring a TWA Lockheed Constellation was a prominent feature in Times Square in New York and another one was front and center over the weekend. The refurbished fuselage of a former TWA Connie was trucked through downtown New York for a two-day residency at a pedestrian plaza on Seventh Avenue. It was, of course, a publicity stunt, and the 116-foot aluminum tube will soon be the cocktail lounge at the TWA Hotel at JFK.
The aircraft in question joined TWA’s fleet in 1958 and only flew for two years as jet airliners took over. It flew fish in Alaska and pot in South America before ending up in Maine where it was a parts donor for a Lufthansa Connie restoration. The plane has been restored to its former glory and stopped in Manhattan before going to serve as the pre-dinner lounge for the only hotel at JFK. Period snacks and drinks will be on the menu and the cockpit will be retained with flippable switches and movable levers. It opens May 15.
