N749NL (c/n2604) began her career in 1949 as a C-121A model, operating for the "Military Air Transport Service".
Through the years her MATS livery and configuration changed and weather radar was fitted along with an extended nose radome.
She was mainly used for VIP transports. In 1967 she ended up in storage at the MASDC desert site but in 1970 she was sold and left the Air Force receiving her first civilian registration N9465.
From that year up to 1985 the Connie flew for different companies and changed registration a few times. She ended up as an agricultural spraying plane for Conifair Aviation. Eventually she went on sale and in 1988 the newly formed Constellation Group Holland was interested to buy her and bring a Constellation to The Netherlands.The deal however failed and the Connie, now registered N749VR was sold to the Constellation Group USA and flown to Avra Valley Airport in Tucson.
Eight years later the goal to restore N749VR to airworthy condition had not been reached, however, and the Constellation Group Holland, now teamed up with the Dutch National Aviation Museum Aviodome, at last got hold of c/n 2604.
On October 3, 2001, she received an Experimental certificate with new registration N749NL and in September 2002 made the long ferry flight over the Atlantic to The Netherlands.
At Schiphol airport KLM Royal Dutch Airlines gave her a new external livery, representing the airlines 1950's house style. After many years of extensive restoration at Avra Valley N749NL went to the Fokker plant where a second period of restoration followed.
The Dutch registration PH-FLE was planned for her but it later turned out this was already reserved for another aircraft and so only the last letters FLE were applied.
Finally on July 2nd, 2004, the moment had come for Lockheed L-749 Constellation N749NL to take to the air in her new vintage KLM livery !
