Lockheed Constellation Totally Explained

Everything about The Lockheed Constellation totally explained

The Lockheed Constellation, affectionately known as the “Connie”, was a four-engine propeller-driven airliner built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in four models, all distinguished by a distinctive triple-tail design and graceful, dolphin-shaped fuselage. It was used as both a civilian airliner and U.S. military air transport plane, seeing service in the Berlin Airlift and as the presidential aircraft for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Design and development

Excalibur: the Constellation's predecessor

Since 1937, Lockheed had been working on the L-044 Excalibur, a four-engine pressurized airliner. In 1939 Trans World Airlines, at the encouragement of major stockholder Howard Hughes, requested a 40-passenger transcontinental airliner with 3,500 mile (5,630 km) range - well beyond the capabilities of the limited Excalibur design. TWA's requirements led to the L-049 Constellation, designed by such Lockheed engineers as Kelly Johnson and Hall Hibbard. Willis Hawkins, another Lockheed engineer, maintains that the Excalibur program was purely a cover for the Constellation.

Development of the Constellation

The Constellation's wing was effectively the same as that of the P-38 Lightning, differing only in scale. The distinctive triple tail kept the aircraft's overall height low enough so that it could fit in existing hangars, On 18 June 1946, the engine of a Pan American aircraft caught fire and fell off. The flight crew was able to make an emergency landing with no loss of life. However, on 11 July of the same year a Transcontinental and Western Air aircraft fell victim to an inflight fire, crashing in a field and taking the lives of five of the six on board.

Records

Sleek and powerful, Constellations set a number of records. On 17 April 1944, the second production L049, piloted by Howard Hughes and TWA president Jack Frye flew from Burbank, California to Washington D.C. in 6 hours and 57 minutes (c. 2,300 miles at an average 330.9 mph). On the return trip, the aircraft stopped at Wright Field to give Orville Wright his last plane flight, more than 40 years after his historic first flight. He commented that the Constellation's wingspan was longer than the distance of his first flight. Many Constellations continued to serve as fast freighters for years to come. With the shutdown of Constellation production, Lockheed elected not to develop a first-generation jetliner, instead sticking to its lucrative military business and production of the modest Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop. Lockheed wouldn't build a large civilian passenger aircraft again until its L-1011 Tristar debuted in 1972. While a technological marvel, the L-1011 was a commercial failure for Lockheed, and Lockheed left the commercial airliner business for good in 1983.

Timeline

June 1939 - Initial design started
May 1943 - Construction begins on model L-049
January 9, 1943 - First flight
October 19, 1946 - First flight of model L-649
April 18, 1947 - First production model L-749
October 13, 1950 - First flight of model L-1049, the "Super Constellation".
Operators
Constellations were used by dozens of airlines and air forces around the world. After TWA's initial order was filled following World War II, customers rapidly accumulated, with over 800 aircraft built. In military service, the US Navy and Air Force operated the EC-121 Warning Star variant until 1978, nearly 40 years after work on the L-049 began. Pakistan International Airlines was the first airline from an Asian country to fly the Super Constellation.
Survivors
Two Constellations, the VC-121E Columbine III, used as Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential aircraft, and an EC-121 Warning Star are fully restored and on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Several former Air Force One craft are on display at the Pima Air Museum, Tucson, used by President Eisenhower and his successors.
A military C-121A (Bataan) is on display at Planes of Fame in Valle, Arizona. This plane is in flying condition.
Swiss watch manufacturer Breitling has sponsored a restoration of a Constellation that has since been featured in its ads.
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) secured and restored a former USAF C-121C Super Constellation (54-0157). The aircraft was subsequently painted in pseudo-QANTAS livery (with the usual QANTAS lettering along the fuselage replaced with the word "CONNIE") and registered in Australia as VH-EAG. The aircraft is currently based in Wollongong.
An L-1049G (Super G) Constellation that was built originally for cargo carrier Slick Airways was restored in 1986 by the "Save-a-Connie" organization, now the Airline History Museum, and repainted in the 1950s livery of TWA to resemble its original "Star of America" Constellation. The aircraft appeared at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at the original TWA terminal designed by Eero Saarinen to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the airline. With the paint job said to have been donated by retired TWA workers in Kansas City, the "Star of America" continues to appear at air shows and was even used in The Aviator, the 2005 film depicting the life of TWA's one-time owner Howard Hughes, the man often credited with helping design and develop the original Constellation series. As of 2008 The Airline History Museum has come into financial difficulties, with the Connie, grounded for two years and due for engine overhaul, her future remains uncertain.
One Super Constellations is parked on an unused runway in the Rafael Hernandez International airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It was struck by a runaway DC-4 at Aguadilla-Borinquen Airport, on 3 February 1992, resulting in damage to the right wing and main spar.
N4257U c/n 4336 Final registration - N4257U, delivered to USAF October 1954 as RC-121D 52-3418. Redesignated EC-121D 1962, converted to EC-121T but upper radome not removed. Reassigned to USAF Reserves at Homestead AFB, FL by July 1974, retired and flown to Davis Monthan AFB for storage 7 April 1976. Reassigned to the Combat Air Museum, Topeka, KS, March 1981 as N4257U and ferried to Topeka, KS June 1981 with Frank Lang in command, presently on display at the Combat Air Museum, Topeka, Ks.
ZS-DVH c/n 1042 (L1649A) of Trek Airways on display at OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa at the South African Airways Technical area.
The Dutch National air museum Aviodrome acquired a Constellation which was painstakingly restored and painted in KLM livery of its day. Thanks to a donation by Korean Air, who donated two airworthy engines, this aircraft made its second maiden flight in March 2008. Renamed Flevoland, she's the only flying example of the "short" version of the Constellation.

Specifications (L-1049G Super Constellation)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 16.0
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