THE LOCKHEED CONSTELLATION
Of all airliners
ever built in America, the checkered career of the "Constellation" has to be
amongst the most colourful. A more beautiful airliner was never built, with its
sensuously curved fuselage, long legs (both literally and figuratively) and
superb streamlining. It simply looked like something futuristic, fast, exciting
and beautiful! From its beginnings in the summer of 1939 as the Model 49
"Excalibur A" to the final Model 1649 "Starliner", delivered February 12, 1958,
the "Connie" was always described in superlatives such as "highest", "fastest",
"best" and "most". (This did not always denote praise however. One of the labels
it acquired was "The Worlds Best Tri-Motor", alluding to early, persistent
engine problems.) Along the way, it acquired reputations in the field of
smuggling, war, spraying, freight hauling, fine dining and whisking US
Presidents to various parts of the globe, in addition to its duties for the
major airlines of the world.
Designed specifically for Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) in 1939,
the Lockheed Model 49 "Constellation" (formerly "Excalibur A") was first flown
in 1943 and almost immediately commandeered by the US Army Air Force for use as
a VIP transport. When first flown as the USAAF C-69, the four engine, 40 ton
Connie was faster than the Japanese "Zero" fighter!
All the Connies coming off the production lines until the end of hostilities in
1945 were bought by the military as the Army model C-69. The various civilian
airlines were contracted to fly them for the military.
The very troublesome Wright R-3350 Cyclone engine was used - the same engine
used in other aircraft such as the Boeing B-29 . As a result, the Connie was
infected with the same maladies; engine fires, overheating, etc. At one point,
Lockheed accused Wright Aeronautical of failure to properly engineer, build and
inspect the engine. And rather than consider a Lockheed proposal to switch to
Pratt-Whitney R-2800 engines, the Army merely stopped production of the C-69 and
waited for the bugs to be worked out of the Wright Cyclone. The evolution of the
Connie was slowed several times due to these problems. Another major factor was
the low priority assigned to the C-69 by the Army. All this had a negative
effect on development of the craft and as a result the Connie finished the war
with many of its problems still to be worked out.
During its twelve year production run after the war, a total of sixteen civilian
model designations were assigned, starting with the original model 49 and
progressing in increments of 100 through model 1649 ("1349" was omitted for
reasons of superstition). Less than one third ever got off the drawing boards.
Some that did had a sub variant designation "-A", "-B" and so on. Quite a few of
these sub variants also failed to go into production. Thus, the major civilian
Constellation models read: 49, 649, 749A, 1049, 1049C, 1049G, 1049H and 1649A.
The models 1049 were officially known as the "Super Constellation", and the
1649A as the "Starliner".
The original model 49s had their civilian interiors stripped and a combination
of seats and benches installed, among other modifications, in order to be
accepted by the Army as C-69s. At the end of WWII, Lockheed bought back from the
Army as many as were available, and took those C-69s still on the production
line and converted them back to model 49s and began delivering Connies to the
airlines of the world. All model 49s were basically "dressed up" C-69s. A rash
of incidents in 1945 and 1946 caused this first civilian model of the Connie to
be grounded for six weeks in July/August 1946 while the government aviation
experts tried to sort out the causes. It was found the aircraft had no basic
flaws and it was again pronounced airworthy, though engine problems continued to
plague the craft, giving rise to the "Best Tri-Motor" label.
In fact, one Connie actually did fly as a tri-motor. On June 18, 1946, PanAm’s
NC88858 had an engine fire while climbing out over the Atlantic Ocean on its way
to London. The fire in #4 engine became uncontrollable and eventually burned
through the engine mount, causing the entire engine assembly to drop into the
Atlantic. NC88858 managed to return to a small emergency field where it was
landed without injuries or further mishap.
PanAm mechanics determined the aircraft would require factory repair which meant
moving the Connie all the way across the continent to Burbank, California. They
removed the ragged pieces of the engine nacelle, faired over the gaping hole in
the wing with sheets of aluminium and flew the Connie 2,450 miles back to the
Lockheed factory with three engines, and looking as if it had been manufactured
that way! Many telephone calls were received by radio stations, newspapers,
sheriffs’ offices and military bases about the strange aircraft flying over
their cities.
In late 1946, the model 49 was succeeded by the model 649 Constellation. The
model 649 was essentially a "beefed-up" 49, with strengthening in the internal
wing structure, landing gear and brakes and a host of other improvements in
passenger comfort items such as cabin heating, cooling and ventilation. The 649
was actually the first Connie to be designed without military specifications (or
"interference", depending on how one looks at it). At 94,000 lbs (42,638 kg),
the 649 represented a 7,500 lb (3,515 kg) increase in maximum takeoff weight and
an 1,850 lb (839 kg) increase in payload over the `model 49. The 649s cruise
speed was boosted to 327 mph (526 kph), or 14 mph (23 kph) faster than the model
49. Dimensions remained the same.
The model 749A was designed in response to airline needs for a longer range
aircraft. It featured a fuel tank configuration allowing an extra 1,555 gallons
(5,886 liters) to be carried. This increased the Connies range with full payload
to 2,600 miles (4,184 km) or 310 miles (499 km) further than the 649. The 749A
offered a nose-mounted weather radar option which increased overall length from
95’ 3" (29.03 m) to 97’ 4" (29.67 m). Otherwise, dimensions remained the same as
the previous two models.
The 1049 Super Constellation was the first of the "Stretched Connies". It was
18’ 4" (5.6 m) longer than previous basic models. The "stretch" was accomplished
by splicing an extra 9’ 2" (2.8 m) section into the body just in front, and
another just aft of the wing. The 1049 also had more powerful turbo compound
R-3350 engines and carried 6,550 gallons (23,974 liters) of fuel with an
optional wing center tank capable of carrying an additional 730 gallons (2,763
liters). The 1049 inaugurated non-stop Los Angeles to New York flights on
October 19, 1953, though the return trip required a stop in Chicago because the
trip took more than the 8 hour limit set by the pilots union. An early problem
with the 1049 was again the Wright engines. The exhaust gasses flamed
excessively, sometimes sending flames past the trailing edge of the wing. This
tended to be more upsetting to the passengers than hazardous, but could also, in
rare cases cause a loss of structural integrity in the wing. Once the problems
were solved, the 1049 Super Connie went on to become an immensely `successful
airliner.
When work began on the 1649 in May 1955 it was still called the Super
Constellation. Shortly after, it was renamed the "Super Star Constellation" and
finally the "Starliner" by Lockheed. Individual airlines had their own names for
the plane with TWA referring to their 1649s as "Jetstreams". Whatever the name,
the 1649 became the definitive Constellation. It featured a new, longer,
narrower wing which provided for nearly double the fuel capacity of the first
Connie, to 9,278 gallons (35,121 liters) and well over twice the range with
maximum payload, to over 5,400 miles (8,690 km). The Starliner could reach any
European capitol non-stop from any major airport in the US. It was the fastest
piston engined airliner at ranges over 4,000 miles (6,437 km) ever built.
Creature comforts abounded. The engines were set farther out on the longer
wings, which meant less cabin noise. Noise was further reduced with new state of
the art sound deadening materials. Cabin temperature control and ventilation
were perfected. Seats were fully reclining for comfort on long flights.
Everything about the Starliner was impressive; it made a handsome profit for the
airlines, passengers flew in total comfort, and it was practically trouble free.
But even as the new Connie was taking to the air at Burbank, the death knell was
sounding 950 miles to the north.
Lockheed built a total of 856 Constellations (331 of these were for the
military). An inordinate number were used to smuggle arms, aliens and drugs.
More than one Connie has been anchored to the ground and used as a restaurant or
cocktail lounge. General Dwight Eisenhower used a C-121A military variant as his
personal craft, named "Columbine" and another after he became President, named
"Columbine II". General Douglas MacArthur named his Connie the "Bataan". Connies
were used extensively for spraying. They were used for secret snooping, with at
least one being shot down by hostile gunfire. Constellations were used to carry
thousands of tons of food to starving nations.
In the end, the Connie was brought down by the fast developing technology of the
jet engine, and in particular the Boeing Model 707 jet airliner.
Larger, faster, and more profitable aircraft have come and gone in the
intervening forty-odd years, but the "Connie" remains to this day one of the
most beautiful aircraft ever built.
Specifications
Lockheed Model 1049H "Super Constellation" dimensions
Wing span: Wing Span: 123 ft 0 in (37.49 m)
Length: Length: 113 ft 7 in (34.60 m)
Height: 24 ft 9 in (7.52 m)
Wing Area: 1,650 sq ft (153.29 m²)
Weights
Empty: 70,083 lbs (31,789 kg)
Gross: 109,530 lbs (49,681 kg)
Maximum T/O: 137,500 lbs (62,368 kg)
Performance
Maximum Speed: 366 mph (589 kph)
Cruising Speed: 314 mph (505 kph)
Service Ceiling: 23,200 ft (7,071 m)
Range (max fuel): 4,760 miles (7,660 km)
Range (max payload): 2,880 miles (4,634 km)
Powerplant
Four Wright Cyclone R-3350-988TC18EA-2 Turbo-Compound Engines Rated @ 3,400 Hp
(2,535.38 Kw) each
(Source unknown)