Constellation L-49 / L-649 / L-749
The Lockheed Constellation L-49 was developed in the beginning of the
40's. Pan Am and TWA had made appropriate demands for a 40 seat passenger
airplane. World War II gave the L-49, which had completed 1943 their first
flight, however immediately a military career (among other things as Rosinen
Bomber). 1945 became the Constellation for the civilian service certified. It
was called now L-649 and offered to 48 to 81 passengers place, if the seats
closely adjusted.
Super Constellation L-1049
End of the 40's the air traffic grow rapid and the airlines wished
larger airplanes. Thus 1950 those anyway long Constellation was stretched for
super by 5.60 meters to the Constellation L-1049. This aspect ratio stressed the
swung dolphin line of the Constellation and makes the Superconny. The
charismatic airplane of the 50's. It offered place even 109 passengers up to 95,
and was sold altogether in 254 copies .
Starliner L-1649
Finally passengers and airlines required for larger ranges. Douglas
with the DC-7c had set a new yardstick here. Lockheed reacted 1956 with a
advancement of the Constellation. The airplane received a completely again
designed wing unit with larger span and a larger fuel plant. The model with the
designation L-1649 became as super star Constellation or - more usually - than
star liner. 43 star liners were sold.
Trunk:
Wings:
Tail unit:
Gear:
Versions:
first flight:
certification:
first service:
The Constellation and advancements contributed substantially to the development of the transatlantic traffic and other long-distance connections. 1970 still 20 Constellation in regular airline service. The draft of the Constellation developed already 1939, when TWA and later also Pan Am gave an airliner for 40 passengers in order to American Airways. The first prototype (NX25600) started on January 9th 1943. Since the United States had occurred in the meantime World War II, the Constellation began its career as military transporter under the designation C-69. A large order was drastically shortened and the US Air Force had been taken only 15 C-69 till end of war . The remaining machines received immediately a civilian interior arrangement and, after the Constellation had received the type permission as L-049 on December 11th 1945, the airlines were then assigned. The L-049 could accept normal way 43-48 passengers, during very close cabin layout even 60 passengers. The two first clients were like in past Pan Am and TWA. The Pan Am used the Constellation as first airline on February 3rd 1946 on the air route New York - Bermudas. TWA received the first Constellation in November 1945 and opened air traffic the USA - to Europe (to Paris) on February 6th 1946. On July 1st 1946 first of five BOAC ordered L-049 (Bristol II G-AHET) air traffic between London and New York up. The first, only Constellation built for civilian air traffic was the Model L-649. It flew for the first time (NX101A) on October 19th 1946 and Eastern Air Lines in May 1947. The L-649 was equipped with four R-3350-C18-BD1 engines of 2500 HP each and could carry 48-64, maximum of 81 passengers or 10197kg pay load. This version was replaced 1947 from the L-749. Later Lockheed brought also a number of L-649 on this standard. The Constellation L-749 likes the L-649 and had the same seating capacity, however additional fuel tanks at wing area, which made non-stop flights possible between New York and Paris (5890km). With the NC86530 Clipper America Pan Am opened the first airline service on in June 1947 "around the world". The L-749a was variation with strengthened gears, which made an increase of the take off weight around 2268kg on 48534kg. Beside 12 military L-749A version of Constellation, before it was replaced 1951 from the super Constellation, altogether 221 planes of all versions were built: 22 changes C-69/L-049, 66 L-049, 20 L-649/649A and 113 L-749/749A. Altogether 856 Constellation were built.
The conversion from already so quite long Constellation into the dolphin like Super Constellation starts 1950. No propeller-driven airplane on impact had been increased so much. But inserting additional trunk sections of altogether 5.59m length before and behind the surface was not the only substantial change: the cell was generally strengthened, larger and rectangular cab windows were used and the fuel capacity was increased. Additional higher performance piston motors of the type WRIGHT R-3350. All these changes to test in the flight, the first prototype of Constellation (NX 26500) to the prototype of the L-1049 super Constellation were converted and flew with the registration NX6700 in this form for the first time on October 13th 1950. The new "Connie" proved as very economical, was however underpowered with the R-3350-CB1 engines of 2700 HP each. Therefore for Eastern and TWA only 24 L-1049 were built. The Eastern activated it on December 17th 1951. The versions L-1049a and b were built on military orders and carried the designation RC-121D/WV-2 and -3 and/or C-121/R7V-1. From the later version Lockheed developed the next civil model, the L-1049C. The under motorizing could be stopped with the models B and C by use of the turbo-group version of the R-3350-Triebwerks, which carries 3250 HP out when starting.
Since that time all further remarks of super Constellation received advancements of this engine type. The first L-1049C (PH-TFP) flew for the first time on February 17th1953. First KLM and TWA used this types starting from August and/or September 1953. 60 machines of the version C were finished, of it four pure air freighters with the designation L-1049D. The first machine converted to the D-C version flew in September 1954. The version L-1049e exhibited further detail improvements, but only 18 that originally 56 ordered airplanes was built. The remaining machines were finished during the assembly as L-1049G (the L-1049 was a military model). The L-1049G, popular called "Super G", brought further important improvements: when desired available new turbo-group engines carried now 3400 HP out, still larger fuel supply were possible by auxiliary tanks at the surface points and from both arose increased range and pay load. The first Super G started on December 12th 1954, in spring 1955 by Northwest Airlines in service was placed. Beside the 38 already L-1049E during production changed order on the new version Lockheed 66 super G and 53 freight and passenger plane 4L-1049H built. The entire production of all civilian variants of Super Constellation covered 254 airplanes. The two last versions could carry maximally 95 passengers (L-1049G) or 11021kg freight (L-1049H). From a further and last enlargement of the extraordinarily evolved draft resulted the L-1649A star liner, which flew for the first time on October 11th 1956.
The Star Liners Constellation was around 0.79m longer than the Super Constellation and could accept 58-75 passengers . It developed when desired the TWA to be able to compete with the long-range aircraft DC-7C developed by Douglas. New designed wing areas with thinner profile, 45.72m span and additional fuel tanks got the Star Liners a larger range than the DC-7C. However only after its rival in June 1957 in service to be actually placed there could, already 1-2 years later by the nozzle giants was displaced. 43 Star Liners were built and supplied first at TWA, Air France and Lufthansa. 1970 stood only 40 airplanes of the type family Super Constellation/Starliner in the regular airline service. The Star Liners is the long-distance version of the Constellation - row. Thus was at the same time the last piston motor airliner of Lockheed. It differed from the other airplanes of the Constellation - row by the straight, thin wing with high aspect ratio and large span. Also the main landing gear had been strengthened redesigned and. Finally one had removed the engines around more than 1.50m from the cab, so that the sound output decreased. Some airlines called this machine also as "Super Star Constellation" and "Jetstream".
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last actual: 2010-06-17