Lockheed C-69 Constellation
Encyclopedia
The Lockheed C-69 Constellation was the first military version of the Lockheed Constellation
aircraft line. It first flew in 1943, and only 22 were ever constructed for the United States Army Air Forces
(some of which were never delivered). Most of the C-69 aircraft built were later converted into civilian airliners under the new designation L-049
.
and the United States
entering World War II
, the assembly lines at the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
were taken over by the American government for the war effort. Along with the assembly lines, the Lockheed L-049 Constellation
airliner was also requisitioned and redesignated C-69 and was to be used as an equipment and personnel transport by the United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF). In February 1942, the 80 L-049/L-149 Constellations ordered by Trans World Airlines
and Pan American World Airways
were also requisitioned. The 50 L-049s both airlines had on order were to be redesignated C-69 and C-69A, respectively, and used as troop transport aircraft. The 30 L-149 aircraft Pan Am had on order were replaced by the similar model L-349 (difference being the cargo door on the upper left hand side of the aircraft and the ability to carry cargo) and designated C-69B. Another 180 C-69B aircraft were ordered increasing the figure to 210. Due to the direction the war was heading during summer 1942, the need for a large troop transport capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean
or Pacific Ocean
(by flying from island to island) became more important. This would help avoid the risks the convoys in the Atlantic were facing due to U-Boat
attacks. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster planned for these roles wasn't completely capable. So on September 29, 1942, the American War Department signed contract W535 AC-26610. With this contract, the nine L-049 aircraft under construction for TWA were purchased and 150 more C-69A and C-69B aircraft were ordered along with C-69C (L-549) and C-69D VIP transport versions. In reality, only one C-69C was produced out of all these planned variants.
Around the same time the decision regarding contract W535 AC-26610 was made, the prototype XC-69 was completed and rolled out in December 1942. The aircraft was painted in olive green and grey camouflage
colors and the civilian registration NX25600 along with Lockheed's logo being painted on the nose of the aircraft for promotional reasons; construction of the aircraft at Lockheed's Engineering Experimental Shop had been kept a secret. However, problems developed with the aircraft's powerplant, the Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone. A consideration to replace the R-3350 engines with Pratt & Whitney R-2800
had been taken up. This led to a new version designated XC-69E, but the project was eventually abandoned.
On January 9, 1943, after the last inspections had been carried out by the USAAF and Lockheed, the XC-69 finally took to the skies. For the occasion, Lockheed had borrowed the Boeing Aircraft Company's chief test pilot, Edmund Allen
. Allen was one of a small number of pilots to have experience with the R-3350 and was the test pilot for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, the role for which the R-3350 was originally developed. Lockheed test pilot Milo Burcham, who was known for flying the prototype Lockheed P-38 Lightning, acted as co-pilot during the flight. Both Allen and Burcham traded control of the aircraft during the entire experience. Both designers, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
and R.L. Thoren were also present on the flight (the latter acting as the flight engineer). The aircraft landed at Muroc Dry Lake (presently Edwards Air Force Base
) and conducted four successful take-offs and landings. Burcham flew the XC-69 back to Burbank in 31 minutes. In total, the XC-69 performed six separate flights all adding up to 129 minutes. Two aircraft, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Lockheed L-18 Lodestar acted as photo chase aircraft. After the experience Allen commented, "This machine works so well that you don't need me anymore!" Allen returned to Boeing. A seventh flight took place on January 18. This time, the landing gear doors were placed on the aircraft so the gear could be retracted (this was not done earlier to avoid any landing gear failure). On July 28, 1943, the XC-69 was symbolically handed over to the USAAF at Las Vegas, Nevada
and given a military serial number 43-10309. Later that same day, the XC-69 returned to Lockheed for further testing. It is worth mentioning that the C-69 was able to attain a larger maximum speed than the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter.
Major problems, however, surfaced with the R-3350 powerplant that powered the C-69, when an XB-29 test aircraft crashed into a Boeing factory. The accident killed 14 factory workers, Edmund Allen, and the rest of Allen's test crew. The cause was due to one of the aircraft's R-3350 engines catching fire and burning through the wing of the aircraft causing it to fail and dooming the XB-29. All aircraft fitted with the R-3350, including the C-69, were grounded until the investigation of the engine's failure was concluded. The conclusion led to a recommendation to replace the existing carburetor
s with more reliable ones. With that, testing resumed after June 18, 1943. A fuel leakage problem was discovered with the C-69 and wasn't solved until April 1944 when a new method of sealing the fuel tanks surfaced. More overheating, fire and other troubles continued with the R-3350 engines. This happened to the point where Lockheed started to doubt the abilities of the engine's manufacturer, Curtiss-Wright
. Lockheed suggested to the USAAF that the C-69's engines be replaced by more reliable R-2800 radials. Instead, the USAAF ceased production of the R-3350 until the troubles that plagued the engines were solved. This caused the development of the C-69 to slow down and furthermore, the C-69 was not declared a priority. Lockheed continued to focus on building combat aircraft while the C-54 Skymaster, the C-69's competitor was already flying and officially ordered.
The second production C-69 had first flown in August 1943. Lockheed had hoped to produce four C-69 aircraft by the end of 1943, but due to the low importance of the C-69 to the USAAF, this didn't occur. On April 16, 1944, Howard Hughes
, one of the key people in the Constellation's development, and owner of TWA, flew the aircraft from Burbank to Washington D.C. in less than seven hours at 346 mph (557 km/h) at 65% engine power on a publicity stunt. This was done on the condition that the aircraft be delivered to the USAAF when it got to Washington. The aircraft was painted in full TWA livery while still retaining its military serial number. Also present on the flight was TWA president Jack Frye (who flew the first part of the journey and later handed the controls over to Hughes), and actress Ava Gardner
, who was Hughes' girlfriend at the time. The other C-69 aircraft were used for different trials such as the seventh C-69 being flown to Fairbanks, Alaska
for testing in Arctic conditions. During one flight, the XC-69 arrived at Wright Field
and picked up famous aviator Orville Wright, on what would be his last flight in an aircraft. Wright was allowed to control the aircraft momentarily during the flight. The third C-69 was sent on a flight between New York
and Paris
on August 14, 1945 which showed its capability to cross the Atlantic. The test flight took less than 15 hours and was flown by a TWA crew.
Unfortunately for Lockheed, the C-69 became less important to the war effort as time progressed, especially since the tide of the war had turned in favor of the Americans. Only a small number of C-69 aircraft would see service in the last year of the war. Even so, Lockheed was able to conduct tests at the expense of the government to solve problems with the aircraft's design. Although the problems with the R-3350 were being solved, the B-29 had priority for the engines over the C-69. Even with all the effort put forth by Lockheed, the USAAF favored the C-54 Skymaster over the C-69. At the end of the war, only 22 C-69s were produced (seven of which were never delivered). Except for the C-69C, all other C-69s were declared surplus and sold on the civilian market between 1946 and 1947. These would later be converted by Lockheed into L-049 passenger aircraft for airline usage. The prototype XC-69 was converted into the sole XC-69E, which tested the possibility of using the R-2800 in place of the R-3350. This never happened. The XC-69E was later sold to the Hughes Tool Company
, only to be bought back by Lockheed who converted it into the prototype L-1049 Super Constellation
. In modern times, only one former C-69 is still in existence today. That C-69 currently resides at the Pima Air and Space Museum, and is painted in full TWA livery.
XC-69
C-69
C-69A
C-69B
C-69C
C-69D
XC-69E
Bibliography
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
aircraft line. It first flew in 1943, and only 22 were ever constructed for the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(some of which were never delivered). Most of the C-69 aircraft built were later converted into civilian airliners under the new designation L-049
Lockheed L-049 Constellation
The Lockheed L-049 Constellation was the first model of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. It entered service as the C-69 military transport aircraft during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces and was the first civilian version after the war...
.
History
Following the Attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entering World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the assembly lines at the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
were taken over by the American government for the war effort. Along with the assembly lines, the Lockheed L-049 Constellation
Lockheed L-049 Constellation
The Lockheed L-049 Constellation was the first model of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. It entered service as the C-69 military transport aircraft during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces and was the first civilian version after the war...
airliner was also requisitioned and redesignated C-69 and was to be used as an equipment and personnel transport by the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF). In February 1942, the 80 L-049/L-149 Constellations ordered by Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
and Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
were also requisitioned. The 50 L-049s both airlines had on order were to be redesignated C-69 and C-69A, respectively, and used as troop transport aircraft. The 30 L-149 aircraft Pan Am had on order were replaced by the similar model L-349 (difference being the cargo door on the upper left hand side of the aircraft and the ability to carry cargo) and designated C-69B. Another 180 C-69B aircraft were ordered increasing the figure to 210. Due to the direction the war was heading during summer 1942, the need for a large troop transport capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
or Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
(by flying from island to island) became more important. This would help avoid the risks the convoys in the Atlantic were facing due to U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
attacks. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster planned for these roles wasn't completely capable. So on September 29, 1942, the American War Department signed contract W535 AC-26610. With this contract, the nine L-049 aircraft under construction for TWA were purchased and 150 more C-69A and C-69B aircraft were ordered along with C-69C (L-549) and C-69D VIP transport versions. In reality, only one C-69C was produced out of all these planned variants.
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
colors and the civilian registration NX25600 along with Lockheed's logo being painted on the nose of the aircraft for promotional reasons; construction of the aircraft at Lockheed's Engineering Experimental Shop had been kept a secret. However, problems developed with the aircraft's powerplant, the Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone. A consideration to replace the R-3350 engines with Pratt & Whitney R-2800
Pratt & Whitney R-2800
The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is a two-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engine with a displacement of 2,804 in³ , and is part of the long-lived Wasp family....
had been taken up. This led to a new version designated XC-69E, but the project was eventually abandoned.
On January 9, 1943, after the last inspections had been carried out by the USAAF and Lockheed, the XC-69 finally took to the skies. For the occasion, Lockheed had borrowed the Boeing Aircraft Company's chief test pilot, Edmund Allen
Edmund Allen
Edmund Allen was an English clergyman and scholar.A native of Norfolk, England, Allen was elected fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1536. He became steward of Corpus in 1539, and not long after obtained leave of the society to go and study abroad...
. Allen was one of a small number of pilots to have experience with the R-3350 and was the test pilot for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, the role for which the R-3350 was originally developed. Lockheed test pilot Milo Burcham, who was known for flying the prototype Lockheed P-38 Lightning, acted as co-pilot during the flight. Both Allen and Burcham traded control of the aircraft during the entire experience. Both designers, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
Clarence Johnson
Clarence Leonard "Kelly" Johnson was an aircraft engineer and aeronautical innovator. As a member and first team leader of the Lockheed Skunk Works, Johnson worked for more than four decades and is said to have been an "organizing genius"...
and R.L. Thoren were also present on the flight (the latter acting as the flight engineer). The aircraft landed at Muroc Dry Lake (presently Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
) and conducted four successful take-offs and landings. Burcham flew the XC-69 back to Burbank in 31 minutes. In total, the XC-69 performed six separate flights all adding up to 129 minutes. Two aircraft, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Lockheed L-18 Lodestar acted as photo chase aircraft. After the experience Allen commented, "This machine works so well that you don't need me anymore!" Allen returned to Boeing. A seventh flight took place on January 18. This time, the landing gear doors were placed on the aircraft so the gear could be retracted (this was not done earlier to avoid any landing gear failure). On July 28, 1943, the XC-69 was symbolically handed over to the USAAF at Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and given a military serial number 43-10309. Later that same day, the XC-69 returned to Lockheed for further testing. It is worth mentioning that the C-69 was able to attain a larger maximum speed than the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter.
Major problems, however, surfaced with the R-3350 powerplant that powered the C-69, when an XB-29 test aircraft crashed into a Boeing factory. The accident killed 14 factory workers, Edmund Allen, and the rest of Allen's test crew. The cause was due to one of the aircraft's R-3350 engines catching fire and burning through the wing of the aircraft causing it to fail and dooming the XB-29. All aircraft fitted with the R-3350, including the C-69, were grounded until the investigation of the engine's failure was concluded. The conclusion led to a recommendation to replace the existing carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s with more reliable ones. With that, testing resumed after June 18, 1943. A fuel leakage problem was discovered with the C-69 and wasn't solved until April 1944 when a new method of sealing the fuel tanks surfaced. More overheating, fire and other troubles continued with the R-3350 engines. This happened to the point where Lockheed started to doubt the abilities of the engine's manufacturer, Curtiss-Wright
Curtiss-Wright
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States at the end of World War II, but has evolved to largely become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, aircraft controls, valves, and metalworking....
. Lockheed suggested to the USAAF that the C-69's engines be replaced by more reliable R-2800 radials. Instead, the USAAF ceased production of the R-3350 until the troubles that plagued the engines were solved. This caused the development of the C-69 to slow down and furthermore, the C-69 was not declared a priority. Lockheed continued to focus on building combat aircraft while the C-54 Skymaster, the C-69's competitor was already flying and officially ordered.
The second production C-69 had first flown in August 1943. Lockheed had hoped to produce four C-69 aircraft by the end of 1943, but due to the low importance of the C-69 to the USAAF, this didn't occur. On April 16, 1944, Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
, one of the key people in the Constellation's development, and owner of TWA, flew the aircraft from Burbank to Washington D.C. in less than seven hours at 346 mph (557 km/h) at 65% engine power on a publicity stunt. This was done on the condition that the aircraft be delivered to the USAAF when it got to Washington. The aircraft was painted in full TWA livery while still retaining its military serial number. Also present on the flight was TWA president Jack Frye (who flew the first part of the journey and later handed the controls over to Hughes), and actress Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
, who was Hughes' girlfriend at the time. The other C-69 aircraft were used for different trials such as the seventh C-69 being flown to Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
for testing in Arctic conditions. During one flight, the XC-69 arrived at Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
and picked up famous aviator Orville Wright, on what would be his last flight in an aircraft. Wright was allowed to control the aircraft momentarily during the flight. The third C-69 was sent on a flight between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on August 14, 1945 which showed its capability to cross the Atlantic. The test flight took less than 15 hours and was flown by a TWA crew.
Unfortunately for Lockheed, the C-69 became less important to the war effort as time progressed, especially since the tide of the war had turned in favor of the Americans. Only a small number of C-69 aircraft would see service in the last year of the war. Even so, Lockheed was able to conduct tests at the expense of the government to solve problems with the aircraft's design. Although the problems with the R-3350 were being solved, the B-29 had priority for the engines over the C-69. Even with all the effort put forth by Lockheed, the USAAF favored the C-54 Skymaster over the C-69. At the end of the war, only 22 C-69s were produced (seven of which were never delivered). Except for the C-69C, all other C-69s were declared surplus and sold on the civilian market between 1946 and 1947. These would later be converted by Lockheed into L-049 passenger aircraft for airline usage. The prototype XC-69 was converted into the sole XC-69E, which tested the possibility of using the R-2800 in place of the R-3350. This never happened. The XC-69E was later sold to the Hughes Tool Company
Hughes Tool Company
Hughes Tool Company was established in 1908 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes, Sr. patented a roller cutter bit that dramatically improved the rotary drilling process for oil drilling rigs. He partnered with longtime business associate Walter Benona Sharp to manufacture and market...
, only to be bought back by Lockheed who converted it into the prototype L-1049 Super Constellation
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an aircraft in the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. The aircraft was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner and first flew in 1950...
. In modern times, only one former C-69 is still in existence today. That C-69 currently resides at the Pima Air and Space Museum, and is painted in full TWA livery.
Variants
| Variant | Built |
|---|---|
| XC-69 | 1 |
| C-69-1-LO | 16 |
| C-69-5-LO | 4 |
| C-69C-1-LO | 1 |
XC-69
- Unpressurized prototype version. One built.
C-69
- Initial troop transport version. 13 built. Seven others were under construction, but converted to L-049 airliners while still on the assembly line.
C-69A
- Troop transport with a different internal layout than the C-69. None built
C-69B
- Long range troop and cargo transport with a cargo door on the left. None built
C-69C
- VIP transport version based off the initial C-69. One built.
C-69D
- VIP transport with different engines with extra oil and fuel tanks. None built.
XC-69E
- Prototype XC-69 converted to use four Pratt & Whitney R-2800Pratt & Whitney R-2800The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is a two-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engine with a displacement of 2,804 in³ , and is part of the long-lived Wasp family....
radials in place of the original R-3350 radials for testing purposes.
Specifications (C-69)
See also
Sources
CitationsBibliography
- Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collecions, 2006. Print. ISBN 2915239622
External Links
- Lockheed Constellation Survivors - A website that explains information and whereabouts of surviving Constellations of all variants, including the last surviving C-69 Constellation.