Lockheed L-049 Constellation
Encyclopedia
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. When production ended in 1946 it was replaced by the improved L-649
and L-749 Constellation
.
, the owner of Transcontinental & Western Air (later called Trans World Airlines and abbreviated TWA for short), prepared a meeting at his Hancock Park residence in California. Jack Frye (then president of TWA) attended along with three executives from the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
which included designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
. During the meeting Hughes expressed his concerns for what he called the "airliner of the future". Lockheed's airliner under development at the time, the L-044 Excalibur
, did not meet the requirements.
When the meeting ended with Hughes and Frye, the executives immediately started on improving the Excalibur to meet Hughes' expectations. One idea was to use the Wright R-2600
radials in place of the proposed Wright GR-1820
radials. It was decided instead to start from scratch using some original characteristics of the Excalibur. The design was lengthened from 74 ft 3 in to 95 ft 9 in and the wingspan was increased to 102 ft 4 in. Six different layouts of the cockpit envisaged, including a "Bug-Eye" proposal in which the pilot and co-pilot would sit in separate domes next to each other. In the end, it was decided to use a single curvature design with all-around glazing. Three weeks later, the new design was presented in a different meeting.
The design was given the designation L-049 or Excalibur A. The wings of the aircraft were similar to those used by the P-38 Lightning fighter. The aircraft was to be powered by four Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radials (the Pratt & Whitney R-2800
was kept as a back-up option) that were being developed for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, making the project military funded. Re-designed, the Excalibur was to be priced at $450,000, making it the most expensive airliner on the drawing board. Since TWA was unable to provide funding, Howard Hughes had his other company, the Hughes Tool Company
fund the construction of the airliner. Hughes ordered 40 Excaliburs on July 10, 1940, making the order the largest in airline history at the time. The development was to be kept a secret until the 35th aircraft was delivered to TWA. This was done in order to keep competitors such as Juan Trippe
's Pan American World Airways
from ordering the aircraft and competing with TWA. The secret was apparently well kept.
When Hughes was brought in to look at a scale mock up of the Excalibur's cabin, he was not pleased with the outcome and stated "It's not what I expected". Hughes later had Raymond Loewy
redesign the cabin to his liking. A complete life sized mock up of the Excalibur was eventually constructed with battery operated retractable landing gear. The gear mechanisms were tested on the mock up for design validation before production began. The powerplant itself was tested on a PV-1 Ventura which was nicknamed "Vent-ellation for the occasion. The name "Excalibur" was later dropped as the new aircraft had nothing in common with the original L-044 design. The name "Constellation" was picked up as an unofficial nickname until the intervention of the military. The now called Constellation had several technological advancements such as electric de-icing, hydraulic assisted controls, reversible pitch propellers and pressurization
, which allowed the Constellation to fly above the clouds. Lockheed had done pressurization in an aircraft before, with the Lockheed XC-35
.
A few months before the United States
entered World War II
, the Wartime Production Board inspected Lockheed's Burbank facility which housed the Constellation prototype. The long kept secret could no longer be held on to, and Lockheed announced the existence of the Constellation to the world. Even so, the secret of the Constellation's development remains one of the best kept industrial secrets to this day. Juan Trippe took advantage of this situation and ordered 22 L-049 Constellatinos and 18 L-149 Constellations (a model with a larger fuel capacity). KLM jumped in and ordered four examples. However, production couldn't begin right away, due to bombers and fighters destined for Great Britain
overtaking the assembly lines at Lockheed. After cancellation of the XB-30
(a bomber version of the Constellation) in 1941, military officials gave Lockheed the go-ahead to build 80 Constellations (on the condition that other aircraft on their assembly lines would not be affected). With this, Lockheed could now put all attention towards building the Constellation airliner.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces launched a surprise attack
on the US Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, causing the United States to enter the war. This meant that Lockheed's production lines were now under control by the military for the war effort. In March 1942, the 80 L-049 Constellations planned for airline use were requisitioned by the Air Transport Command, and given the military designation C-69
. In December 1942, the XC-69 prototype was rolled out. This was the first four engined aircraft to be produced by Lockheed. Several ground tests were performed on the XC-69 that same month. The final inspections were taken out on the XC-69 in January 1943, and the aircraft first flew on January 9 with Edmund Allen
(Boeing's chief test pilot who was borrowed for the occasion) at the controls. When the flight ended, Allen stated "This machine works so well that you don't need me anymore!". With that, Allen returned to Boeing. On April 16, 1944, the second production C-69 was flown by Howard Hughes on a flight between Burbank and Washington DC that took little less than seven hours. The aircraft was painted in full TWA livery for the occasion. Famous actress Ava Gardner
was onboard the aircraft at this time.
Due to problems with the Constellation's powerplant, the R-3350, the aircraft were grounded on February 1943. Flight testing resumed in June 1943. Problems with the R-3350 however, continued and production of the R-3350 was halted until the problems with then engines could be solved. This slowed down the development of the Constellation. Further setbacks occurred, including the B-29 Superfortress gaining priority for the R-3350 powerplants, for which the powerplant had been originally developed for. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was also further in development that the Constellation. Also, the end of the war in the Pacific was now in sight. The 260 C-69 aircraft were first reduced to 73 then all together cancelled. Only 22 C-69s were ever constructed for the United States Army Air Forces
. Seven of which, were never delivered.
and Republic RC-2 Rainbow (which was still on the drawing board). 89 aircraft were ordered in November 1945 by multiple carriers (TWA, Pan Am, American Overseas Airlines
(AOA), Eastern Air Lines
, Pan American-Grace Airways
(Panagra), Air France
and KLM).
The first Post-War production L-049 flew on July 12, 1945, and was delivered to TWA on November 14, 1945. Pan Am received its first L-049 on January 5, 1946. Due to clauses imposed on Lockheed by Howard Hughes, American Airlines
and United Airlines
went instead to Douglas and ordered the competing DC-6 (AOA, the overseas subsidiary of American Airlines, still purchased the L-049). The first commercial flight of the L-049 occurred on February 5, 1946 with TWA's "Star of Paris" flying from New York City
to Paris
. The flight lasted nearly 17 hours, stopping over in both Ireland
and Newfoundland. On January 14, 1946, Pan Am began flying its L-049 equipment between Bermuda and New York, replacing the slower Boeing 314 Clipper that flew before it. AOA, BOAC and Air France all started L-049 operations later that year. Due to requests by the airlines, production ceased in 1946, in favor of a more standard civilian Constellation, which became the L-649
and L-749
respectively.
L-149
L-549
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 entered service as the C-69 military transport aircraft
Lockheed C-69 Constellation
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...
during 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...
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....
and was the first civilian version after the war. When production ended in 1946 it was replaced by the improved L-649
Lockheed L-649 Constellation
-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:...
and L-749 Constellation
Lockheed L-749 Constellation
-See also:- References :CitationsBibliography* Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collecions, 2006. Print. ISBN 2915239622-External Links:...
.
Design and development
In June 1939, Howard HughesHoward 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...
, the owner of Transcontinental & Western Air (later called Trans World Airlines and abbreviated TWA for short), prepared a meeting at his Hancock Park residence in California. Jack Frye (then president of TWA) attended along with three executives from 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:...
which included designer 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"...
. During the meeting Hughes expressed his concerns for what he called the "airliner of the future". Lockheed's airliner under development at the time, the L-044 Excalibur
Lockheed Excalibur
|-See also:...
, did not meet the requirements.
When the meeting ended with Hughes and Frye, the executives immediately started on improving the Excalibur to meet Hughes' expectations. One idea was to use the Wright R-2600
Wright R-2600
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1998. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:...
radials in place of the proposed Wright GR-1820
Wright R-1820
|-See also:-References:* Bridgman, L, Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7* Eden, Paul & Soph Moeng, The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152...
radials. It was decided instead to start from scratch using some original characteristics of the Excalibur. The design was lengthened from 74 ft 3 in to 95 ft 9 in and the wingspan was increased to 102 ft 4 in. Six different layouts of the cockpit envisaged, including a "Bug-Eye" proposal in which the pilot and co-pilot would sit in separate domes next to each other. In the end, it was decided to use a single curvature design with all-around glazing. Three weeks later, the new design was presented in a different meeting.
The design was given the designation L-049 or Excalibur A. The wings of the aircraft were similar to those used by the P-38 Lightning fighter. The aircraft was to be powered by four Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radials (the 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....
was kept as a back-up option) that were being developed for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, making the project military funded. Re-designed, the Excalibur was to be priced at $450,000, making it the most expensive airliner on the drawing board. Since TWA was unable to provide funding, Howard Hughes had his other company, 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...
fund the construction of the airliner. Hughes ordered 40 Excaliburs on July 10, 1940, making the order the largest in airline history at the time. The development was to be kept a secret until the 35th aircraft was delivered to TWA. This was done in order to keep competitors such as Juan Trippe
Juan Trippe
Juan Terry Trippe was an American airline entrepreneur and pioneer, and the founder of Pan American World Airways, one of the world's most prominent airlines of the twentieth century.-Early years:...
's 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...
from ordering the aircraft and competing with TWA. The secret was apparently well kept.
When Hughes was brought in to look at a scale mock up of the Excalibur's cabin, he was not pleased with the outcome and stated "It's not what I expected". Hughes later had Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy was an industrial designer, and the first to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, on October 31, 1949. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States...
redesign the cabin to his liking. A complete life sized mock up of the Excalibur was eventually constructed with battery operated retractable landing gear. The gear mechanisms were tested on the mock up for design validation before production began. The powerplant itself was tested on a PV-1 Ventura which was nicknamed "Vent-ellation for the occasion. The name "Excalibur" was later dropped as the new aircraft had nothing in common with the original L-044 design. The name "Constellation" was picked up as an unofficial nickname until the intervention of the military. The now called Constellation had several technological advancements such as electric de-icing, hydraulic assisted controls, reversible pitch propellers and pressurization
Pressurization
Pressurization is the application of pressure in a given situation or environment; and more specifically refers to the process by which atmospheric pressure is maintained in an isolated or semi-isolated atmospheric environment .-See also:* Cabin pressurization* Compressed air* Decompression* Gas...
, which allowed the Constellation to fly above the clouds. Lockheed had done pressurization in an aircraft before, with the Lockheed XC-35
Lockheed XC-35
|-See also:-External links:* * * * * from National Museum of the United States Air Force...
.
World War II and further development
- Main article; Lockheed C-69 ConstellationLockheed C-69 ConstellationThe 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...
A few months before the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered 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 Wartime Production Board inspected Lockheed's Burbank facility which housed the Constellation prototype. The long kept secret could no longer be held on to, and Lockheed announced the existence of the Constellation to the world. Even so, the secret of the Constellation's development remains one of the best kept industrial secrets to this day. Juan Trippe took advantage of this situation and ordered 22 L-049 Constellatinos and 18 L-149 Constellations (a model with a larger fuel capacity). KLM jumped in and ordered four examples. However, production couldn't begin right away, due to bombers and fighters destined for Great Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
overtaking the assembly lines at Lockheed. After cancellation of the XB-30
Lockheed XB-30
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Stringfellow, Curtis K., and Peter M. Bowers. Lockheed Constellation. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks, 1992.-External links:*...
(a bomber version of the Constellation) in 1941, military officials gave Lockheed the go-ahead to build 80 Constellations (on the condition that other aircraft on their assembly lines would not be affected). With this, Lockheed could now put all attention towards building the Constellation airliner.
Attack 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...
on the US Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, causing the United States to enter the war. This meant that Lockheed's production lines were now under control by the military for the war effort. In March 1942, the 80 L-049 Constellations planned for airline use were requisitioned by the Air Transport Command, and given the military designation C-69
Lockheed C-69 Constellation
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...
. In December 1942, the XC-69 prototype was rolled out. This was the first four engined aircraft to be produced by Lockheed. Several ground tests were performed on the XC-69 that same month. The final inspections were taken out on the XC-69 in January 1943, and the aircraft first flew on January 9 with 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...
(Boeing's chief test pilot who was borrowed for the occasion) at the controls. When the flight ended, Allen stated "This machine works so well that you don't need me anymore!". With that, Allen returned to Boeing. On April 16, 1944, the second production C-69 was flown by Howard Hughes on a flight between Burbank and Washington DC that took little less than seven hours. The aircraft was painted in full TWA livery for the occasion. Famous 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...
was onboard the aircraft at this time.
Due to problems with the Constellation's powerplant, the R-3350, the aircraft were grounded on February 1943. Flight testing resumed in June 1943. Problems with the R-3350 however, continued and production of the R-3350 was halted until the problems with then engines could be solved. This slowed down the development of the Constellation. Further setbacks occurred, including the B-29 Superfortress gaining priority for the R-3350 powerplants, for which the powerplant had been originally developed for. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was also further in development that the Constellation. Also, the end of the war in the Pacific was now in sight. The 260 C-69 aircraft were first reduced to 73 then all together cancelled. Only 22 C-69s 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....
. Seven of which, were never delivered.
Postwar service
As World War II drew to a close, large quantities of military surplus became available on the civilian market along with the cancellation of the remaining C-69 Constellations still in production. With the Constellation's design at risk, Lockheed purchased the five remaining C-69 transports still in production back from the Military (this saved 15,000 jobs). The five aircraft were re-converted into L-049 civilian airliners and put up for sale on the market. These modifications included removal of the retractable tail stand, luxury interior, more portholes, a galley and crew relief areas. Better ventilation, insulation and heating were also added. The powerplants were replaced by R-3350-745C18BA-1 engines (the civilian equivalent to the wartime R-3350-35). Design tests did not need to be conducted, as Lockheed had already tasked them to the C-69 aircraft during the war (one of the C-69s also completed the trials for the civilian airworthiness certificate on December 11, 1945). This made the development of L-049 months ahead of the competing Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
and Republic RC-2 Rainbow (which was still on the drawing board). 89 aircraft were ordered in November 1945 by multiple carriers (TWA, Pan Am, American Overseas Airlines
American Overseas Airlines
American Overseas Airlines was an airline that operated between the United States and Europe between 1945 and 1950. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-Early history:...
(AOA), Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
, Pan American-Grace Airways
Pan American-Grace Airways
Pan American-Grace Airways, better known as Panagra, was an airline formed as a joint venture between Pan American World Airways and Grace Shipping Company.-History:...
(Panagra), Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
and KLM).
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
and United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
went instead to Douglas and ordered the competing DC-6 (AOA, the overseas subsidiary of American Airlines, still purchased the L-049). The first commercial flight of the L-049 occurred on February 5, 1946 with TWA's "Star of Paris" flying from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to 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...
. The flight lasted nearly 17 hours, stopping over in both Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Newfoundland. On January 14, 1946, Pan Am began flying its L-049 equipment between Bermuda and New York, replacing the slower Boeing 314 Clipper that flew before it. AOA, BOAC and Air France all started L-049 operations later that year. Due to requests by the airlines, production ceased in 1946, in favor of a more standard civilian Constellation, which became the L-649
Lockheed L-649 Constellation
-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:...
and L-749
Lockheed L-749 Constellation
-See also:- References :CitationsBibliography* Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collecions, 2006. Print. ISBN 2915239622-External Links:...
respectively.
Variants
L-049- Initial production variant powered by two R-3350-745C18BA-1 radials. Originally produced as the C-69 before 1945. 87 built.
L-149
- Designation given to L-049 aircraft refitted with a larger fuel capacity.
L-549
- Company designation for the sole C-69C built for the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air ForcesThe 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....
.
Accidents and incidents
Specifications (L-049)
See also
Sources
NotesBibliography
- 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 L-049 Constellation.