Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
Encyclopedia
The Lockheed L-1649 Starliner was the last model of the Lockheed Constellation
line. Powered by four Wright R-3350
TurboCompound engines, it was built at Lockheed
's Burbank, California
plant from 1956 to 1958.
designed the L-1449 in response to the Douglas DC-7C Seven Seas
. Powered by four 5500 hp Pratt & Whitney PT2G-3 turboprop
engines, the L-1449 would have cruised faster than the DC-7C but would have had comparable range with the large fuel capacity in a new 150 ft (45.7 m) wing. Pratt & Whitney
dropped the PT2 project circa March 1955 due to expected unreliability, high specific fuel consumption
and high operating costs, though the T34 military version of the engine powered the Douglas C-133 freighter.
The Air-Britain book says the L-1449 would have been 55 inches longer than the L-1049 series with a maximum weight of 175,000 lb; The L-1549 replaced the 1449 in early 1955 with an additional 40-inch stretch and a takeoff weight of 187,500 lb, presumably still with the big PT2 turboprops.
But Rummel's book says Lockheed told TWA on 30 Sept 1954 the L-1449 would use the same fuselage as the 1049 series; Hughes Tool Co ordered 25 of them in December, though TWA estimated the L-1449 would lose money for them even with every seat occupied. When P&W dropped their engine Lockheed proposed an L-1549 with Allison turboprops, but TWA and Lockheed agreed on the piston-engine L-1649 instead and so amended the L-1449 contract. In April 1955 Lockheed told TWA they wanted to drop the 1649, but Hughes refused to agree.
Though the L-1449 and L-1549 were never built, all Constellations from 1954 onward were strengthened to take the thrust generated by the T34/PT-2 turboprops, which were fitted to several R7V-2 Constellations for the United States Navy
(USN).
With the abandonment of the L-1549, Lockheed designed a less ambitious upgrade of the Constellation series as the L-1649A Starliner. The new design used the L-1049G fuselage, the new 150 ft (45.7 m) wing and four Wright R-3350
988 TC18-EA-2 TurboCompound radial engine
s, allowing the Starliner to fly non-stop over the North Pole
from the United States
to Europe
.
"Lockheeds claim that their new airliner, powered by four 3,400 h.p. Wright Turbo-Compounds, will be capable of carrying 58 passengers for 6500 miles at a cruising speed of over 350 m.p.h. and that it will fly from Paris to New York in nearly three hours less time than the DC-7C when carrying the same payload as its Douglas competitor." In January 1958 Pan American scheduled the DC-7C Orly to Idlewild in 14 hr 15 min; TWA scheduled the 1649 in 14 hr 50 min.
(TWA) flight from New York to London and Frankfurt. TWA called their L-1649s "Jetstreams" and flew them on their longer domestic routes, along with flights from New York to Europe and beyond. In July 1958 TWA scheduled 60 flights each week from Europe to New York, of which 30 were L-1649s, including seven nonstops a week from Paris, five from London, four from Frankfurt, two each from Madrid, Lisbon and Geneva, one from Zurich and one from Rome. Three 1649s a week flew the Polar route Europe to California, sometimes nonstop.
707s replaced the last TWA transatlantic passenger L-1649 in October 1961; 707s and 880s displaced them from domestic scheduled flights in December 1962. In the early 1960s Lockheed converted twelve TWA L1649s to freighters that carried cargo across the Atlantic until 1964 and domestically until 1967.
Air France
bought ten Starliners; they were the only airline to market the aircraft by its name (being called the "Super Starliner"). Transatlantic flights lasted from August 1957 until September 1960 when the 707 took over. Starting in April 1958 Air France L-1649s flew Paris to Anchorage to Tokyo, but they never flew to the west coast of the United States. In summer 1959 they scheduled 22 nonstop L-1649s a week from Orly to Idlewild, four of which continued to Mexico City; two weekly L-1649s flew Orly to Montreal to Chicago Midway and back. The twice-weekly ORY-ANC-TYO flight was scheduled 30 hr 45 min, compared to 42 hr 20 min for the fastest 1049G via India (and 32 hr 00 min for BOAC's Comet from London to Tokyo via India).
Lufthansa
was the last airline to purchase the Starliner new; their four Starliners were marketed as "Super Stars" and flew the transatlantic routes. Lufthansa's Starliners were delivered nonstop to Hamburg from the Lockheed factory at Burbank
. In summer 1959, Lufthansa scheduled nonstops to New York from Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Orly. Lockheed converted two of Lufthansa's Starliners to freighters after the Boeing 707 had replaced them on the transatlantic passenger flights in 1960.
LAI (Linee Aeree Italiane) had also ordered four Starliners, but did not take them up following the merger with Alitalia in October 1957. At the time of the merger, Alitalia had already accepted the delivery of DC-7C
and had no interest in the Starliners; they were finally delivered to TWA in the following year. Varig
ordered 2 Starliners, but the order was switched to two L-1049Gs instead.
The DC-7C ended up selling more airframes than the Starliner, which had greater range than its rival but was expensive ($3,000,000 USD) and entered service a year later. In the end only 44 Starliners were built (including the prototype) compared to 121 DC-7Cs from Douglas.
Alaska Airlines
used two Starliners for MATS
operations in the 1960s. Others operators used Starliners for charter flights. A small number of Starliners were used as cargo aircraft in Alaska
during the 1970s. By the early 1980s, all Starliners ceased commercial operations.
Four Starliners still exist; Lufthansa is restoring one to flying condition.
L-1649B
. Lufthansa is currently restoring N7316C (c/n 1018) to flying condition at Auburn-Lewiston Airport in Maine
. A completion date is expected by 2013. Parts from the second Starliner, N8083H, also at Auburn-Lewiston Airport, are being salvaged for N7316C's restoration. The third Starliner (N974R) is on display, outside of the Fantasy of Flight
museum in Polk City, Florida
. The fourth and final Starliner, ZS-DVJ, is currently in Trek Airways
colours at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg.
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...
line. Powered by four Wright R-3350
Wright R-3350
The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone was one of the most powerful radial aircraft engines produced in the United States. It was a twin row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial engine with 18 cylinders. Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp , depending on the model...
TurboCompound engines, it was built at Lockheed
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:...
's Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
plant from 1956 to 1958.
Design and Development
Development of the Starliner began when LockheedLockheed 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:...
designed the L-1449 in response to the Douglas DC-7C Seven Seas
Douglas DC-7
The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
. Powered by four 5500 hp Pratt & Whitney PT2G-3 turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engines, the L-1449 would have cruised faster than the DC-7C but would have had comparable range with the large fuel capacity in a new 150 ft (45.7 m) wing. Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
dropped the PT2 project circa March 1955 due to expected unreliability, high specific fuel consumption
Specific fuel consumption
Thrust specific fuel consumption or sometimes simply specific fuel consumption, SFC, is an engineering term that is used to describe the fuel efficiency of an engine design with respect to thrust output...
and high operating costs, though the T34 military version of the engine powered the Douglas C-133 freighter.
The Air-Britain book says the L-1449 would have been 55 inches longer than the L-1049 series with a maximum weight of 175,000 lb; The L-1549 replaced the 1449 in early 1955 with an additional 40-inch stretch and a takeoff weight of 187,500 lb, presumably still with the big PT2 turboprops.
But Rummel's book says Lockheed told TWA on 30 Sept 1954 the L-1449 would use the same fuselage as the 1049 series; Hughes Tool Co ordered 25 of them in December, though TWA estimated the L-1449 would lose money for them even with every seat occupied. When P&W dropped their engine Lockheed proposed an L-1549 with Allison turboprops, but TWA and Lockheed agreed on the piston-engine L-1649 instead and so amended the L-1449 contract. In April 1955 Lockheed told TWA they wanted to drop the 1649, but Hughes refused to agree.
Though the L-1449 and L-1549 were never built, all Constellations from 1954 onward were strengthened to take the thrust generated by the T34/PT-2 turboprops, which were fitted to several R7V-2 Constellations for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
(USN).
With the abandonment of the L-1549, Lockheed designed a less ambitious upgrade of the Constellation series as the L-1649A Starliner. The new design used the L-1049G fuselage, the new 150 ft (45.7 m) wing and four Wright R-3350
Wright R-3350
The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone was one of the most powerful radial aircraft engines produced in the United States. It was a twin row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial engine with 18 cylinders. Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp , depending on the model...
988 TC18-EA-2 TurboCompound radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
s, allowing the Starliner to fly non-stop over the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
"Lockheeds claim that their new airliner, powered by four 3,400 h.p. Wright Turbo-Compounds, will be capable of carrying 58 passengers for 6500 miles at a cruising speed of over 350 m.p.h. and that it will fly from Paris to New York in nearly three hours less time than the DC-7C when carrying the same payload as its Douglas competitor." In January 1958 Pan American scheduled the DC-7C Orly to Idlewild in 14 hr 15 min; TWA scheduled the 1649 in 14 hr 50 min.
Operational history
The L-1649A prototype first flew on October 11, 1956 (The prototype (N1649) would remain the property of Lockheed until the early 1970s, when it was sold in Japan). Airline service began on June 1, 1957 on a Trans World AirlinesTrans 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...
(TWA) flight from New York to London and Frankfurt. TWA called their L-1649s "Jetstreams" and flew them on their longer domestic routes, along with flights from New York to Europe and beyond. In July 1958 TWA scheduled 60 flights each week from Europe to New York, of which 30 were L-1649s, including seven nonstops a week from Paris, five from London, four from Frankfurt, two each from Madrid, Lisbon and Geneva, one from Zurich and one from Rome. Three 1649s a week flew the Polar route Europe to California, sometimes nonstop.
707s replaced the last TWA transatlantic passenger L-1649 in October 1961; 707s and 880s displaced them from domestic scheduled flights in December 1962. In the early 1960s Lockheed converted twelve TWA L1649s to freighters that carried cargo across the Atlantic until 1964 and domestically until 1967.
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...
bought ten Starliners; they were the only airline to market the aircraft by its name (being called the "Super Starliner"). Transatlantic flights lasted from August 1957 until September 1960 when the 707 took over. Starting in April 1958 Air France L-1649s flew Paris to Anchorage to Tokyo, but they never flew to the west coast of the United States. In summer 1959 they scheduled 22 nonstop L-1649s a week from Orly to Idlewild, four of which continued to Mexico City; two weekly L-1649s flew Orly to Montreal to Chicago Midway and back. The twice-weekly ORY-ANC-TYO flight was scheduled 30 hr 45 min, compared to 42 hr 20 min for the fastest 1049G via India (and 32 hr 00 min for BOAC's Comet from London to Tokyo via India).
Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
was the last airline to purchase the Starliner new; their four Starliners were marketed as "Super Stars" and flew the transatlantic routes. Lufthansa's Starliners were delivered nonstop to Hamburg from the Lockheed factory at Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. In summer 1959, Lufthansa scheduled nonstops to New York from Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Orly. Lockheed converted two of Lufthansa's Starliners to freighters after the Boeing 707 had replaced them on the transatlantic passenger flights in 1960.
LAI (Linee Aeree Italiane) had also ordered four Starliners, but did not take them up following the merger with Alitalia in October 1957. At the time of the merger, Alitalia had already accepted the delivery of DC-7C
Douglas DC-7
The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
and had no interest in the Starliners; they were finally delivered to TWA in the following year. Varig
Varig
VARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
ordered 2 Starliners, but the order was switched to two L-1049Gs instead.
The DC-7C ended up selling more airframes than the Starliner, which had greater range than its rival but was expensive ($3,000,000 USD) and entered service a year later. In the end only 44 Starliners were built (including the prototype) compared to 121 DC-7Cs from Douglas.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
used two Starliners for MATS
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
operations in the 1960s. Others operators used Starliners for charter flights. A small number of Starliners were used as cargo aircraft in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
during the 1970s. By the early 1980s, all Starliners ceased commercial operations.
Four Starliners still exist; Lufthansa is restoring one to flying condition.
Variants
L-1649A- Initial production version powered by four Wright R-3350 988 TC18-EA-2 engines. 44 Built.
L-1649B
- Proposed turboprop version. None built.
Accidents and Incidents
- June 26, 1959 - TWA Flight 891, a wing separated over Milano, ItalyMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, with the loss of all 68 passengers and crew. - May 10, 1961 - Air France Flight 406, named "De Grasse" broke up in flight after empennageEmpennageThe empennage , also known as the tail or tail assembly, of most aircraft gives stability to the aircraft, in a similar way to the feathers on an arrow...
failiure over the Sahara Desert, thought to have been caused by an explosive device, killing all 78 passengers and crew..
Survivors
Four Starliners still exist: three are owned by Lufthansa and one by the South African Airways Museum in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Lufthansa is currently restoring N7316C (c/n 1018) to flying condition at Auburn-Lewiston Airport in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. A completion date is expected by 2013. Parts from the second Starliner, N8083H, also at Auburn-Lewiston Airport, are being salvaged for N7316C's restoration. The third Starliner (N974R) is on display, outside of the Fantasy of Flight
Fantasy of Flight
Fantasy of Flight is an aviation-related attraction in Polk City, Florida, USA that takes visitors back to the pioneering days of early flight, World War I, World War II and beyond. The attraction opened in November of 1995, and houses the world's largest private aircraft collection on display...
museum in Polk City, Florida
Polk City, Florida
Polk City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,516 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,515. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. The fourth and final Starliner, ZS-DVJ, is currently in Trek Airways
Trek Airways
Trek Airways was an airline based in South Africa that operated from August 1953 until April 1994.-Company history:Founded in 1953, Trek Airways was the only South African airline apart from SAA to fly international services. At the beginning, flights were operated from Europe to South Africa with...
colours at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg.
Specifications (L-1649A)
See also
External links
- Lockheed Constellation Survivors - A website that explains information and whereabouts of surviving Constellations, including Starliners.
- YouTube - Lufthansa L1649 Lockheed Starliner Project Auburn Maine - A news clip about N7316C's restoration from 2009.