The Lockheed L-749 Constellation is the first
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first civil airliner family to enter widespread use equipped with a pressurized cab ...
to regularly cross the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
non-stop. Although similar in appearance to the
L-649 before it, the L-749 had a larger fuel capacity, strengthened landing gear, and eventually
weather radar
A weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern w ...
.
Design and development
In early 1947, the
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and merged in 1995 with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but otherwise-u ...
unveiled the L-749, a derivative of its
L-649 Constellation with fuel tanks to increase its maximum range by . Due to the increased weight, the landing gear and tires had to be strengthened.
Jet stacks were also introduced, increasing speed by . These jet stacks increased the noise, requiring more insulation. As with the L-649, ten different layouts of the internal cabin were possible. Airlines originally attracted to the L-649 changed their orders to the L-749. The L-749 was to become the standard version of the regular Constellation.
[Breffort, ''Lockheed Constellation'', pp. 40-45.]California Classic Proliners - Lockheed Constellations
Gibson, Tom; ''Retrieved 9/6/11''
The L-749 first flew on March 14, 1947, and received certification that same month. The first L-749 was delivered to Air France
Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...
on April 18, 1947. Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and more commonly known as Pan Am, was an airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States for ...
received its first L-749 in June, and L-749 service began the same month on their "Round The World" service. The L-749 also entered service with various other airlines, including Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles ...
(TWA), '' KLM'', ''Cubana de Aviación
Cubana de Aviación S.A., or simply Cubana, is the flag carrier and largest airline of Cuba. It was founded in October 1929, becoming one of the earliest airlines to emerge in Latin America. It has its corporate headquarters in Havana, and its ...
'', '' Línea Aeropostal Venezolana'' and ''Avianca
Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias de Colombia S.A.'', "Airways of Colombia", and stylized as avianca since October 2023) is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it ...
''.
In March 1947, 1,200 jobs were lost at Lockheed, bringing production of the aircraft to a near stand-still. This was due to the end of military production from World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
bringing a reduction in the number of needed workers. A large order from the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
for 10 L-749As, designated C-121 Constellation, saved the Constellation program from cancellation. The United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
followed in, ordering two L-749As as PO-1Ws (later WV-1s). The first L-749A off the production lines were destined for the military.
Lockheed started producing the improved L-749A in 1949. It had a strengthened fuselage, further strengthened landing gear and a Plycor floor. This increased its weight by over and increased the MTOW. Slightly redesigned engine cowlings and new Curtiss Electric propellers were also introduced. Lockheed also offered an L-749 to L-749A conversion kit. The first civil customer for the L-749A was South African Airways
South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa. Founded in 1929 as Union Airways it later rebranded to South African Airways in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannes ...
but its largest customer was TWA, which had 26 L-749As; the last of these were not retired until 1967. A cargo version of the L-749A based on the military C-121A was offered, but no airlines showed interest and it never left the drawing board. An L-749B turboprop version was envisaged, but this too never left the drawing board as no reliable engine was found. Production of the L-749A ended in 1951 to give way to its stretched successor, the L-1049 Super Constellation.
Variants
;L-749
:Standard production version, powered by four Wright R-3350
The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone is an American twin-row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine with 18 cylinders displacing nearly . Power ranged from , depending on model. Developed before World War II, the R-3350's design requi ...
-749C18BD-1 radial engines. 60 built.
;L-749A
:Reinforced structure and an increased MTOW. 59 built.
;L-749B
:Proposed turboprop version. None built.
;L-849
:Planned version of L-749 powered by Wright R-3350 TurboCompound engines.
;L-949
:Proposed ''Speedfreighter'' combi version of L-849 with an fuselage stretch.
Specifications (L-749)
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
* Breffort, Dominique. ''Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants''. Histoire and Collecions, 2006, Paris, France. Print. .
External links
Lockheed Constellation Survivors
- A website that explains information and whereabouts of surviving Constellations of all variants, including the L-749 Constellation.
{{Lockheed Constellation family
Constellation
A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object.
The first constellati ...
1940s United States airliners
Four-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
L-0749
Aircraft first flown in 1947
Four-engined piston aircraft
Triple-tail aircraft
Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear