Historic Aircraft: The Lockheed Constellation

Once upon a time, a sleek propeller plane with a distinctive triple-tail was abandoned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport General Aviation area in Manila. Despite its unique appearance, it went largely unnoticed by most airport-goers, save for aviation enthusiasts and those familiar with the plane. However, what many did not realize is that this plane was actually a piece of aviation history – a Lockheed Constellation.

The Lockheed Constellation, or “Connie” as it was affectionately called, is an iconic aircraft that epitomizes the golden age of aviation in the 1940s and 1950s. Designed and built by the Lockheed Corporation in the United States, the Constellation was a long-range, four-engine transport aircraft that served as a passenger airliner, military transport, and even as a presidential aircraft. The Constellation’s distinctive triple-tail design and sleek, streamlined body made it one of the most recognizable aircraft of its time, and its advanced technology set a new standard for air travel. Despite its retirement from commercial use in the 1970s, the Lockheed Constellation remains a beloved symbol of aviation history and a testament to the remarkable engineering and design of the era.

Time to get to know more about the Lockheed Constellation. For this writeup however, we will be focusing on the Constellation as a civilian liner.

History of the Lockheed Constellation

Lockheed Corporation had been working on a new pressurized airliner, the L-044 Excalibur, since 1937. However, in 1939, Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) requested a much larger transcontinental airliner that could carry 40 passengers and fly a range of over 3,500 miles. This was beyond the capabilities of the Excalibur design, so Lockheed engineers, including Kelly Johnson and Hall Hibbard, designed the L-049 Constellation to meet TWA’s requirements. Some Lockheed engineers, like Willis Hawkins, have suggested that the Excalibur program was merely a smokescreen for the development of the Constellation.

While rumors circulated that Howard Hughes played a significant role in the design process of the Constellation, these claims were later discredited by Kelly Johnson, one of the Lockheed engineers who worked on the project. In a letter dated November 1941, both Hughes and Jack Frye confirmed that Hughes’ involvement in the design was limited, putting to rest any doubts surrounding the origins of the iconic aircraft.

Lockheed Constellation Variants

The Constellation series was produced in several different models, each with unique specifications and purposes. The L-049 was the original commercial airliner, followed by the L-649 aircraft with more powerful engines, and all soon upgraded to L-749 standard with long-range fuel tanks. The L-1649A Starliner was the production version, designed as a long-range passenger aircraft to compete with the Douglas DC-7C. The standard radome for the weather radar extends total length by 2 ft 7 in (0.78 m) over L-1049 without radome, with a new thin-section wing with a straight taper, and much larger fuel capacity giving a ferry range of over 6,880 mi (11,080 km).

The Constellation’s wing design was close to that of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, and the triple tail allowed the aircraft to fit into existing hangars. It also featured hydraulically boosted controls and a deicing system used on wing and tail leading edges. The aircraft had a maximum speed of over 375 mph, faster than that of a Japanese Zero fighter, a cruise speed of 340 mph, and a service ceiling of 24,000 ft.

Throughout the Constellation’s production, there were many planned and proposed versions that never made it to the market, including the L-849 planned version of the L-749, the L-1049J planned with the wings of the R7V-2, and the L-1449 proposed turboprop version of the L-1049G with a stretched fuselage and new wing. However, the L-1649B was a planned turboprop version of the L-1649A that was never built.

In total, 856 Constellations were produced between 1943 and 1958 at Lockheed’s plant in Burbank, California, and used as both a civil airliner and as a military and civilian cargo transport. Among their famous uses was during the Berlin and the Biafran airlifts, and three served as the presidential aircraft for Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of which is featured at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Specifications

The Constellation’s dimensions were impressive, with a length of 116 feet 2 inches (35.41 meters), a wingspan of 126 feet 2 inches (38.46 meters), and a height of 24 feet 9 inches (7.54 meters). Its wing area measured 1,654 square feet (153.7 square meters), and it had an aspect ratio of 9.17. The aircraft’s maximum takeoff weight was 137,500 pounds (62,369 kilograms), with an empty weight of 79,700 pounds (36,151 kilograms) and a payload of 18,300 pounds (8,301 kilograms).

The Constellation was powered by four Wright R-3350-DA3 Duplex-Cyclone 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, each generating 3,250 horsepower (2,420 kilowatts). The engines were paired with 3-bladed constant-speed propellers.

In terms of performance, the Constellation had a maximum speed of 377 miles per hour (607 kilometers per hour or 328 knots) and a cruise speed of 340 miles per hour (550 kilometers per hour or 300 knots) at 22,600 feet (6,888 meters). Its stall speed was 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour or 87 knots), and it had a range of 5,400 miles (8,700 kilometers or 4,700 nautical miles) with a service ceiling of 24,000 feet (7,300 meters). The aircraft’s rate of climb was 1,620 feet per minute (8.2 meters per second), and its lift-to-drag ratio was 16. The wing loading was 87.7 pounds per square foot (428 kilograms per square meter), and the power-to-mass ratio was 0.094 horsepower per pound (0.155 kilowatts per kilogram).

• Crew: 5 flight crew, varying cabin crew
• Capacity: typically 62–95 passengers (109 in high-density configuration) / 18,300 lb (8,301 kg) payload
• Length: 116 ft 2 in (35.41 m)
• Wingspan: 126 ft 2 in (38.46 m)
• Height: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
• Wing area: 1,654 sq ft (153.7 m2)
• Aspect ratio: 9.17
• Airfoil: root: NACA 23018; tip: NACA 4412
• Empty weight: 79,700 lb (36,151 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 137,500 lb (62,369 kg)
• Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-3350-DA3 Duplex-Cyclone 18 cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 3,250 hp (2,420 kW) each
• Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers
• Maximum speed: 377 mph (607 km/h, 328 kn)
• Cruise speed: 340 mph (550 km/h, 300 kn) at 22,600 ft (6,888 m)
• Stall speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
• Range: 5,400 mi (8,700 km, 4,700 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,620 ft/min (8.2 m/s)

Decline in Service

As technology advanced, jet airliners such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 made the Constellation obsolete. The first routes lost to jets were the long overseas routes, but Constellations continued to fly domestic routes. The last scheduled passenger flight of a Constellation in the lower 48 states was made by a TWA L749 on May 11, 1967, from Philadelphia to Kansas City, Missouri.

Constellations carried freight in later years and were used on backup sections of Eastern Airlines’ shuttle service between New York, Washington, and Boston until 1968. Propeller airliners were used on overnight freight runs into the 1990s, as their low speed was not an impediment. An Eastern Air Lines Connie holds the record for a New York-to-Washington flight from takeoff to touchdown in just over 30 minutes.

One of the unique features of the aircraft was the dolphin-shaped fuselage shape, which was expensive to build. Manufacturers have since favored tube-shaped fuselages for subsequent airliner designs, as the cylindrical cross-section design is more resistant to pressurization changes and less expensive to build.

After ending Constellation production, Lockheed chose not to develop a first-generation jetliner, sticking to its military business and production of the turboprop Lockheed L-188 Electra. Lockheed did not build a large passenger aircraft again until its L-1011 Tristar debuted in 1972. While a technological marvel, the L-1011 was a commercial failure, and Lockheed left the commercial airliner business permanently in 1983.

Despite being rendered obsolete by the introduction of jet airliners in the 1950s and 1960s, the Constellation continued to fly domestic and freight routes for several years. The aircraft’s sleek appearance and advanced technology made it a favorite of aviation enthusiasts and collectors, and several examples of the aircraft can still be seen in museums around the world.

The Constellation’s legacy extends beyond its time in service, as its innovative design and engineering continue to inspire aviation enthusiasts and historians to this day. Its iconic design and contributions to the aviation industry make it a true classic, and a testament to the ingenuity and innovation of the engineers and designers who created it.

What happened then to the Connie in Manila?

The museum acquired the Lockheed Constellation in 2014 from Manila International Airport Authority and has since been working on its restoration. The exterior restoration is now complete and the interior is expected to be finished in the next two years.

The final phase of the project involved moving the Super Constellation to its final display position, which required Qantas Engineering’s Aircraft Recovery Team to jack the aircraft at multiple points and use locally fabricated trolleys to put it in its final position. The move was completed in two stages, with the aircraft first towed forward about 80 metres across open ground before transitioning it sideways about 20 metres, where it now stands between the museum’s two other large aircraft.

Qantas Founders Museum is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to tell the story of Australia’s national airline, Qantas Airways, and how it began in Western Queensland in 1920. The Super Constellation will join the museum’s other aircraft under the protection of its Airpark Roof. The final aircraft to be positioned under the roof will be the museum’s DC-3.

The restoration project was a collaborative effort involving volunteers, museum staff, contractors and support from Qantas. The commitment and expertise of everyone involved, including Qantas Engineering, has helped to bring about this great result. The Qantas Founders Museum is pleased to see the beautifully restored Super Constellation positioned with their other Museum aircraft, and under the protection of their Airpark Roof.

The restoration of the Lockheed Super Constellation is a testament to the dedication of the museum’s volunteers, contractors and organisations such as Qantas. The Super Constellation is an iconic aircraft that has helped shape the history of aviation, and its restoration is an important contribution to preserving that history for future generations to appreciate.