Was the constellation a good plane?
It was a plane equally beautiful in form as well as function. First flight went so well that five more flights were performed the first day. Hughes went about publicizing the Constellation the best way he knew how: by breaking a transcontinental speed record on a Burbank to Washington, D.C., flight in April 1944.
Who designed the Lockheed Constellation?
Clarence ‘Kelly
Clarence ‘Kelly’ Johnson’s design for the Lockheed Constellation, known affectionately as the ‘Connie’, produced one of the world’s most iconic airliners. Lockheed had been working on the L-044 Excalibur, a four-engine, pressurized airliner, since 1937.
What is the oldest commercial aircraft still flying?
The oldest active passenger configured Boeing 747 that is still flying today is about 42.89 years old as the delivery was taken on November 9th, 1977 by the Saudi Arabian Royal Flight. Since its first commercial flight in 1970, Boeing 747 has changed the nature of long-haul air travel.
Is the Lockheed XB-30 based on a Boeing plane?
Based on the design of the Lockheed L-049 (subsequently adopted by the United States Army Air Forces as the C-69 ), the L-249 never progressed past the design stage, mainly because Boeing had a huge head start with its Boeing B-29 Superfortress, using the same Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radials as the XB-30 was intended to use.
What kind of engines did the Lockheed Constellation have?
A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a triple-tail design and dolphin-shaped fuselage and most powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines.
When was the Lockheed Constellation cancelled after World War 2?
The USAAF cancelled the remainder of the order in 1945. After World War II the Constellation came into its own as a popular, fast, civilian airliner. Aircraft already in production for the USAAF as C-69 transports were finished as civilian airliners, with TWA receiving the first on 1 October 1945.
Where was the Lockheed C-69C VIP transport built?
A single C-69C ( L-549 ), a 43-seat VIP transport, was built in 1945 at the Lockheed-Burbank plant. The C-69 was mostly used as a high-speed, long-distance troop transport during the war. A total of 22 C-69s were completed before the end of hostilities, but not all of these entered military service.