Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Long-range commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Four 1,865 kw (2,500 hp) Wright R-3350-C18-BD-1 eighteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

The Lockheed Model 49 Constellation, known originally as the Excalibur 44, was developed into a variety of variants over a period of 20 years to the Starliner. It commenced as a 40/50-seat airliner designed to cruise at nearly 480 km/h (300 mph) at 5,180 m (17,000 ft) with a still-air range of 5,950 km (3,700 miles) in 1939. It was designed to meet a specification issued by Trans Continental & Western Air (later TWA) for a long-range commercial Transport.

One of the team involved in the design was Lockheed’s Chief Aerodynamicist, C L Kelly Johnson, known for his work at Lockheed’s Skunk Works. However, the attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941 delayed development and the prototype (NX67900 – c/n 1961 – BuAer 43-10309) did not fly until 9 January 1943. In July it was delivered to the USAAF at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio for acceptance tests and became known as the C-69. The early Model 49s were fitted with seats and benches to meet military requirements. After the war Lockheed purchased back from the USAAF as many C-69s as possible and modified them to Model 49 standard.

Orders for the aircraft began to flow in and some 103 L-049s, as they became known, entered service with a number of airlines including KLM, BOAC, American Overseas Airlines, Air France, Capital, LAV, El Al, TWA and PAA. On 4 August 1945 a C-69 (42-94551) flew from New York to Paris in a time of 14 hrs 12 mins.

A total of 73 Model 049s was built, and four ex-USAAF aircraft with extra fuel capacity became known as the Model 149. Development lead to the L-649, a medium range version built to meet the requirements of Eastern Airlines. The first of this model (NX101A – c/n 2518) flew on 18 October 1946. This model had strengthening of the internal wing structure and undercarriage, and a number of other improvements. It had a gross weight of 42,638 kg (94,000 lb). This model could be fitted with a removable ventral container which could carry 3,720 kg (8,200 lb) of cargo. Cruising speed was 526 km/h (327 mph).

This was followed by the L-749 with an increased take-off weight of 46,366 kg (102,000 lb) and Wright Cyclone C-18-BD-1 engines of 1,865-kw (2,500-hp), the range being increased by 1,600 km (994 miles). Accommodation was provided for up to 64 passengers. The L-749A received some structural modification and take-off weight was increased to 48,534 kg (107,000 lb). Later the C-18-CB-1 engine was providing a take-off power of 2,014 kw (2,700 hp). A variant of the Model 749 was supplied to the USAF as the C-121A for operation in the cargo role, the floor being strengthened, two cargo doors being fitted and being powered by four R-3350-BD1 engines.

Six were destined to become VIP transports, being re-designation VC-121A, one being used by General Eisenhower and named Columbine, another being used by the General when he became the President of the United States, this being named Columbine II. Two were operated by the US Navy as the PO-1W, later the designation being changed to WV-1.

As noted below, the series was developed through to the L-1049 Super Constellation and the L-1649 Starliner. A total of 856 examples of the Constellation series was built for civil and military use. One L-749/C-121A (48-0609 / N793TW) was airworthy in the United States for a few years; and others have been restored or are under restoration.

Fifty-seven examples of the L-749 series were built, six of these being delivered to Qantas. A typical history is that of VH-EAB (c/n 2565 – Lawrence Hargreave) which was built for KLM as a Model L-749-79-33 but was completed for Qantas as an L-749-79-31. It left Burbank on 22 October 1947 on its delivery flight, arriving in Sydney on 25 October 1947.  It operated a number of Melbourne Cup Charters on behalf of TAA in November 1949; and in 1951 was based in Darwin, operating flights to Iwakuni in Japan. In October 1951 it was converted to L-749A-79 standard with an increase in gross weight. On 16 December 1952 it left on the first Qantas service to South Africa; and in March 1954 it was used to carry Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip during a Royal Tour of Australia. On 26 February 1955 it was sold to BOAC (as G-ANUR), later seeing service as N1949 and CX-BHC. It is believed to have been eventually scrapped in Montevideo, Uruguay in January 1970.

Other aircraft in the fleet were: VH-EAA (c/n 2905 – Ross Smith) built as an L-749-31 which was delivered to Qantas on 4 October 1947, arriving in Sydney on 14 October 1947 with a Speedpak fitted. It entered service on 22 October 1947 and flew a proving flight to London. On 26 April 1951 it was flown to New Zealand, and in October that year carried troops to Japan. It, like the other L-749s, was upgraded to L-749A-79 configuration in January 1952.  It was sold to BOAC (as G-ANUP) on 15 February 1955, later becoming LX-IOK with Interocean Airways. It was extensively damaged on 2 October 1964 at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

VH-EAC (c/n 2572 – Harry Hawker) arrived in Sydney on 26 October 1947 and entered service that month. On 20 March 1950 it left Sydney and flew to London via Colombo and Bombay. It operated the first Qantas service from Frankfurt to Sydney on 21 October 1952 and carried out the first tourist flight from Sydney to London on 29 March 1954. It was sold to South American operator Guest SA (as XA-LIO) and was broken up at Burbank, California in 1963.

VH-EAD (c/n 2573 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith) arrived in Sydney on 27 October 1947 and entered service in November, operating the inaugural Qantas service from Sydney to London on 1 December 1947 in a flying time of 59 hrs 7 mins. It operated a proving flight to South Africa on 25 July 1952 and carried out the inaugural service there via Melbourne, Perth, Cocos Island and Mauritius to Johannesburg on 1 September 1952 in a time of 39 hrs 17 mins. It also operated the last schedule Qantas L-749 service to South Africa. It was sold to Guest SA of Mexico (XA-LIP), later being sold to California Airmotive Corp as N9733Z and was scrapped at Lancaster, California in November 1971.

VH-EAE (c/n 2505 – Bert Hinkler – ex VT-CAR – Ranput Princess) was built as an L-649-79-21 but completed as an L-749-79-35 for Air India. It was sold to Qantas on 30 December 1949 and arrived in Sydney on 17 January 1950, operating its first service on 7 April 1950. Its last service was to London on 18 August 1954 and it was sold to BOAC (as G-ANTG) on 18 August 1954. It later became N1552V, eventually being withdrawn from service in Alaska in November 1968. It was broken up in 1973.

VH-EAF (c/n 2504 – Horace Brinsmead – ex-VT-CQS Mogul Princess) was also obtained from Air India, arriving in Sydney on 27 April 1951. It entered service on 4 May 1951 when it flew to New Zealand. In March 1954 it was used for six of the Royal Flights of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in Australia, visiting Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville, Broken Hill, Adelaide, Kalgoorlie and Perth. It was sold to BOAC (G-ANTF) on 23 July 1954, later going to The Babb Co in the US as N9816F. It had a couple of operators in later years until it made a wheels-up landing on 8 March 1966 whilst on a British Ministry of Defence contract flight to Aden, Yemen. It was repaired, flown back to the United Kingdom and stored at Baginton where, after a fire in 1970, it was scrapped.

These aircraft were initially fitted out to carry 38 passengers. In the early 1950s the Qantas L-749s were converted to L-749A configuration; and a few were modified to carry 60 passengers when Qantas introduced tourist fares in April 1954. Services were also made to South Africa and the Orient. Two, as noted, were purchased from Air India in 1950 and 1951 to increase the size of the fleet. They continued in service until the last was sold in October 1955, being replaced by L-1049 Super Constellations.

Qantas aircraft were chartered occasionally by other airlines, including Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL – later Air New Zealand). It chartered VH-EAD in 1947 to make a special flight to Ohakea; and TAA leased VH-EAB in 1949 for additional capacity, eg for the Melbourne Cup in that year.