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43-665: The L-1049 was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner, first flying in 1950. The aircraft was produced for both the United States Navy as the WV / R7V and U.S. Air Force as the C-121 for transport, electronics, and airborne early warning and control aircraft. Beginning in 1943, Lockheed planned stretched variants of the Constellation family. The first was the L-049 with

86-710: A military transport near the end of World War II , Douglas reworked it after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range commercial transport market. Douglas built over 700, and many still fly in cargo, military, and wildfire control roles. The DC-6 was known as the C-118 Liftmaster in United States Air Force service and as the R6D in United States Navy service before 1962, after which all U.S. Navy variants were also designated as

129-563: A compartment designed to accommodate the tank. They are typically made of metal, plastic or fibreglass construction, and may be removed for inspection, replacement, or repair. Rigid removable tanks are not relied on for the aircraft's structural integrity. These tanks are commonly found in smaller general aviation aircraft, such as the Cessna 172 . Combat aircraft and helicopters generally use self-sealing fuel tanks . Bladder tanks, bag tanks or fuel cells, are reinforced rubberised bags installed in

172-705: A fuel vent next to the cabin cooling turbine intake; all DC-6s were modified, and the fleet was flying again after four months on the ground. In April 1949, United, American, Delta, National, and Braniff were flying DC-6s in the United States. United flew them to Hawaii, Braniff flew them to Rio de Janeiro, and Panagra flew Miami-Buenos Aires; KLM, SAS , and Sabena flew DC-6s across the Atlantic. BCPA DC-6s flew Sydney to Vancouver, and Philippine flew Manila to London and Manila to San Francisco. Pan Am used DC-6Bs to start transatlantic tourist-class flights in 1952. These were

215-559: A fuselage lengthened by 13 feet (4.0 meters) and the second the L-749 stretched 18 feet (5.5 meters). Douglas launched a stretched version of its DC-6 airliner as a cargo transport, designated DC-6A, for both military and civilian operators. Douglas was soon to launch a passenger version (the DC-6B) of this new aircraft. The DC-6B could carry 23 more passengers than Lockheed's current production L-749 Constellation. In 1950, Lockheed had repurchased

258-442: A major component of aircraft fuel systems . They can be classified into internal or external fuel tanks and can be further classified by method of construction or intended use. Safety aspects of aircraft fuel tanks were examined during the investigation of the 1996 TWA Flight 800 in-flight explosion accident. Integral tanks are areas inside the aircraft structure that have been sealed to allow fuel storage. An example of this type

301-420: A section of aircraft structure designed to accommodate fuel. The bladder is rolled up and installed into the compartment through the fuel filler neck or access panel, and is secured by means of snap fasteners or cord and loops inside the compartment. Many high-performance light aircraft, helicopters and some smaller turboprop aircraft use bladder tanks. Many aircraft designs feature fixed tip tanks mounted at

344-403: Is possible to reduce the chance of fuel tank explosions by a fuel tank inerting system or fire fighting foam in the tanks. The Boeing 737, for example, has two systems that reduce the chance of a fuel tank ignition. One shuts off fuel pumps when fuel output pressure is low, to prevent them from heating (since they rely on the fuel itself for cooling). The other enriches the nitrogen levels in

387-426: Is the " wet wing ", commonly used in larger aircraft. Since these tanks are part of the aircraft structure, they cannot be removed for service or inspection. Inspection panels must be provided to allow internal inspection, repair, and overall servicing of the tank. Most large transport aircraft use this system to store fuel in the wings, fuselage and empennage of the aircraft. Rigid removable tanks are installed in

430-716: The Sécurité Civile . They were registered F-ZBAC, F-ZBAD, F-ZBAE, F-ZBAP, and F-ZBBU. Today, most DC-6s are inactive, stored, or preserved in museums. Several DC-6s fly in northern bush operations in Alaska, while several are based in Europe, and a few are still in operation for small carriers in South America. Many airlines and air forces from several countries included the DC-6 in their fleets at some point in time; these are further detailed in

473-772: The XC-69 Constellation prototype from the Hughes Tool Company . The XC-69 was equipped with four Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines instead of the Wright R-3350s used on production models. Lockheed had installed R-2800s on the prototype to test them as an option for the L-049. Lockheed stretched XC-69 by 18 ft (5.5 m), to become the basis for the L-1049 Super Constellation. The aircraft first flew later in 1950, still fitted with R-2800 engines. It

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516-565: The list of Douglas DC-6 operators . In the 1980s, several DC-6Bs were used as fire retardant tankers by Conair Aerial Firefighting of Abbotsford, Canada. Douglas sold the last aircraft to Everts Air Cargo in Fairbanks, AK, in the late 2000s. As of 2014 , 147 DC-6s survived, of which 47 were airworthy; several were preserved in museums. Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Aircraft fuel tanks#Tip tanks Aircraft fuel tanks are

559-607: The 1960s two DC-6s were used as transmitter platforms for educational television, based at Purdue University , in a program called the Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction . Many older DC-6s were replaced in airline passenger service from the mid-1950s by the Douglas DC-7 , but the simpler, more economical engines in the DC-6 have meant the type has outlived the DC-7, particularly for cargo operations. DC-6/7s surviving into

602-517: The Atlantic. Seaboard & Western Airlines used L-1049Ds on transatlantic cargo flights to Germany and Switzerland. From the summer of 1955 to the spring of 1956, the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) leased three Seaboard L-1049Ds for passenger flights. Northwest Orient Airlines L-1049Gs flew Seattle, Washington to Tokyo , Okinawa and Manila in 1955–57. The scheduled freight airline, Flying Tiger Line , used

645-664: The C-118. The United States Army Air Forces commissioned the DC-6 project as the XC-112 in 1944. The Army Air Forces wanted a lengthened, pressurized version of the DC-4-based C-54 Skymaster transport with more powerful engines. By the time the prototype XC-112A flew on 15 February 1946, the war was over, the USAAF had rescinded its requirement, and the aircraft was converted to YC-112A , being sold in 1955. Douglas Aircraft modified

688-479: The Constellation. Data from Lockheed Constellation:From Excalibur to Starliner . General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Douglas DC-6 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as

731-614: The DC-6 during the Korean War and ordered 167 C-118/R6D aircraft, some of which later found their way to civil airlines. Harry Truman 's first presidential aircraft was an Air Force short-fuselage DC-6 which was designated VC-118 , and named The Independence . It is preserved in the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, Ohio . Total production of the DC-6 series was 704, including military versions. In

774-686: The DC-6: the basic DC-6, and the longer-fuselage (60 in (150 cm)) higher-gross-weight, longer-range versions—the DC-6A with cargo doors forward and aft of the wing on the left side, with a cargo floor; the DC-6B for passenger work, with passenger doors only and a lighter floor; and the DC-6C convertible, with the two cargo doors and removable passenger seats. The DC-6B, originally powered by Double Wasp engines with Hamilton Standard 43E60 constant-speed reversing propellers,

817-554: The L-1049C and L-1049G. TWA 1049s began flying in 1952; TWA L-1049Gs flew transatlantic starting in 1955. In 1956, a TWA L-1049 collided with a United Airlines DC-7 over the Grand Canyon , leading to the deaths of all on both aircraft. KLM introduced the L-1049C on the Amsterdam to New York run in 1953. It also used L-1049Gs to Tokyo and Sydney . Air France used its L-1049Cs across

860-552: The L-1049C, which first flew on February 17 of that year. The R-3350-972-TC18DA-1 turbo-compound engines on the L-1049C had a new turbine system, the Power Recovery Turbines (PRT). Each engine's exhaust gas flowed through three turbines, increasing power by 550 hp (410 kW). One drawback of the PRT was the visible flame from the exhaust pipes; this was resolved by placing armor plating 2 in (5.1 cm) thick under

903-660: The L-1049D, first flew in August 1954. It had two cargo doors on the left side and a reinforced magnesium floor as used on the R7V-1 military variant of the L-1049B. The L-1049D could carry a 36,916 lb (16,745 kg) payload and had a volume of 5,579 cu ft (158.0 m). At the time of its first flight, the L-1049D was the largest civil cargo aircraft. In the end four were produced, all delivered to Seaboard & Western Airlines . Two of

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946-869: The L-1049H on North American routes and service for the Military Air Transport Service . A Flying Tigers L-1049H was the last Constellation built, in 1959. The first airline in Latin America with Super Constellations (L-1049E and L-1049G) was Cubana de Aviación , flying them from Havana to Madrid, New York City and Mexico City. Other Latin American Super Constellations were on Línea Aeropostal Venezolana , Avianca , Real Transportes Aéreos , and Varig . Iberia 1049Gs continued to fly Madrid-Santa Maria-Havana weekly until 1966. Most Super Constellations were retired by their original operators after

989-884: The L-1049J was based on the L-1049H with the wings of the R7V-2 Constellation and an extra fuselage-mounted fuel tank. The first production L-1049 flew on July 14, 1951, and received certification in November 1951. The Turbo-compound versions of the R-3350 engine were not yet available for civil use, so the engines were 2,700–2,800 hp (2,000–2,100 kW) instead of the Turbo-compound's 3,250–3,400 hp (2,420–2,540 kW). The aircraft entered service with Eastern Air Lines in December 1951 flying Miami to New York. Eastern later operated

1032-685: The advent of the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 ; the last passenger L1049 flight in the US was an Eastern shuttle EWR-DCA in February 1968. The last commercial flight of the L-1049 Super Constellation was in 1993, when the Federal Aviation Administration banned all airlines from the Dominican Republic that flew Constellations to the United States (due to safety concerns). The Dominican airlines were

1075-434: The air in the fuel tank, so there is insufficient oxygen there for burning. The aircraft engines are also capable of getting fuel via suction in the result of a failure in the backup pumps, though this produces less reliable thrust. On passenger planes, fuel tanks are often integrated into the wings, and when there are also tanks inside the body of the aircraft, the wing tanks are used preferentially. The placement reduces

1118-462: The cause of the accident or worsening it (fuel tank explosion ). The official explanation for the explosion and subsequent crash of TWA Flight 800 is that an explosive fuel/air mixture was created in one of the aircraft's fuel tanks. Faulty wiring then provided an ignition source within the tank, destroying the airliner. While the accuracy of the official findings is still questioned in this case, similar explosions have occurred in other aircraft. It

1161-456: The design into a civil transport 80 in (200 cm) longer than the DC-4. The civil DC-6 first flew on 29 June 1946, being retained by Douglas for testing. The first airline deliveries were to American Airlines and United Airlines on 24 November 1946. A series of inflight fires (including the fatal crash of United Airlines Flight 608 ) grounded the DC-6 fleet in 1947. The cause was found to be

1204-712: The end of each wing . The weight of the tanks and fuel counteract wing bending loads during manoeuvres and reduce fatigue on the spar structure. Conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) or "fast packs" are additional fuel tanks fitted closely to the profile of an aircraft which extend either the range or endurance of the aircraft, with a reduced aerodynamic penalty compared to external drop tanks. Drop tanks, external tanks, wing tanks, pylon tanks or belly tanks are all terms used to describe auxiliary externally mounted fuel tanks. Drop tanks are generally expendable and often jettisonable. External tanks are commonplace on modern military aircraft and occasionally found in civilian ones, although

1247-505: The first DC-6Bs that could gross 107,000 lb (49,000 kg), with CB-17 engines rated at 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) on 108/135 octane fuel. Several European airlines followed with transatlantic services. The DC-6B and C subtypes could often fly nonstop from the eastern US to Europe but needed to refuel in Goose Bay, Labrador, or Gander, Newfoundland, when flying westbound into prevailing westerly winds. Douglas designed four variants of

1290-460: The four L-1049D aircraft were later converted to L-1049H standards. The L-1049E was more successful; 28 were delivered to eight airlines. Similar to the L-1049C, the L-1049E was able to carry the same load as the L-1049D. The L-1049C and L-1049E could not usually fly Europe to New York nonstop against the wind. Lockheed thought of fitting a new variant based on the L-1049E with more powerful engines, but

1333-628: The jet age were replaced in frontline intercontinental passenger service by the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 . Basic prices of a new DC-6 in 1946–47 were around £210,000–£230,000 and had risen to £310,000 by 1951. By 1960, used prices were around £175,000 per aircraft. Prices for the DC-6A in 1957–58 were £460,000–£480,000. By 1960, used prices were around £296,000. Equivalent prices for the DC-6B in 1958 were around £500,000. Used prices in 1960 were around £227,000. From 1977 to 1990, five yellow-painted Douglas DC-6Bs were used as water bombers in France by

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation - Misplaced Pages Continue

1376-550: The last operators of any version of the Constellation. Numerous military versions were operated by the United States Navy and United States Air Force as transports and AWACS platforms . The WV-1 Navy version was used during the Cold War with picket ships on the DEW (Distant Early Warning) lines, one east and one west. These lines were to give early warning of an attack by the USSR. The east line

1419-469: The latter are less likely to be discarded except in the event of emergency. Drop tanks were originally designed to be jettisoned when empty or in the event of combat or emergency in order to reduce drag and weight, increasing manoeuvrability and range. Modern external tanks may be retained in combat, to be dropped in an emergency and are often not designed for the stresses of supersonic flight. Fuel tanks have been implicated in aviation disasters , being

1462-619: The nose, which changed the nosecone shape. New Hamilton Standard or Curtiss Electric propellers were offered. This new version of the L-1049 with over 100 modifications from the L-1049C was unveiled as the L-1049G (the L-1049F being already used for the military C-121C). Over 100 L-1049G aircraft were ordered by sixteen airlines. The L-1049G flew on December 17, 1954, and entered service with TWA and Northwest in 1955. The nickname "Super G" (first used by TWA)

1505-529: The option of decorating the walls of the aircraft. When not in use, the luggage lockers and seats could be stowed in the lower hold. The aircraft entered service with Qantas a month later. Some L-1049G and H aircraft in later production were fitted with the TC-18EA series engines used on the L-1649 Starliner . A final variant was planned in 1957, known as the L-1049J. Powered by four R-3350-988-TC-18EA-6 engines,

1548-435: The project was cancelled. A different variant surfaced: using the L-1049C as a base, R-3350-972-TC18DA-3 turbo-compound engines were fitted. The aircraft could carry 71 to 95 passengers at a speed of 331 mph (533 km/h). Wingtip tanks of 1,037 US gal (3,930 L) total capacity were incorporated, increasing range by 1,110 miles (1,790 km). A new Bendix or RCA weather radar could be installed in

1591-901: The stack. The L-1049C had a higher cruising speed and climb rate. Although lacking the range of the DC-6B, the L-1049C had identical performance to the Douglas and could carry a larger payload. The wings of the new model were strengthened, cabin soundproofing was increased, and the landing gear retraction system was improved. A new series of interior layouts was offered for the new model; "Siesta" (47 passengers with increased luxury), "Intercontinental" (54 - 60 passengers) and "Inter-urban" (105 passengers). Each of these new layouts included reading lights at each seat. Forty-eight L-1049Cs were built, being used by Eastern, TWA, Air France , KLM , Trans-Canada Air Lines , Qantas , Air India , Pakistan International Airlines , Avianca , Iberia , Línea Aeropostal Venezolana and Cubana de Aviación . A freighter version,

1634-608: The stress on the wings during takeoff and flight, by putting the heavy fuel directly inside the source of lift. Putting tanks in the main wings rather than near the tail or nose also reduces the amount of weight that is off-center from the plane's center of gravity, and which changes as it flies and which would make the aircraft less efficient by requiring increased use of elevators . Given their irregular shape and lack of windows, wings are often unusable for storage of cargo or seating of passengers. But their hollow structure makes in-wing fuel storage feasible and an efficient use of space;

1677-709: Was from Halifax, NS to the Canary Islands and back. The west line was from Hawaii to Midway Island then up to the Aleutians and back. The flights would last up to 14 hours or more. These aircraft served in the Vietnam War in several roles, including transmitting television programs from the United States for the troops on the ground, and observing the Ho Chi Minh Trail . One of them was shot down by North Korean aircraft in 1969. The last model of Super Constellation produced

1720-422: Was later adopted for the L-1049G. The L-1049H flew on November 20, 1956. Called "Super H" and "Husky", the L-1049H was a convertible passenger/freight aircraft, mating a C-121C-based fuselage with L-1049G components. The cargo hold had a volume of 565 cu ft (16.0 m) when including the lower hold. The aircraft could carry up to 120 people with seats, luggage lockers and toilets all available along with

1763-641: Was regarded as the ultimate piston-engine airliner from the standpoint of ruggedness, reliability, economical operation, and handling qualities. Similar to the DC-6A, the military version was the USAF C-118 Liftmaster; the USN R6D version used the more powerful R-2800-CB-17 engines. These were later used on the commercial DC-6B to allow international flights. The R6D Navy version (in the late 1950s and early 1960s) had Curtiss Electric constant-speed reversing propellers. The USAF and USN renewed their interest in

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation - Misplaced Pages Continue

1806-490: Was the Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star , developed for the United States military. Many of these aircraft survive today. The Indian Air Force and Indian Navy used former Air India L-1049C, E and G versions converted by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for use as Sea Air and Rescue aircraft. They were retired between 1981 and 1983 and replaced by Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft. India was the last military operator of

1849-640: Was then fitted with R-3350 956-C18CA-1 engines with jet stacks for slightly increased thrust. Later modifications included strengthened landing gear and larger vertical stabilizers. Eastern Air Lines ordered 10 aircraft, while Trans World Airlines (TWA) followed with an order for 14. The L-1049 had some 550 improvements and modifications compared to the L-749, including greater fuel capacity, rectangular windows, larger cockpit windshields and improved heating and pressurization. In 1953, R-3350 Turbo-compounds were made available for civil use. Lockheed incorporated them into

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