Lockheed C-121J Constellation

Lockheed Corporation · United States · first flew 1954 · transport aircraft

The C-121J was a US Navy staff and VIP transport variant of the Super Constellation, used to move senior naval officers and government officials across intercontinental distances in comfort.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Four Wright R-3350 radials on elegant dolphin fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Triple-fin Constellation tail family
US Navy VIP and staff transport variant
Four Wright R-3350 radials on elegant dolphin fuselage

Shares the signature Constellation features: distinctive triple vertical tail, dolphin-curved fuselage, and four large radials in annular cowlings; the C-121J lacks the radomes of its Warning Star cousins.

Specifications

The Lockheed C-121J Constellation has a length of 35.4 m (116 ft).
It has a wingspan of 37.6 m (123 ft).
Its maximum speed is 547 km/h (340 mph).
Typical crew: 5.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Derived from the commercial Model 1049 Super Constellation, the C-121J entered Navy service in the mid-1950s. Several were configured as executive transports with compartmentalised interiors, while others served as naval staff aircraft during the Cold War period.

Variants

The C-121 family encompassed numerous Air Force and Navy variants including the C-121A/C/G (USAF) and WV/VC-121 (USN); the C-121J designation covered Navy Super Constellation transports distinct from the AEW Warning Stars.

Where you'll see it

Served the US Navy into the 1970s; several Constellations of various marks survive in museums and private hands, mostly in the United States.

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