Lockheed L-749 Constellation

Lockheed · United States · first flew 1947 · airliner

The Lockheed L-749 Constellation was the first Constellation to cross the Atlantic regularly non-stop. It looked much like the L-649 before it but carried more fuel and had strengthened landing gear.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	29.67 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Three vertical fins on the tail, a triple-tail layout
Four wing-mounted radial piston engines on a low wing
Jet exhaust stacks on the engines, introduced on this version

Triple fins and four wing-mounted radials identify a Constellation; the L-749 also has jet exhaust stacks, which the earlier L-649 lacked.

Specifications

The Lockheed L-749 Constellation has a length of 29.67 m (97 ft).
It has a wingspan of 37.49 m (123 ft).
Its maximum speed is 555 km/h (345 mph).
Typical crew: 6-8.

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

History

Lockheed unveiled the L-749 in early 1947 as a development of the L-649 with extra fuel tanks, adding about 1,000 statute miles of range. It first flew on 14 March 1947 and was certificated the same month. The first aircraft was delivered to Air France on 18 April 1947.

Variants

The improved L-749A from 1949 had a strengthened fuselage and landing gear, a Plycor floor and new Curtiss Electric propellers. Military versions were the C-121 and the Navy PO-1W (later WV-1). An L-749B turboprop version and an L-749A cargo version were studied but never built.

Where you'll see it

Pan American, TWA, KLM, Air France and several other airlines flew the L-749, and it became the standard version of the regular Constellation. It was produced from 1947 to 1951, with 119 built.

Related aircraft

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