[Note: My interest in the Constellation was solidified, several years ago, when I had a chance to visit the TWA L-1049 (N6937C) at the Airline History Museum, in Kansas City, Missouri. So, here, we go with the story of the birth of the Constellation, affectionately nicknamed "Connie",...(take your time to read the text, below,...🙂...or jump to the screenshots - in 2 sets)...]

On the AHM Museum's Website, you can look up the beautiful images of the (above cited) Constellation, pristinely restored and sheltered indoors. In 1986, this plane was literally pulled away from the jaws of the scrapping machines, from the Plane Graveyard of Falcon Field, in Mesa, Arizona. A dedicated group of Connie aficionados (and former TWA personnel), rescued it from imminent doom, and flew it out into the Kansas City’s Downtown Airport (MKC). The crew members say that they became convinced that the aircraft has a soul, because, in their words, “The further she got away from the junkyard, the better she flew!”. One Saturday morning, I'd shown up at the door of the museum, just before the time of opening, to find another gentleman already waiting to get in, who turned out to be a former TWA Connie Crew Member and a volunteer tour guide for the museum. I, being the only (early) visitor, the gentleman told me, "You have me, today, as your exclusive Guide to this Super Connie, so, let's get on board...!". We walked past those massive (18-cylinder) Wright Radial Cyclones (when one stands up close and peers up at those props, one gets to feel how large they are...), and then we took the stairs up (see images on the AHM website). I noticed, close around the plane, on the floor, there were dining tables neatly set-up with gleaming white linen and sparkling silverware on them...I was told, for a wedding reception that evening, that had contracted the space from the Museum. I thought to myself...this (fairy tale) Connie, at the end of its (discarded) life, was able to escape from the hot and lonely desert graveyard of Western U.S. to start a new life, here, lovingly cared for, in an Air Conditioned building, while having the honor, today, of hosting a newly married couple also about to start their new life...!

During my visit, I made a few mental notes, and, later, sent it to the Editor of the Airways Magazine. The Editorial staff, too, felt moved by the story of (N6937C) Connie, and printed the text (after politely asking me for permission to edit...🙂...sure why not, I told them...) in the Letters to the Editor Section of the Magazine.

Lockheed's masterpiece propliner, the Constellation, would be eventually subdued and eliminated, in the late 60s, by the advent of Jet Age, by the likes of de Havilland’s new Comet jet and, of course, the ubiquitous Boeing 707, but, it left an indelible impression, with those who flew it (or were associated with it). I was fortunate to speak with one such individual during my tour of the iconic plane. I could see that the (volunteer) gentleman's passion for the plane and what he was saying about it, was borne out of pure affection for the aircraft, and not by anything else. I still recall his (detailed) explanations about the Plexiglas astrodome in the roof of the forward fuselage for the Engineer/Navigator to make star sightings on those lengthy transcontinental/transoceanic flights, narrated by someone, who had actually used it (it's quite different from reading up about it on the internet).

It was Howard Hughes, the (eccentric, mysterious, inventive...) aviation entrepreneur and business magnate, who was not only behind the origin of the Constellation, but also was the one to blaze the trails for this aircraft in his record breaking transatlantic and transcontinental flights. The plane was built with all-metal wings utilizing the same aerofoil section as Lockheed’s tremendously successful P-38 Lightning twin-engined fighter (see a recent post/image of the Lightning, by another member, here). Howard Hughes zealously kept the development of Connie, a secret, exclusively meant for TWA, to pull ahead of another legendary aviation pioneer of the era, Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American. As the key financier, not only did Howard Hughes demand total secrecy, but also specified that Lockheed could not sell the aircraft to any other transcontinental airline until TWA had received 35 of them...(but, the events of WWII had other plans and would force Lockheed to reveal the secret)....! The first production L-049 was delivered to TWA on November 14, 1945. Just two months later, Pan Am received its first L-049 on January 5, 1946. TWA conducted the first ever commercial flight of the L-049 on February 5, 1946, with "Star of Paris" flying from New York City to Paris. In 1946, one of Pan American’s Constellations flew from New York to Lisbon, Portugal, in 9 hours and 58 minutes. It covered the 3,425 miles at an average speed of no less than 344mph – a major achievement for the day. BOAC, Air France, KLM...not to be left far behind, followed suit. For the first time, in history, the Lockheed Connie had shrunk the massive oceanic distances of the Atlantic, which, we, now, refer to as merely "The Pond"...!

In our SIMs, if you admire the Connie, there are excellent freeware versions by Manfred Jahn, and then, there are also the JF and A2A versions, with varying degrees of complexity of system simulation. To experience the magic of this nostalgic aircraft, any will do...I'm flying here the JF/AH version, that I have not flown in years. The flight, here, mimics Howard Hughes' record-breaking transcontinental speed record from Burbank, California, to Washington, D.C., in April 1944, in a C-69 (the military WWII version of Constellation) and the precursor to the civilian L-049. That Connie averaged 331 mph, flying nonstop in six hours, 57 minutes, and 51 seconds on this flight.

TWA was the largest civilian operator of the Lockheed Constellation in the world and flew a total of 146 on a worldwide network. The (TWA) livery I've used, here, is (NC90831) "Star of Switzerland". It's currently on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum (Tucson, Arizona) in the same "Star of Switzerland" livery. It's the only surviving C-69. For route, here, the SimBrief (auto-generated) (~2000 nm) flightplan tracks eastward (see MAP) over the (nearby) San Gabriel Mountains and then overflies the heart of the Colorado Rockies (I've included a couple of screenshots of the Rockies).

Other Notes and curiosities:

1. The Engine starting sequence for the Constellation was 3-4-2-1 (i.e. the 3rd Engine first). The ground crew seen, standing in front of the aircraft, has hand raised, with three fingers, to indicate “Start 3”. Can you spot this ground-crew-member in the (interior) VC shot, below...?
2. This (TWA) version had the "Speed Pack" slung under the belly, for additional luggage and freight. The Speed Pack had even its own mini undercarriage wheels (4) to make ground handling easier (see close-up shot in Set 2).
3. The Fowler flaps (see screenshots) created a massive increase in wing area when deployed (for easier lift-off and touch-down) and, therefore, for increased stability, also required the installation of a third, central fin which was to give the Constellation its hallmark tail.
4. Also, the engines were equipped with the characteristic Cowl Flaps (small doors on the engines), % configurable in the SIM, used for extra cylinder cooling, during takeoff and climb (seen close-up shots of the engines).
5. The Constellation, was an extremely advanced machine for its era, and boasted many technological innovations, including (electrical) de-icing boots fitted to all leading edges of the flying surfaces and controlled from the cockpit. It also had hydraulic assisted controls, reversible pitch propellers and pressurization, plus other unheard-of refinements, such as air conditioning, reclining seats, and extra lavatories...(those were the days)...It was a (pioneer) plane ahead of its time.
6. One particular L-049 aircraft was used as President Eisenhower’s personal transport. President Eisenhower was a big fan of the Connie, and his personal presidential plane, the only VC-121E built, was the first to bear the now-commonly-recognized moniker “Air Force One”.
7. The (most) rudimentary Sperry autopilot (Sperry would later become part of Honeywell), is set in the center at the top of the windscreen (see screenshot). This functions on a simple level with a basic heading and altitude setting. It is switched on by pushing the On/Off switch at the gauge or by using the big autopilot locking lever on the center console (see cockpit screenshots). This SIM version has an Approach Mode switch on the pedestal. Also, I've included a close-up shot of (primary) instrument gauges (in Set 2), during glidepath, including the ILS "captured" (nice) CDI gauge and the (yellow) Middle Marker Light).
8. in one of the landing screenshots (in Set 2), look for the U.S. Capitol building, just in front of the front gears in the image....(and also sightings of the famous Potomac River on approach to KDCA Runway 01).

Hope you enjoy this account or/and the images (Set 2 in a separate post) of this iconic aircraft,...from your truly (fantasy) Connie pilot...🙂...Comments and feedback are always welcome...!

Good rest of the weekend and Happy flying...!!

[JF/AH(L-049), MSE(CO), Drzewiecki Design(KDCA)]

Edited October 31, 20205 yr by P_7878

Gotta love the old TWA livery and the flight attendant (make that stewardess) uniform is so classic!

Great to see the variations between the two payware Connies: I have the A2A and it doesn't have the speed pack and the cockpit is modelled differently too.

Doering:

Thank you...!

Yes, those uniforms were a class. I recall I'd got to visit the TWA Museum, at K.C. (MO), during that trip of mine...They have, on display, many of those "period" uniforms from TWA...quite interesting...

 

Mark:

Appreciated the comments.

I have not flown either Connie in years...and I could not retrieve my A2A for this post, today, but, was glad to be able to make use of this JF/AH one...

(The A2A L049 and A2A B377 etc. are wonderful simulations, in their own rights..)

Edited November 1, 20205 yr by P_7878

Very interesting story and impressive screenies, P_7878