Airplanes 1940-1949

  1944 Constellation by Lockheed

Origin: In 1944 the first production model of the Lockheed Constellation, " Connie" debuted. Lockheed had been working on a four-engined pressurized airline since 1937; however in 1944 it finally became a reality. According to Anthony Sampson in Empires of the Sky, Lockheed may have undertaken the complicated design, but Hughes Company may have drove the concept, shape, capabilities, and appearance of the Constellation during the design process.

Purpose: This aircraft was made upon the request of major stock holder, Howard Hughes, who wanted a 40-passenger transcontinental airline with a 3,500 mi range. The Constellation was used as a civilian air transport and seeing service Berlin Airlift. It was also used as the presidential aircraft for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Value: This aircraft was significant for its time because it was capable of flying 57 passengers non-stop coast-to-coast above the weather in eight and a half hours. It was the first plane to do such things, with more than just 20 passengers. It served as the presidential aircraft, showing other people that it was safe and useful. It was also so large, that it was used for transferring resources during the war and later on in the Berlin Airlift.

Limitations: Over time, the Constellation’s piston engines started to die out and could not do over-see flights. After another couple years, the piston engines were so bad that they could barely do domestic flights. After many crashes and investigations, the Lockheed Constellation was retired in 1978.


Sources:
1. http://www.twaflightattendants.com/liftoffhtml/vintageplanes.html
2. http://jack-frye.blogspot.com/2013/05/historic-constellation-flight-april-17.html