 |
Military Aircraft
Lockheed C-69 CONSTELLATION Coll B. Thouanel |
| In 1938 Lockheed planned a 21 passenger airliner as the Model 44 Excalibur, and in 1939 this was enlarged to 44 passenger size to meet Pan American Airways requirement. Interest by Transcontinental and Western Air in a long range type led to the revised Model 49 Excalibur A, soon renamed constellation Some 84 airliners were ordered before construction began, but then the Second World War intervened and the US Army Air Force took over the program. The USAAF model was the C-69, and orders for this logistic transport totaled 313. The first aircraft flew in January 1943 with four 2,200-hp R3350-35 radials. Only 15 aircraft had been delivered to the USAAF by the end of the war, when outstanding orders were canceled. Seven nearly complete aircraft were finished as civil airliners. |
TECHNICAL DATA
| Description | Specifications |
| Manufacturer: Lockheed | Length: 95 ft. 2 in. |
| First Flight: January 1943. | Height: 23 ft. 8 in. |
| Model: | Wing Span: 123 ft. 0 in. |
| Crew: Four / five. | Wing Area: 1,650.0 sq. ft. |
| Nickname: Constellation | Empty Weight: 55,345 lb. |
| Basic Role: Long range transport. | Max. Weight: 86,250 lb. |
| Other
Versions: C-69 basic transport. C-69A projected troop transport.
C-69B proposed long range transport.
C-69C the c-69 converted as a VIP transport. C-60D projected 57 passengers development of a C-69C with thermal anti icing in place of de-icing boots. XC-69E a C-69 conversion with thermal anti icing as an engine test bed. |
Payload: 60 passengers or 18,400 lb. of freight. |
| Principal User: USA. |
Propulsion |
|
Performance |
Power Plant: Wright R3350-35 radial piston engine. |
| Range: 2,290 miles with maximum load. | Horsepower: 2,200-hp |
| Max. Speed: 329 mph. | No. Of Engines: Four |
| Ceiling: 25, 500 ft. | |
| Climb Rate: 1,620 ft. per minute. |