Lockheed L-1649 Starliner

L-1649 Starliner
A Trans World Airlines L-1649A Starliner in flight. This aircraft (N7301C) was written off after it crashed in Bogotá, on December 18, 1966, while in service with Aerocondor Colombia. A similar aircraft also crashed
Role	Airliner Type of aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed
Designer	Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
First flight	October 10, 1956
Introduction	June 1, 1957
Retired	Early 1980s
Status	Retired
Primary users	Trans World Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France
Produced	1956–1958
Number built	44 (Including prototype)
Developed from	L-1049 Super Constellation

The Lockheed L-1649 Starliner is the last model of the Lockheed Constellation line of airliners. Powered by four Wright R-3350 TurboCompound engines, it was built at Lockheed's Burbank, California plant from 1956 to 1958.

Contents

• Design and development
• Operational history
• Variants
• Accidents and Incidents
• Surviving aircraft
• Specifications (L-1649A)
• See also
• References
• External links

Design and development

Development of the Starliner began when Lockheed designed the L-1449 in response to the Douglas DC-7C Seven Seas. ^[1] Powered by four 5500 hp Pratt & Whitney PT2G-3 turboprop engines, the L-1449 would have cruised faster than the DC-7C with comparable range with 10,200 US gal (8,493 imp gal; 38,611 L) of fuel in a new 150 ft (46 m) wing. Pratt & Whitney dropped the PT2 project in March 1955 due to expected unreliability, high specific fuel consumption and high operating costs,^{[ citation needed ]} though the T34 military version of the engine powered the Douglas C-133 freighter, which was also plagued with unreliability.

The L-1449 would have been about 55 in (140 cm) longer than the L-1049 series with a maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) of 175,000 lb (79,000 kg). ^[2] The L-1549 replaced the 1449 in early 1955, with an additional 40 in (100 cm) stretch and MGTOW of 187,500 lb (85,000 kg), presumably still with the PT2 turboprops. ^[3]

Lockheed told Trans World Airlines (TWA) on 30 September 1954 the L-1449 would use the same fuselage as the 1049 series; ^[4] Hughes Tool Company ordered 25 in December, though TWA estimated the L-1449 would lose money, even with every seat occupied. When P&W dropped their engine, Lockheed proposed an L-1549 with Allison turboprops, but TWA and Lockheed agreed on the piston-engine L-1649 instead, and so amended the L-1449 contract. In April 1955 Lockheed told TWA that they wanted to drop the 1649, but Hughes refused to agree.

Though the L-1449 and L-1549 were never built, all Constellations from 1954 onwards were strengthened to take the thrust generated by the T34/PT-2 turboprops, which were fitted to several R7V-2 Constellations for the United States Navy (USN).

With the abandonment of the L-1549, Lockheed designed a less ambitious upgrade of the Constellation series as the L-1649A Starliner. The new design used the L-1049G fuselage, the new 150 ft (46 m) wing and four Wright R-3350 988 TC18-EA-2 turbocompound radial engines, allowing the Starliner to fly nonstop from California to Europe. Lockheed said the new L-1649A would deliver 58 passengers over a range of 6,500 mi (10,500 km) at 350 mph (560 km/h), or from Paris to New York City three hours faster than the DC-7C. ^[5] In January 1958 Pan American scheduled the DC-7C from Orly to Idlewild in 14 hr 15 min; TWA scheduled the 1649 in 14 hr 50 min.^{[ citation needed ]}

Operational history

The L-1649A prototype first flew on October 11, 1956. (The prototype [N1649] was the property of Lockheed until the early 1970s when it was sold in Japan.) Airline service began on June 1, 1957 on a Trans World Airlines (TWA) flight from New York to London and Frankfurt. In September 1957, a Starliner made the first nonstop flight from Los Angeles to London; this was captained by TWA’s chief pilot, Bob Buck, who wrote an extensive magazine article describing the experience. ^[6]

TWA called their L-1649s "Jetstreams" and flew them on longer domestic routes and on flights from New York to Europe and beyond. In July 1958 TWA scheduled 60 flights a week from Europe to New York; 30 were L-1649s, including seven nonstops a week from Paris, five from London, four from Frankfurt, two each from Madrid, Lisbon and Geneva, one from Zurich and one from Rome. Three 1649s a week flew the polar route Europe to California, sometimes nonstop. ^[7]

Boeing 707s replaced the last TWA transatlantic passenger L-1649 in October 1961; 707s and Convair 880s displaced them from domestic scheduled flights in December 1962. In the early 1960s Lockheed converted twelve TWA L1649s to freighters that carried cargo across the Atlantic until 1964 and domestically until 1967.

Air France bought ten Starliners; they were the only airline to market the aircraft by its name (being called the "Super Starliner"). ^[8] Transatlantic flights lasted from August 1957 until September 1960 when the Boeing 707 took over. Starting in April 1958 Air France L-1649s flew from Paris to Anchorage to Tokyo, but they were not allowed to fly to the west coast of the United States. In summer 1959 they scheduled 22 nonstop L-1649s a week from Orly to Idlewild, four of which continued to Mexico City; two weekly L-1649s flew from Orly to Montreal to Chicago Midway and back. The twice-weekly ORY-ANC-TYO flight was scheduled for 30 hr 45 min, compared to 42 hr 20 min for the fastest 1049G via India (and 32 hr 00 min for BOAC's Comet from London to Tokyo via India).

Lufthansa was the last airline to purchase the Starliner new; their four Starliners were marketed as "Super Stars" and flew transatlantic routes. Lufthansa's Starliners were delivered nonstop to Hamburg from the Lockheed factory at Burbank. In summer 1959 Lufthansa scheduled nonstops to New York from Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Orly. Lockheed converted two of Lufthansa's Starliners to freighters after the Boeing 707 had replaced them on the transatlantic passenger flights in 1960.

Linee Aeree Italiane (LAI) ordered four Starliners, but did not take them up following the merger with Alitalia in October 1957. Alitalia had accepted the DC-7C and had no interest in the Starliners; they were delivered to TWA in 1958. Varig ordered two Starliners, but the order was switched to two L-1049Gs.

The DC-7C ended up selling more airframes than the Starliner, which had greater range than its rival but was expensive ($3,000,000 USD) and entered service a year later. In the end, only 44 Starliners were built (including the prototype) compared to 121 DC-7Cs.

Alaska Airlines used two Starliners for MATS operations in the 1960s. Other operators used Starliners for charter flights. A small number of Starliners were used as cargo aircraft in Alaska during the 1970s. By the early 1980s, all Starliners ceased commercial operations.

Four Starliners still exist; after ten years of work Lufthansa abandoned restoring one to flying condition. ^{[9] [10] [11]} Another was sent in 2018 for the TWA Hotel. ^[12]

Variants

L-1649A

Initial production version powered by four Wright R-3350 988 TC18-EA-2 engines. 44 Built. ^[13]

L-1649B

Proposed turboprop version. None built. ^[14]

Accidents and Incidents

• June 26, 1959 – TWA Flight 891, crashed due to a lightning strike after taking off from Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy, with the loss of all 68 passengers and crew. ^[15]
• May 10, 1961 – Air France Flight 406, named "De Grasse" broke up in flight after empennage failure over the Sahara Desert, thought to have been caused by an explosive device, killing all 78 passengers and crew. ^[16]

Surviving aircraft

Four Starliners still exist: ^[17]

• N7316C (c/n 1018) at Auburn-Lewiston Airport in Maine was planned to be restored to flying condition by Lufthansa; first flight of the restored aircraft was planned for sometime in 2017 to 2018, with the extensive restoration having been continuous since 2007. After putting 150 Million Euros into the project, ^[18] Lufthansa announced in March 2018 that it was moving restoration to Germany. Decisions about further restoration where said to be made after it arrived in Germany, but they were no longer planning to provide commercial flights. ^{[19] [20]} In February 2021 the plane was relocated from its storage in Bremen harbour to Paderborn-Lippstadt airport due to shelter availability there. ^[21] By July 2022 the aircraft was on Lufthansa Berlin Foundation's website. ^[22]
• N8083H (c/n 1038), also at Auburn-Lewiston Airport, was being salvaged for parts for N7316C's restoration. The aircraft was restored and painted in 1950s TWA livery, for use as a cocktail lounge at the new TWA Hotel that opened on May 15, 2019 at the former TWA terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport. ^{[23] [24]}
• N974R (c/n 1040) is on display, outside the Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City, Florida. ^[25]
• ZS-DVJ (c/n 1042), currently in Trek Airways colours, is at Rand Airport as part of the static display of the South African Airways Museum Society . ^[26]

Specifications (L-1649A)

Data from Lockheed aircraft since 1913, ^[27] SAA Museum Society - Lockheed L1649 Starliner, ^[28] Lockheed Constellation:From Excalibur to Starliner ^[29]

General characteristics

• Crew: five
• Capacity: 99 passengers
• Length: 116 ft 2 in (35.41 m)
• Wingspan: 150 ft (46 m)
• Height: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
• Wing area: 1,850 sq ft (172 m²)
• Airfoil:root: NACA 0015; tip: NACA 0011 ^[30]
• Empty weight: 91,645 lb (41,569 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 156,104 lb (70,808 kg)
• Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-3350 988 TC18-EA-2 Duplex-Cyclone 18 cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 3,400 hp (2,500 kW) each
• Propellers: 3-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 43H60, 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) diameter constant-speed fully-feathering Duralumin propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed: 377 mph (607 km/h, 328 kn) at 18,600 ft (5,669 m)
• Cruise speed: 290 mph (470 km/h, 250 kn)
• Range: 4,940 mi (7,950 km, 4,290 nmi) with 19,500 lb (8,845 kg) payload

6,180 mi (5,370 nmi; 9,946 km) with 8,000 lb (3,629 kg) payload

• Service ceiling: 23,700 ft (7,200 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,080 ft/min (5.5 m/s)
• Wing loading: 86.5 lb/sq ft (422 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.0847 hp/lb (0.1392 kW/kg)

See also

Related development

• Lockheed Constellation
• Lockheed L-049 Constellation
• Lockheed C-69 Constellation
• Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
• Lockheed C-121 Constellation
• Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Boeing 377
• Douglas DC-6
• Douglas DC-7
• Ilyushin Il-18

Related lists

• List of Lockheed aircraft
• List of Lockheed Constellation variants
• List of Lockheed Constellation operators

Related Research Articles

Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with Ford Trimotors. With American, United, and Eastern, it was one of the "Big Four" domestic airlines in the United States formed by the Spoils Conference of 1930.

The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first civil airliner family to enter widespread use equipped with a pressurized cabin, enabling it to fly well above most bad weather, thus significantly improving the general safety and ease of commercial passenger air travel.

The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was a large long-range airliner developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter military transport, itself a derivative of the B-29 Superfortress. The Stratocruiser's first flight was on July 8, 1947. Its design was advanced for its day; its relatively innovative features included two passenger decks and a pressurized cabin. It could carry up to 100 passengers on the main deck plus 14 in the lower deck lounge; typical seating was for 63 or 84 passengers or 28 berthed and five seated passengers.

The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. A derivative of the DC-6, it was the last major piston engine-powered transport made by Douglas, being developed shortly after the earliest jet airliner—the de Havilland Comet—entered service and only a few years before the jet-powered Douglas DC-8 first flew in 1958. Larger numbers of both DC-7B and DC-7C variants were also built.

Trek Airways was an airline based in South Africa that operated from August 1953 until April 1994.

The Pratt & Whitney T34 was an American axial flow turboprop engine designed and built by Pratt & Whitney. Its only major application was on the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster.

The Lockheed Model 44 Excalibur was a proposed American airliner designed by Lockheed. The Model 44 was the first four-engined design from the company, a low-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. Originally fitted with twin fins, the design ended up with three fins. It was to be powered by four 1,200 hp (890 kW) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial engines. Pan American Airways was close to ordering the Excalibur when Lockheed abandoned the project to devote its resources to developing the Model 49 Constellation that had been ordered by Trans World Airlines.

The Lockheed C-69 Constellation is a four-engined, propeller-driven military transport aircraft developed during World War II. It was co-developed with the Lockheed Constellation airliner.

The Lockheed C-121 Constellation is a military transport version of the Lockheed Constellation. A total of 332 aircraft were constructed for both the United States Air Force and United States Navy for various purposes. Numerous airborne early warning versions were also constructed. The C-121 later saw service with smaller civilian operators until 1993.

The Lockheed L-193 Constellation II was a jet airliner design concept, designed between 1949 and 1953 with a swept wing and engines mounted at the tail. An airliner and tanker version were developed. The latter, in an aerial refueling competition initiated by the United States Air Force (USAF), won and was preferred over the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Since the competing Boeing aircraft was ready to fly first, examples were ordered as an interim measure. They performed well enough that the L-193 was never ordered as a tanker, and airliner plans were dropped soon after.

The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an American aircraft, a member of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. The aircraft was colloquially referred to as the Super Connie.

The Lockheed L-049 Constellation was the first model of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. It entered service as the C-69 military transport aircraft during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces and was the first civilian version after the war. When production ended in 1946 it was replaced by the improved L-649 and L-749 Constellation.

The Lockheed L-649 Constellation was the first real civilian version of the Lockheed Constellation line, as the Lockheed L-049 Constellation was a simple redesign from the military Lockheed C-69 Constellation. The L-649 was planned to be the new standard version of the Constellation, but the L-749 Constellation, a co-jointly produced improved derivative, was chosen over the L-649 by most airlines. Most of the few L-649 aircraft built were delivered and operated by Eastern Air Lines.

The Lockheed L-749 Constellation is the first Lockheed Constellation to regularly cross the Atlantic Ocean non-stop. Although similar in appearance to the L-649 before it, the L-749 had a larger fuel capacity, strengthened landing gear, and eventually weather radar.

The Lockheed L-1249 Super Constellation was a turboprop-powered version of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft family. Built in 1954 and 1955, the aircraft were used as prototypes for possible future military transport aircraft for both the United States Air Force and United States Navy. Both aircraft saw very short lives and the airframes were later used to build L-1049 Super Constellations.

TWA Flight 891 was a Lockheed L-1649A Starliner that crashed not long after taking off from Milan Malpensa Airport on 26 June 1959. All 68 passengers and crew on board were killed.

Air France Flight 406 was a Lockheed L-1649 Starliner that crashed in French Algeria on May 10, 1961, after a bomb exploded on board. All 78 passengers and crew on board were killed. It was the deadliest aviation disaster involving a Lockheed Starliner.

The Vega Model 2 Starliner was a prototype five-seat feeder airliner produced by the Vega Airplane Company, a subsidiary of Lockheed. It was designed to be powered by an unusual powerplant, consisting of two Menasco piston engines coupled together to drive a single propeller. A single example was built, flying in 1939, but no production followed.

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed L-1649 Starliner .

• Lockheed Constellation Survivors  — a site that explains information and whereabouts of surviving Constellations, including Starliners.
• YouTube - Lufthansa L1649 Lockheed Starliner Project Auburn Maine  — news clip about N7316C's restoration from 2009.