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Unusual visitor to Jever - USAF Lockheed C-121 Constellation. Anyone able to fix the date or recognise any faces?   (Thanks to Katherine Dover.)
Lockheed C-69, L-649 and L-749 Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was the classic early postwar, airliner with a distinctive triple fin tail and a humped back. It began its life as a response to a TWA civil transport requirement in 1939.
However World War II intervened and the project was sequestered by the USAAF - 22 military examples were produced before the end of hostilities. At this point military interest in the Constellation was withdrawn and remaining work in progress was converted to airliner standard as the L-049 for airlines such as TWA and BOAC.
Lockheed then turned its efforts to producing the L-649 airliner, which included more powerful engines, increased weights and onboard systems for commercial use. The Lockheed L-749 , with structural improvements and consequently greater maximum weights, became the definitive version - there was also a military transport derivative, designated the C-121. A total of 233 examples of all versions were built, mostly for major airlines; however the Constellation was gradually superseded by the greater weight L-1049 Super Constellation.
Specifications apply to the L-749: Crew: 4, Powerplant: four 18,864 Kw (2,500 hp) Wright R-3350-C18-Ba1 Cyclone radial piston engines, Performance: cruising speed 480 km/h (298 mph), range 4,185 km (2,600 miles); Dimensions: wingspan: 37.49m (123 ft), length: 29.67m (97ft 4in), height: 7.21m (23ft 8in); Weight: 48,535 kg (107,000 lb) maximum take-off weight, Payload: up to 81 passengers.
(By kind permission of The Encyclopedia of Aircraft.)
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