Lockheed Constellation variants
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(Redirected from List of models of the Lockheed Constellation)
The Lockheed Constellation was a civil airliner and military transport built in the 1940s and 1950s; this is a list of its variants.
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Commercial transport
Civilian / Company designations
- L-049
- The L-049 was the original commercial airliner produced, although some earlier L-049s were begun as military transports and completed as airliners. L-649 aircraft followed, with more powerful engines, but all were soon upgraded to L-749 standard with long-range fuel tanks. 88 L-049, 14 L-649, and 131 L-749 were built, including conversions from earlier models and military versions. First 22 aircraft delivered as C-69 transports, first flight 9 January 1943
- L-149
- L-049 conversion to include extra wing fuel tanks for a longer range. Production versions were planned for Pan Am, but none were ever produced.
- L-249
- Company designation for the XB-30 bomber. Project cancelled in favor of the Boeing B-29.
- L-349
- Company designation for the C-69B. None built.
- L-449
- Unknown proposed civilian airliner version.
- L-549
- Company designation for the C-69C. One built.
- L-649
- R-3350-749C18BD engines with 2,500 hp (1,865 kW) each, seating for up to 81, first flight 19 October 1946
- L-649A
- Reinforced landing gear and fuselage
- L-749
- 6,145 US gal (23,640 l) of fuel providing the capability for non-stop transatlantic flights, first flight 14 March 1947
- L-749A
- Reinforced landing gear and fuselage
- L-749B
- Turbine powered. Project cancelled due to the absence of a suitable powerplant.
- L-849
- Planned version of the L-749, which would have had Wright R-3350 TurboCompounds.
- L-949
- Speedfreighter combi version of the L-849 with an 18 ft 4in fuselage stretch.
- L-1049
- First production version, 24 built.An 18 ft 4 in (5.59 m) stretched version with a maximum capacity of 109 passengers, square windows; all 1049C and later models had Turbo-Compound engines. Some later models had optional tip tanks. First flight 14 July 1951. 579 built, including military versions.
- L-1049A
- Company designation for the WV-2, WV-3, EC-121D and RC-121D.
- L-1049B
- Company designation for the R7V-1, RC-121C and VC-121E.
- L-1049C
- Civil variant of the 1049B for 110 passengers with four R-3350-87ТС18DA-1 Turbo-compound engines with 3,250 hp (2,425 kW) each, 48 built
- L-1049D
- Freight version of L-1049B with wing and fuselage modifications and a large cargo door, four built
- L-1049E
- Passenger variant of the 1049D, 28 built
- L-1049F
- Company designation for the C-121C.
- L-1049G
- Advanced variant with four R-3350-972ТС18DA-3 engines with higher METO power, ability to carry wingtip fuel tanks, 102 built
- L-1049H
- Passenger/freight convertible version of L-1049G with large cargo door, 53 built
- L-1049J
- Planned L-1049G with the wings of the R7V-2.
- L-1149
- A planned Allison turboprop version of the L-1049G and L-1049H.
- L-1249A
- Company designation for the R7V-2 and YC-121F.
- L-1249B
- Planned turboprop passenger version of the R7V-2/YC-121F.
- L-1349 unidentified. Dominique Breffort's book claims no design with the L-1349 designation ever existed, possibly due to superstitious belief reasons.
- L-1449
- Proposed turboprop version of the L-1049G with a stretched fuselage and new wing.
- L-1549
- Planned stretched version of the L-1449.
- L-1649A Starliner
- Production version, R-3350-988TC18EA-2 Turbo Cyclone engines with 3,400 hp (2,536 kW) each. Long-range passenger aircraft designed to compete with Douglas DC-7C. The standard radome for the weather radar extends total length by 2 ft 7 in (0.78 m) over L-1049 without radome. New thin-section wing with a straight taper, and much larger fuel capacity giving a ferry range of over 6,880 mi (11,080 km), first flight 10 October 1956. 44, including the prototype, were built.
- L-1649B
- Planned turboprop version of the L-1649A.
- L-051
- Original company designation for the XB-30 project.
- L-084
- The XW2V-1 was a planned radar version of the WV-2 with the Starliner's wings for the US Navy. It would have included four Allison T56-A8 engines and missiles for protection against attackers. Considerably different from its predecessors, given the production designation Lockheed L-084.
Military designations
- XB-30
- Bomber version of the C-69. Was given model designation L-051 and later L-249.
- XC-69
- Designation for the prototype Constellation. One built. The C-69 was the original military transport version for the USAAF. All aircraft built during World War II were pressed into military service under this designation.
- C-69
- Original troop transport version. Almost all of this type were converted into L-049 airliners. 22 were built.
- C-69A
- Proposed long range troop version of the C-69.
- C-69B
- Proposed long range troop version of the C-69 designed to carry B-29 Superfortress engines to China. Was given model designation L-349.
- C-69C-1
- VIP transport aircraft, later designated ZC-69C-1. Only one aircraft was produced. Was given model designation L-549.
- C-69D
- Proposed VIP transport version.
- XC-69E
- Prototype XC-69 converted into an engine testbed. It was powered by 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines.
Two VC-121E Constellations, named Columbine II and Columbine III, were used by president Dwight Eisenhower.
File:Lockheed EC-121Ds at Korat.jpg
A "College Eye" EC-121D at Korat RTAFB.
- C-121A
- The C-121 was the military transport version of improved L-749 introduced in 1948. Reinforced floor, cargo door in port rear fuselage
- VC-121A
- VIP transport aircraft, converted from the C-121A
- VC-121B
- VIP transport for use by the President of the United States of America
- C-121C
- R7V-1 with R-3350-34 engines with 3,400 hp (2,536 kW) each, based on L-1049
- JC-121C
- Two C-121C and one TC-121C used as avionics testbeds
- NC-121C
- One C-121C converted for permanent use as a testbed
- RC-121C
- USAF long-range airborne radar analogous to Navy's WV-2
- TC-121C
- Nine RC-121Cs Converted as AEW trainers, subsequently became EC-121C
- VC-121C
- VIP version of C-121C. Total 4.
- EC-121D
- Big Eye/College Eye/Disco early warning variant, originally designated RC-121D
- NC-121D
- WV-2 converted to observe high speed objects in the atmosphere nicknamed the "Tripple Nipple"
- RC-121D
- WV-2 with wingtip fuel tanks, later redesignated EC-121D
- VC-121E
- VIP transport for use by the President of the United States of America
- YC-121F
- Two prototype R7V-1 with Pratt & Whitney T34-P-6 turboprops with 6,000 shp (4,476 kW) each
- C-121G
- 32 Navy R7V-1 delivered to USAF
- TC-121G
- Designation given to 9 C-121G converted into trainers
- VC-121G
- One C-121G given the role as a temporary VIP Transport
- EC-121H
- 42 EC-121D with upgraded electronics
- C-121J
- Redesignated Navy R7V-1
- EC-121J
- 2 EC-121D with upgraded electronics
- NC-121J
- 7 C-121J modified to send television broadcasts to troops in Vietnam
- VC-121J
- 4 C-121J converted for VIP use. One served with the Blue Angels.
- EC-121K
- Redesignated Navy WV-2 Warning Star
- JC-121K
- One EC-121K used as an avionics testbed
- NC-121K
- EC-121K used by the Navy
- EC-121L
- Redesignated Navy WV-2E
- EC-121M
- Redesignated Navy WV-2Q
- WQC-121N
- Redesignated Navy WV-3
- EC-121P
- EC-121K equipped for anti-submarine warfare
- EC-121Q
- EC-121D with upgraded electronics
- EC-121R "BatCat"
- EC-121K and EC-121P equipped to process signals from seismic instruments
- NC-121S
- Electronic warfare and reconnaissance version
- EC-121T
- Upgraded radar; One example is on display at Peterson Air and Space Museum, EC-121T photo.
File:Lockheed NC-121J Blue Eagle Vietnam.jpg
An NC-121J used in Vietnam.
- R7O-1
- The original US Navy designation of the R7V-1 based on L-1049D, R-3350-91 engines with 3,250 hp (2,425 kW) each
- R7V-1
- Re-designation of the R7O-1. Later redesignated C-121J
- R7V-1P
- One R7V-1 modified for Arctic use
- R7V-2
- Four prototypes with Pratt & Whitney YT34-P-12A turboprops of 4,140 shp (3,088 kW) each. Two were delivered as YC-121F prototype aircraft (see above).
- PO-1W
- Two maritime patrol aircraft equipped with search radar based on L-749, later re-designated WV-1.
- PO-2W Warning Star
- Long-range airborne radar aircraft, R-3350-34 or R-3350-42 engines with 3,400 hp (2,536 kW) each, based on L-1049, later re-designated WV-2.
- WV-1
- Re-designation of the PO-1W.
- WV-2 Warning Star
- Re-designation of the PO-2W. Later re-designated EC-121K.
- WV-2E
- Experimental version of WV-2 modified to carry a rotating radar dome similar to that of the Boeing E-3 Sentry. Later redesignated EC-121L.
- WV-2Q
- WV-2 equipped for electronic warfare, later redesignated EC-121M.
- WV-3
- Eight aircraft equipped for weather reconnaissance. Later re-designated WQC-121N.
- XW2V-1
- The XW2V-1 was a planned radar version of the WV-2 with the Starliner's wings for the US Navy. It would have included four Allison T56-A8 engines and missiles for protection against attackers. Considerably different from its predecessors, given the production designation Lockheed L-084.
Sources
- C-69/C-121 - US Warplanes.net
- Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collections, 2006. Print. ISBN 2-915239-62-2
