Lockheed Connie was an efficient airliner

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
15,552
Location
Jupiter, Florida
Like many, I've always liked the looks of the Lockheed Constellation, and admired it's performance. I'm not generally into ancestor worship, and I certainly feel the modern crop of Jet airliners are far superior, nor do I want a trend back towards gasoline powered aircraft. However, I was doing a little research on Seat (or passenger) Miles Per Gallon, and discovered that the old Connie is about as efficient as today's modern Airliners.

No question the modern Jets fly in much thinner air, and fly much faster. But when comparing an aircraft designed in the late 30's, I find it amazing that the Connie's efficiency holds up so well.

Each of the 3250HP Wright 3350 engines consumed only 100 gallons per hour in cruise flight. By way of comparison the 1200HP Pratt-Whitney PT6-67P in our Pilatus PC12 burns 65GPH in cruise.

Here is a turboprop conversion, notice the prop pitch:

1024px-Lockheed_R7V-2_turboprop_Connie_in_flight_c1953.jpeg
 
Last edited:
The thing is MPG is an interesting concept. The Ford Model T got an average fleet mileage of 24.5 MPG. We are just now getting back to the on average ...

But with far more creature comforts and much more power and speed ...
 
I remember seeing TWA Connies at Albuquerque in the fifties. Passengers were dressed up and air travel was dignified. What we see now in air travel resulted when all air routes were thrown up for grabs.
 
I lived on Hillcrest Dr. in Millbrae California before I went to kindergarden I am [65 years old] and And I remember when a plane flew over the house to land the TV recepetion woud distort.
 
Didn’t those things have those gasoline burning cabin heaters? Those just creep me right out compared to today’s bleed air setups.
 
Originally Posted By: Driz
Didn’t those things have those gasoline burning cabin heaters? Those just creep me right out compared to today’s bleed air setups. I believe it was the DC-6, maybe DC-7 that had several accidents caused by those gasoline heaters.
 
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
The thing is MPG is an interesting concept. The Ford Model T got an average fleet mileage of 24.5 MPG.



At what MPH ?

UD
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/original-air-force-found-decaying-arizona-article-1.1400350

The original Air Force one. The most beautiful airliner ever built...IMO!

it's replacement, the Columbine III, is at the Museum of the United States Air Force In Dayton,OH, attached to Wright Patterson air base.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/M...-columbine-iii/

they have a whole gallery of presidential craft, at least one of each gen of Presidential craft, excluding the Current 747's..
 
Loved flying on the Connie, when I was in the NAVY attached to VQ-1 in GUAM we had a fleet of connies, C-121'a and EC-121's

 
Just saw a Connie last fall while I was out in Seattle. It was sitting outside Boeing's Museum of Flight. Beautiful airplane.

I highly recommend that museum for aviation enthusiasts. Lots to see and tour.
 
In school, a long time ago a friend's father flew the EC-121. Often times a MIG would come up and fly beside them. They would wave at each other. His father said that they would very gently start slowing down while waving and once in a while up at altitude the MIG was stall and fall away only to come back and flip them off. If an EC-121 pilot could repeat this 5 times during a deployment he became an ACE.

The father loved flying the EC-121 and said that those 4 engines at times kept the flight engineer really busy. He said later jet powered versions were a walk in the park. He also said that greasing in a cross-wind landing was very satisfying. He retired just as the transition to jets was reaching squadron units and it was time for him to go. He really liked that "Connie".
 
I volunteer at Yanks Air Museum located on the Chino, CA airport. We have an EC121T Constellation that still has all of its radar equipment on board. The airplane is airworthy but hasn't been flown in a few years. I started working for TWA 1964 when the Connies were still in front line service. I remember my coveralls always had oil spots on them from the oil leaking out of the Wright 3350's. The last of the Connies, the 1649A was a great flying airplane due to its long wingspan.
 
Originally Posted By: cjcride
You measure by gallons burned per hour. GPH


Or more accurately, pounds (or Kg) per hour. Avgas is about 6 pounds per gallon, and Jet-A about 6.7 pounds per gallon. The Connie is quite efficient by any measure, pass MPG, GPH, PPH or Kg/passenger KM.

But we must always remember that fuel consumption rate is only one factor in range and efficiency. With speed being the other factor. The bottom line is fuel consumed per trip.

A Cessna 152 consumes about 6 gallons per hour in cruise (unless it's a rental, then it's 7 gallons per hour) . That's really efficient, until you consider how slow it is. Roughly 15-18 mpg. A modified Mooney 201 can fly 180MPH on 9gph, for a real world MPG of 20. My typical FL-TN trip would cost less in the Mooney, and the Mooney can carry twice as much.
 
What a beautiful bird! While I appreciate the efficiency of modern jetliners, I'd love to take a flight in a Constellation. The oldest plane I've been in was a Ford TriMotor from Port Clinton OH to Put in Bay, a couple of weeks before one crashed in the early 70s...surely a Connie would be a revelation compared to that!
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
In the DC8 and 707 beginnings Kerosene was cheap.
Don't forget the Convair 880s and 990s. TWA had some of those. I seem to remember that the ground crew referred to them as "Water Wagons." Is that right?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top