The

Lockheed Constellation The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first pressurized-cabin civil airliner series to go into widespread use. Its press ...

was an American civil airliner and military transport built in the 1940s and 1950s; this is a list of its variants.

Commercial transport

Lockheed Model 749A Constellation silhouette

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 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...

. ; 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 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 even ...

: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 :Proposed ''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. Lockheed L-1649 Constellation TWA

; 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-7 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 earl ...

C. 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 The Allison T56 is an American single-shaft, modular design military turboprop with a 14-stage axial flow compressor driven by a four-stage turbine. It was originally developed by the Allison Engine Company for the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tran ...

-A8 engines and missiles for protection against attackers. Considerably different from its predecessors, given the production designation Lockheed L-084.

Military designations

;

XB-30 The Lockheed XB-30 (company model L-249)Stringfellow and Bowers 1992, p. 31. was the design submitted by Lockheed after the request by the United States Army Air Forces for a very heavy bomber, the same request that led to the Boeing B-29 Superfo ...

: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 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...

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 The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is an American twin-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engine with a displacement of , and is part of the long-lived Wasp family of engines. The R-2800 saw widespread use in many importan ...

Double Wasp engines. Lockheed VC-121E Super Constellation

; 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 The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

; 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

; YC-121F :Two prototype R7V-1 with

Pratt & Whitney T34 The Pratt & Whitney T34 (company designation PT2 Turbo-Wasp) was an American axial flow turboprop engine designed and built by Pratt & Whitney. Its only major application was on the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster. Design and development In 1945, t ...

-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 The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy.

. ; EC-121K :Redesignated Navy WV-2 Warning Star ; JC-121K :One EC-121K used as an avionics testbed ;

NC-121K The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was an American airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy (USN) and United States Air Force (USAF). The military version of the Loc ...

: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 Peterson Air and Space Museum is an aviation museum located at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado focused on the history the of Air Defense Command, Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command. History The museum ...

EC-121T photo
Lockheed NC-121J Blue Eagle Vietnam

Lockheed WV-2 of VW-15 flies over USS Sellstrom (DER-255) off Newfoundland, in March 1957

; 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 WV3 or WV-3 may refer to: * Lockheed WV-3 Warning Star, a surveillance aircraft * West Virginia's 3rd congressional district * West Virginia Route 3 * West Virginia Route 3 (1920s) * WorldView-3, a commercial Earth observation satellite * WV3, a ...

: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

-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. {{Lockheed Constellation family

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