Lockheed Constellation

The Lockheed Constellation is a family of four-engine, propeller-driven aircraft built from the 1940s through the 1950s. Its distinctive triple tail and curved fuselage became signature features.

Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone: A powerful 18-cylinder radial piston engine used in aircraft including the Constellation. Four R-3350 engines powered the Constellation’s long-range flight.
Howard Hughes: An American aviator, industrialist, and film producer who controlled Trans World Airlines. Hughes pressed Lockheed to develop a fast, long-range airliner for TWA.
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation: An enlarged Constellation variant with a longer fuselage and greater passenger capacity. The Super Constellation extended the family’s airline capabilities.
Douglas DC-6: A four-engine American piston airliner introduced after World War II. The DC-6 competed with the Constellation on major postwar routes.
Transatlantic flight: Air travel across the Atlantic Ocean between Europe, Africa, or the Americas. Long-range Constellations helped airlines expand regular transatlantic service.
Aircraft pressurization: The control of cabin air pressure so occupants can breathe comfortably at high altitude. A pressurized cabin let Constellation airliners cruise above much weather and turbulence.
Trans World Airlines: An American airline that operated domestic and international passenger services for much of the twentieth century. TWA’s requirements helped shape the Constellation’s original design.
Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star: A military airborne early-warning aircraft derived from the Super Constellation. Its radar-equipped versions used the Constellation airframe to monitor distant airspace.
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser: A large American long-range airliner derived from the Boeing C-97 military transport. The Stratocruiser rivaled the Constellation with greater cabin space and range.
Commercial aviation: The transport of passengers or cargo by aircraft for commercial purposes. The Constellation became one of the major airliners of postwar commercial aviation.

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Lockheed CorporationBroader topic: Its success made Lockheed a leading postwar commercial aircraft manufacturer.