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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0496.PDF
FLIGHT FEBRUAR\ 25TH, 1943 The prototype on its first test flight was in the air for about an hour, including a cross-country trip. Constellation • Features of the New Lockheed Super Transport Interested spectators of the first flight were Mr. R. A. VonHake (left), vice-president in charge of manufacture; Col. B. D. Morley, U.S. Army Air Force ; and Mr, Hall L. Hibbard,designer of the Constellation, THERE was a new constellation in the sky over theCalifornia desert on January 9th, and it washeralded as the promise of faster, more luxurious passenger travel by air soon after the war is won by the Allied Nations. The spectacle was the initial flight of the super transport that had been designed and undergoing construction up to last year by the Lockheed Aircraft Cor- poration at Burbank, California. It was in the sky for one hour, half of which was spent flying from the works at Burbank to Muroc in the desert; the rest of the time circling the Army airfield at the latter place while en- gineers made observations before landing the craft on the field. Constellation is the name given the aircraft, which was designed for passenger transport on the routes of Transcontinental Western Air and to mark a great advance in speed, range, safety, comfort and luxury in air travel. War interfered with these plans, however, and the first use of the craft, and others to be built to the same designs, will be as troop and cargo carriers for the U.S. Army Air Forces. Therefore, the machine was painted a drab olive green. Much secrecy is still observed regarding de.tails for military reasons, which prevent revealing full particulars of design, dimensions, etc. But it is permitted to describe the more interesting features in general terms and to tell soeiething of the performance ability. Early Estimates During the design stage (the Constellation was due to have appeared in the spring of 1942) it was announced that the estimated top speed would be about 350 m.p.h., and that cruising on 50 per cent, power would give 285 m.p.h. As a cargo plane the net load was to be about 16 tons. 'These figures may now have to be modified. The Constellation is the result'of the desires of Jack Five, of Transcontinental Western Air, for a passenger transport of the most advanced type that could possibly he built at this time, with the financial backing of Howard Hughes, and the research and design skill of the Lockheed staff. More than 500 wind-tunnel tests were made in the course of the development; more structural testing probably was done than for any other aircraft; invaluable findings re- sulted from research laboratory testing of the cabin super- charger and its controls; many ideas contributing to effi-
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