Lockheed L-1249 Super Constellation
| L-1249 Super Constellation R7V-2/YC-121F Constellation |
|
|---|---|
 |
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| Lockheed R7V-2 | |
| Role | Experimental military transport |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed |
| Designer | Clarence "Kelly" Johnson |
| First flight | 1 September 1954 |
| Introduction | 10 September 1954 (Navy) July 1955 (Air Force) |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user |
United States Navy United States Air Force |
| Produced | 1954 and 1955 respectively |
| Number built | 4 |
| Developed from |
C-121 Constellation L-1049 Super Constellation |
The Lockheed L-1249 Super Constellation was a turbine-powered version of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft family. Built in 1954 and 1955, the aircraft were used as prototypes for possible future turboprop military transport aircraft for both the United States Air Force and United States Navy. Both aircraft saw very short lives and the airframes were later used to build L-1049 Super Constellations.
On 18 August 1950, the United States Navy signed a contract for 11 military transport versions of the Lockheed L-1049. The aircraft were to have been convertible troop/cargo transports, based on the model L-1049B (which was already being constructed as the PO-2W Warning Star). The R7O-1 would have also featured round portholes in place of the rectangular ones on Air Force C-121C Constellations. The aircraft would have entered service in the Navy's oldest transport squadron, VX-1, based in Patuxent River, Maryland.
In November 1951, an idea came about to build a turbine-powered version of the R7O-1. This new aircraft was designated L-1249A by Lockheed. In 1954, two R7O-1s (then designated R7V-1) were pulled off the assembly line for conversion into prototypes for the new L-1249A. The landing gear was strengthened along with the fuselage and wings of the aircraft. Extra fuel tanks were also added on the wingtips of the two aircraft, increasing the fuel capacity to 7,360 gallons. The wings were also shortened from 123 ft 9 in (37.719 m) to 117 ft 7 in (35.84 m). Finally, four Pratt & Whitney YT34-P-12A turboprop engines, rated at 5,500 bhp (4,100 kW) each, were installed in place of the usual Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radial engines. The new aircraft was designated R7V-2, and first flew on 1 September 1954. The R7V-2 reached 412 mph (663.05 km/h) making it the fastest transport aircraft in the world at the time. The two R7V-2 aircraft were delivered to the Navy on 10 September the same year.
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