Not a well researched piece and the author dosen't know much about Locheed's other interesting aircraft prior, but like their P-38, the Connie was another stylish looking (sexy) aircraft.
The Lockheed Constellation - The Plane That Changed The World
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This aircraft was groundbreaking in so many ways. It put the otherwise small player Lockheed on the commercial aviation map and also played an important role in WWII. Aside from its unique design and attractive curves, the Constellation brought us something which has proved invaluable in the development of long-haul, comfortable flying, and that's the ability to fly at high altitudes, thanks to its pressurized cabin.
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The development of the Constellation served to put
Lockheed Martin on the map. A pretty small player in the aviation business, focusing on a few larger single-engine planes, Lockheed was vastly overshadowed by industry leader
Douglas. Their DC-3 was leading the twin-engine market, and Douglas was already working on a four-engine aircraft, the DC-4E.
Lockheed had been designing the L-044 Excalibur, a four-engine version of the Model 14, as an answer to civil aviation's needs. Still, airlines demanded something bigger, faster, and more of a stride forward than what they were offering.
Pan American World Airways came close to placing an order for the Excalibur when Lockheed abandoned the project after meeting Howard Hughes.
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Lockheed had to be different to fulfill Hughes' requirements for something outstanding. This meant bringing to aviation a number of innovations not previously seen on passenger planes. The Constellation would have the first hydraulically boosted power controls, be faster than most WWII fighter jets, and feature a pressurized cabin to allow the plane to fly above most weather disturbances.
One other aircraft brought with it a pressurized cabin, and that was the Boeing 307. However, when it returned to commercial service after the war, its pressurization systems were disabled. For many years following its introduction with TWA in 1949, Connie was the only passenger aircraft that offered the pressurization needed to fly at high altitudes.
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Connie brought with her a series of firsts. As the first commercial aircraft to fly above 12,500 feet, it took passengers out of the "air sickness" zone where the weather was more active. Settling into the jetstream at over 20,000 feet was more comfortable for passengers and less fuel-intensive, enabling the Constellation to operate the first nonstop coast-to-coast US commercial flights.
At the height of her popularity, airlines worldwide operated the Constellation. More than 800 aircraft were built in total, with operators including Pan Am, Air France,
BOAC, KLM,
Qantas, Lufthansa, and
TAP Portugal. It was deployed on various long overseas routes and flew into unchartered territories.
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More information, details, and examples of the various models from Wiki, of course. And lots of pictures.
en.wikipedia.org
Another good site for info and reference;