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4 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Lockheed L049 Const G-AMUP Euravia RWY 23.08.64 edited-3: RuthAS· CC BY 3.0
- 2. Lockheed Constellation L-049 of TWA (NC86507) in flight: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
- 3. Lockheed L-049E G-AMUP Tr-European RWY 18.06.62 edited-2: RuthAS· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. Pan Am L-049 Constellation at London: Greg and Cindy· CC BY 2.0
what is it?
The Lockheed L-049 Constellation is the first model of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. It entered service as the C-69 military transport aircraft during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces and was the first civilian version after the war. When production ended in 1946 it was replaced by the improved L-649 and L-749 Constellation.
How to recognise it: 4 piston engines with propellers · 37.5 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 83 years ago, in 1943.
- Wingspan of 37.5 m: about 8 cars parked nose to tail.
- Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 7 African elephants (~6 t each).
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1943-01-09
- introduced
- 1946
- status
- retired
- number built
- 88
- role
- transport/airliner
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- makers
- Lockheed Corporation
- engines
- 4× Wright R-3350-745C18BA-1
- crew
- 4
- passengers
- 81
- length
- 29 m
- wingspan
- 37.5 m
- height
- 7.2 m
- max take-off weight
- 39.1 t
- top speed
- —
- cruise speed
- 504 km/h
- range
- —
- ceiling
- 7,711 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
family
Sources: Wikidata Q134215, Wikipedia: Lockheed L-049 Constellation (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.