World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
11 Dec 2011 12:36:01 PM

"THE CONNIE"

The first Lockheed Constellation's served with the USAAF as C-69 transports.
After WWII the aircraft flew with both US and
foreign airlines as the jets came into service the Connie was retired, but continued
to fly with a few domestic and smaller operators around the world.
The U.S. military operated the C-121s as they
were called the last were retired in the late 1970s.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN CONNECTION: SURVIVORS

In South America, long a haven for dated propeller driven aircraft, a few Connies still fly with charter airlines, along with a collection of other WWII prop planes like the DC-3/C-47 Dakota, DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7,
C-46 Commandos and others in the twilight of their years still finding work.
Traveling in the 1970s, some places in South America were like stepping back in time to the 1950s. Other "Connies" operate in other
parts of the world, doing yoman service, the rest have been scrapped long ago, others are in museums or in private hands.
Owners search the world for spare parts to keep'em flying. Rebuilding those radial piston engines have become in itself, an art form machanics have become masters of their trade.

THE ONLY WAY TO FLY:

I was able to fly in a Constellation once that was in 1966 flying from Oklahoma to New Jersey on my way to duty in West Germany.
The food was good, you had blankets and pillows and you were able to look out the window and see America pass by at 20,000feet
the head (toliet) area had a small port hole
and for a few minutes you could look out and be in a world of your own...

LOCKHEEDS LONG-RANGE HEAVY BOMBER: LB-30

In 1939 a design was submitted to Lockheed
by the USAAC for a long-range bomber.
The design never went passed the drawing board, a scale model was built along with the usual paperwork. The work continued with the development of a four-engine design that became the L-049 Constellation.
The LB-30 would have had a crew of 10 men,
speed 380mph, maximum range 5300 miles, ceiling 30,000 feet, bombload 20,000lbs.
armament: 10x.50 caliber machine guns in four-turrets, 1x20mm cannon and 2x.50s in the tail.

2.  Bill says:
30 Mar 2015 03:31:44 PM

ON THE RAMP:

File photograph of prototype XC-69 registered as
NX25600, in 1943. Did you know (22) C-69s were used by the USAAF during WWII, However the USAAF favorated the Douglas C-54 Skymaster over the Connie.

ATLANIC FLIGHT:

One C-69 flew from New York to Paris in 15 hours on August 14, 1945 with a TWA crew...

SHORT HOP:

Testing the C-69 one flight from Muroc Dry Lake now Edwards AFB back to Burbank Lockheed's home base was 31 minutes.

3.  Bill says:
30 Mar 2015 07:53:28 PM

OOPS! made a big Boo Boo should have caught this should be PAN AM, not PAM AN...time to call it a day. Until next time, and I thought I was doing good there