3 February 1946

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Pan American World Airways first Lockheed L-049 Constellation, NC88836, photographed at Burbank, California in December 1945. It i stemporarily marked NX88836. (Lockheed photograph via R.A. Scholefield Collection)
Pan American World Airways’ first Lockheed L-049 Constellation, NC88836, serial number 2036, photographed at Lockheed Air Terminal, Burbank, California in December 1945. It is temporarily marked NX88836. (Lockheed Martin photograph via R.A. Scholefield Collection)

3 February 1946: Pan American World Airways inaugurated the commercial operation of its new Lockheed L-049-46-21 Constellation, Clipper Mayflower, NC88836, with scheduled flights from New York to Bermuda. The Constellation flew the southbound route in 2 hours, 22 minutes.

On the same day, at 4:17 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, another Pan Am Constellation, under the command of Captain Robert D. Fordyce, departed LaGuardia Airport, New York, for London, England, with 30 passengers and a ton of cargo. The Lockheed made refueling stops at Gander, Newfoundland, and Shannon, Ireland, before finally arriving at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, (approximately 100 miles southwest of London) at 7:50 a.m., EST, (12:50 GMT), 4 February, 1946. The total elapsed time was 15 hours, 32 minutes, with 12 hours, 49 minutes of actual flight.

According to Logbook Magazine, NC88836, Lockheed serial number 2036, was delivered to Pan Am on 5 January 1946. While with the airline it also carried the name Clipper Yankee Ranger. 2036 was transferred to Cubana de Aviación (owned by Pan Am since 1932) in 1953, and re-registered CU-T-547. It served with several other airlines over the next 15 years, including El Al Israel Airlines, registered 4X-AKE. The Constellation was taken out of service in 1968 and placed in storage at Tel Aviv. It was scrapped later that year.

The Lockheed Constellation first flew in 1942, and was produced for the U.S. Army Air Corps as the C-69. With the end of World War II, commercial airlines needed new airliners for the post-war boom. The Constellation had transoceanic range and a pressurized cabin for passenger comfort.

Pan American World Airway's' Lockheed L-049 Constellation NC88836, Clipper Mayflower, at London Heathrow Airport, 1946. (Royal Air Force Museum)
Pan American World Airway’s’ Lockheed L-049 Constellation NC88836, Clipper Mayflower, at Floyd Bennett Airport, 1946. (Royal Air Force Museum)

The Lockheed L-049 Constellation was operated by a flight crew of four and could carry up to 81 passengers. The airplane was 95 feet, 1 3⁄16 inches (28.986 meters) long with a wingspan of 123 feet, 0 inches (37.490 meters), and overall height of 23 feet, 7⅞ inches (7.210 meters). It had an empty weight of 49,392 pounds (22,403.8 kilograms) and maximum takeoff weight of 86,250 pounds (39,122.3 kilograms).

The L-049 was powered by four air-cooled, supercharged and fuel-injected, 3,347.662-cubic-inch-displacement (54.858 liter) Wright Aeronautical Division Cyclone 18 ¹ 745C18BA3 two-row 18-cylinder radial engines with a compression ratio of 6.5:1. The -BA3 was rated at 2,000 horsepower at 2,400 r.p.m., or 2,200 horsepower at 2,800 r.p.m., for takeoff, (five minute limit). The engines drove 15 foot, 2 inch (4.623 meter) diameter, three-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic constant-speed propellers through a 0.4375:1 gear reduction. The 745C18BA3 was 6 feet, 4.13 inches (1.934 meters) long, 4 feet, 7.78 inches (1.417 meters) in diameter and weighed 2,842 pounds (1,289.11 kilograms).

The L-049 had a cruise speed of 313 miles per hour (503.72 kilometers per hour) and a range of 3,995 miles (6,429.3 kilometers). Its service ceiling was 25,300 feet (7,711 meters).

22 C-69s and 856 Constellations of all types were built. Designed by the famous Kelly Johnson, the Lockheed Constellation was in production from 1943–1958 in both civilian airliner and military transport versions. It is the classic propeller-driven transcontinental and transoceanic airliner.

Crewmembers of Pan American World Airways' Clipper American, a Lockheed L-749 Constellation, N86527. (Pan American World Airways photograph via)
Crew members of Pan American World Airways’ Clipper America, a Lockheed L-749 Constellation, N86527. Clipper America and her crew, under Captain Hugh H. Gordon, with twenty passengers, circled the world 17–29 June 1947, in 92 hours, 43 minutes flight time. (Pan American World Airways photograph via everythingPanAm.com)

¹ The Cyclone 18 series was also known as the Duplex Cyclone.

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes

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About Bryan Swopes

Bryan R. Swopes grew up in Southern California in the 1950s–60s, near the center of America's aerospace industry. He has had a life-long interest in aviation and space flight. Bryan is a retired commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

13 thoughts on “3 February 1946”

  1. The romance of the beautiful Lockheed lady of days gone by will always yank at my heart strings.

    1. Yes, it was such a beautiful airplane—a true work of art. It evokes thoughts of The Adventure and Romance of Travel, and memories of what seemed to be happy times with unlimited opportunities. Anything was possible.

  2. Of all the great airliners this was one I never got to fly. (Have go to Breitling and plead my case…)

  4. Towards the end of their service life, Connies flew on the Boston-New York-Washington DC Eastern Airlines Shuttle service, which is when I got a chance to ride in one. It was a real treat to be in such a beautiful aircraft, if only for about an hour.

  5. I saw these at McGuire FAN and one on top of a restaurant in Cherry Hill Nj. Seeing this picture brought back some memories. Thanks for sharing. It was 1973

  6. I have, recent, photos of a connie fuselage being transported down I-95 to the north end of the Throngs Stone Bridge, where it sat for a week or so eventually covered by a blue tarp…I was told it was on route to JFK, to be used as a restaurant (?).

    1. Thanks, Richard. It’s a 1958 Lockheed L-1649A-98 Starliner, N8083H. The plan is for it to be a cocktail lounge parked at TWA Hotel in the former TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

  7. The picture of Clipper Mayflower that the caption says was taken at London airport was actually taken at the now disused Floyd Bennett Field in NYC and I verified it through a google street-view.

    1. I agree that the building in the background looks like the one at Floyd Bennett Field, and not the one at Croydon. Excellent observation, Christian.

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