List of Lockheed Constellation variants
# List of Lockheed Constellation variants

The Lockheed Constellation was an American civil airliner and military transport built in the 1940s and 1950s; this is a list of its variants.

## Civilian / Company designations

### L-049

    The L-049 was the original commercial airliner produced, although some earlier L-049s were begun as military transports and completed as airliners. L-649 aircraft followed, with more powerful engines, but all were soon upgraded to L-749 standard with long-range fuel tanks. 88 L-049, 14 L-649, and 131 L-749 were built, including conversions from earlier models and military versions. First 22 aircraft delivered as C-69 transports, first flight 9 January 1943

### L-149

    L-049 conversion to include extra wing fuel tanks for a longer range. Production versions were planned for Pan Am, but none were ever produced.

### L-249

    Company designation for the XB-30 bomber. Project cancelled in favor of the Boeing B-29.

### L-349

    Company designation for the C-69B. None built.

### L-449

    Unknown proposed civilian airliner version.

### L-549

    Company designation for the C-69C. One built.

### L-649

    R-3350-749C18BD engines with 2,500 hp (1,865 kW) each, seating for up to 81, first flight 19 October 1946

### L-649A

    Reinforced landing gear and fuselage

### L-749

    6,145 US gal (23,640 L) of fuel providing the capability for non-stop transatlantic flights, first flight 14 March 1947

### L-749A

    Reinforced landing gear and fuselage

### L-749B

    Turbine powered. Project cancelled due to the absence of a suitable powerplant.

### L-849

    Planned version of the L-749, which would have had Wright R-3350 TurboCompounds.

### L-949

    Proposed Speedfreighter combi version of the L-849 with an 18 ft 4in fuselage stretch.

### L-1049

    First production version, 24 built. An 18 ft 4 in (5.59 m) stretched version with a maximum capacity of 109 passengers, square windows; all 1049C and later models had Turbo-Compound engines. Some later models had optional tip tanks. First flight 14 July 1951. 579 built, including military versions.

### L-1049A

    Company designation for the WV-2, WV-3, EC-121D and RC-121D.

### L-1049B

    Company designation for the R7V-1, RC-121C and VC-121E.

### L-1049C

    Civil variant of the 1049B for 110 passengers with four R-3350-87ТС18DA-1 Turbo-compound engines with 3,250 hp (2,425 kW) each, 48 built

### L-1049D

    Freight version of L-1049B with wing and fuselage modifications and a large cargo door, four built

### L-1049E

    Passenger variant of the 1049D, 28 built

### L-1049F

    Company designation for the C-121C.

### L-1049G

    Advanced variant with four R-3350-972ТС18DA-3 engines with higher METO power, ability to carry wingtip fuel tanks, 102 built

### L-1049H

    Passenger/freight convertible version of L-1049G with large cargo door, 53 built

### L-1049J

    Planned L-1049G with the wings of the R7V-2.

### L-1149

    A planned Allison turboprop version of the L-1049G and L-1049H.

### L-1249A

    Company designation for the R7V-2 and YC-121F.

### L-1249B

    Planned turboprop passenger version of the R7V-2/YC-121F.
    L-1349 unidentified. Dominique Breffort's book claims no design with the L-1349 designation ever existed, possibly due to superstitious belief reasons.

### L-1449

    Proposed turboprop version of the L-1049G with a stretched fuselage and new wing.

### L-1549

    Planned stretched version of the L-1449.

### L-1649A Starliner

    Production version, R-3350-988TC18EA-2 Turbo Cyclone engines with 3,400 hp (2,536 kW) each. Long-range passenger aircraft designed to compete with Douglas DC-7C. The standard radome for the weather radar extends total length by 2 ft 7 in (0.78 m) over L-1049 without radome. New thin-section wing with a straight taper, and much larger fuel capacity giving a ferry range of over 6,880 mi (11,080 km), first flight 10 October 1956. 44, including the prototype, were built.

### L-1649B

    Planned turboprop version of the L-1649A.

### L-051

    Original company designation for the XB-30 project.

### L-084

    The XW2V-1 was a planned radar version of the WV-2 with the Starliner's wings for the US Navy. It would have included four Allison T56-A8 engines and missiles for protection against attackers. Considerably different from its predecessors, given the production designation Lockheed L-084.

## Military designations

### XB-30

    Bomber version of the C-69. Was given model designation L-051 and later L-249.

### XC-69

    Designation for the prototype Constellation. One built. The C-69 was the original military transport version for the USAAF. All aircraft built during World War II were pressed into military service under this designation.

### C-69

    Original troop transport version. Almost all of this type were converted into L-049 airliners. 22 were built.

### C-69A

    Proposed long range troop version of the C-69.

### C-69B

    Proposed long range troop version of the C-69 designed to carry B-29 Superfortress engines to China. Was given model designation L-349.

### C-69C-1

    VIP transport aircraft, later designated ZC-69C-1. Only one aircraft was produced. Was given model designation L-549.

### C-69D

    Proposed VIP transport version.

### XC-69E

    Prototype XC-69 converted into an engine testbed. It was powered by 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines.

### C-121A

    The C-121 was the military transport version of improved L-749 introduced in 1948. Reinforced floor, cargo door in port rear fuselage

### VC-121A

    VIP transport aircraft, converted from the C-121A

### VC-121B

    VIP transport for use by the President of the United States of America

### C-121C

    R7V-1 with R-3350-34 engines with 3,400 hp (2,536 kW) each, based on L-1049

### JC-121C

    Two C-121C and one TC-121C used as avionics testbeds

### NC-121C

    One C-121C converted for permanent use as a testbed

### RC-121C

    USAF long-range airborne radar analogous to Navy's WV-2

### TC-121C

    Nine RC-121Cs Converted as AEW trainers, subsequently became EC-121C

### VC-121C

    VIP version of C-121C. Total 4.

### EC-121D

    Big Eye/College Eye/Disco early warning variant, originally designated RC-121D

### NC-121D

    WV-2 converted to observe high speed objects in the atmosphere nicknamed the "Tripple Nipple"

### RC-121D

    WV-2 with wingtip fuel tanks, later redesignated EC-121D

### VC-121E

    VIP transport for use by the President of the United States of America

### YC-121F

    Two prototype R7V-1 with Pratt & Whitney T34-P-6 turboprops with 6,000 shp (4,476 kW) each

### C-121G

    32 Navy R7V-1 delivered to USAF

### TC-121G

    Designation given to 9 C-121G converted into trainers

### VC-121G

    One C-121G given the role as a temporary VIP Transport

### EC-121H

    42 EC-121D with upgraded electronics

### C-121J

    Redesignated Navy R7V-1

### EC-121J

    2 EC-121D with upgraded electronics

### NC-121J

    7 C-121J modified to send television broadcasts to troops in Vietnam

### VC-121J

    4 C-121J converted for VIP use. One served with the Blue Angels.

### EC-121K

    Redesignated Navy WV-2 Warning Star

### JC-121K

    One EC-121K used as an avionics testbed

### NC-121K

    EC-121K used by the Navy

### EC-121L

    Redesignated Navy WV-2E

### EC-121M

    Redesignated Navy WV-2Q

### WQC-121N

    Redesignated Navy WV-3

### EC-121P

    EC-121K equipped for anti-submarine warfare

### EC-121Q

    EC-121D with upgraded electronics

### EC-121R "BatCat"

    EC-121K and EC-121P equipped to process signals from seismic instruments

### NC-121S

    Electronic warfare and reconnaissance version

### EC-121T

    Upgraded radar; One example is on display at Peterson Air and Space Museum, EC-121T photo.

### R7O-1

    The original US Navy designation of the R7V-1 based on L-1049D, R-3350-91 engines with 3,250 hp (2,425 kW) each

### R7V-1

    Re-designation of the R7O-1. Later redesignated C-121J

### R7V-1P

    One R7V-1 modified for Arctic use

### R7V-2

    Four prototypes with Pratt & Whitney YT34-P-12A turboprops of 4,140 shp (3,088 kW) each. Two were delivered as YC-121F prototype aircraft (see above).

### PO-1W

    Two maritime patrol aircraft equipped with search radar based on L-749, later re-designated WV-1.

### PO-2W Warning Star

    Long-range airborne radar aircraft, R-3350-34 or R-3350-42 engines with 3,400 hp (2,536 kW) each, based on L-1049, later re-designated WV-2.

### WV-1

    Re-designation of the PO-1W.

### WV-2 Warning Star

    Re-designation of the PO-2W. Later re-designated EC-121K.

### WV-2E

    Experimental version of WV-2 modified to carry a rotating radar dome similar to that of the Boeing E-3 Sentry. Later redesignated EC-121L.

### WV-2Q

    WV-2 equipped for electronic warfare, later redesignated EC-121M.

### WV-3

    Eight aircraft equipped for weather reconnaissance. Later re-designated WQC-121N.

### XW2V-1

    The XW2V-1 was a planned radar version of the WV-2 with the Starliner's wings for the US Navy. It would have included four Allison T56-A8 engines and missiles for protection against attackers. Considerably different from its predecessors, given the production designation Lockheed L-084.

## Sources

* C-69/C-121 - US Warplanes.net
* Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collections, 2006. Print. ISBN 2-915239-62-2
