Queen of the Skies: The Lockheed Constellation

About this book

A revolutionary commercial propeller transport the Lockheed Constellation burst on the aviation scene in the early 1940s. Unheralded for the most part due to wartime secrecy it finally entered commercial service in 1946 and promptly set new standards for speed range reliability and passenger comfort. The Connie as it was affectionately known pioneered new flight paths in many parts of the globe. Connies ultimately flew commercially for more than thirty years and underwent countless modifications and upgrades during that time. They continued to be utilized by the military as well; in fact Connies were involved in a number of endeavors that remain shrouded in secrecy to this day. This then is the story of a remarkable and distinctive airplane. It is also the story of the people who made the Constellation great including aviation legends like Howard Hughes and Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. Most importantly however it is a story that sheds light on the dynamics of technology politics and society in the years 1940 to 1980. This revised edition contains an additional chapter on Constellations that are still flying today as well as an additional appendix of the Constellations operations manual.