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In the late 1930s, Lockheed was developing a large, high-speed, pressurized airliner, designated the L-044 Excalibur. Howard Hughes, who, in 1939, had acquired a majority share of TWA (Transcontinental & Western Air), requested that the airliner be redesigned and developed to TWA’s specifications. Designed in secret under the leadership Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, and with direction from Hughes, the renamed L-049 Constellation evolved into an extremely fast, highly advanced, and revolutionary large-capacity airliner with a unique dolphin-shaped fuselage and distinctive tripletail. The first production aircraft were requisitioned for the war effort as C-69 military transports. Following the war, Constellations were converted to civilian passenger configurations and were introduced into commercial service in 1946. Operated by numerous airlines on domestic and transatlantic routes, the airliner played a major role in advancing long-range commercial aviation during the immediate postwar era.
This image was posted on April 14, 2021.
This post mentions the following things involved with the SFO Museum collection:
Lockheed (1926 to ..)
This company is from the United States