Lockheed Constellation query

[Anthony Appleyard]

Lockheed Constellation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please, how long a runway did a loaded Constellation need to take off or to land?

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by Anthony Appleyard

Please, how long a runway did a loaded Constellation need to take off or to land?

As with all aircraft types, it depends entirely on what you are doing with it. An aircraft with no load, minimum fuel, and waiting for a time when the wind is favourably on the nose, can get off in very short order compared to one operating a commercial flight, and certainly compared to one heavily fueled for a transocean flight.

The Burbank runways at the time the Connie was being built there were both about 5,800 feet (about one mile), and they all got off straightforwardly when new. Some were operated from decidedly shorter runways over time. But a Starliner fuelled and loaded for a nonstop transatlantic crossing from Paris to Los Angeles is going to take double that.

[Anthony Appleyard]

Thanks.

In the early 1950's what passenger aircraft carrying 6 or more, were there that could safely land within half a mile of runway?

[evansb]

Landing safely in under 2,640 feet carrying 6 or more pax? This is actually a whole new thread. Having said that, the de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover, and de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter come to mind. Remember, landing is one thing, but you always want to take-off from the place you landed.

So many factors come to mind, such as density altitude, cross-wind component, obstructions, etc., but since you asked...

Other contenders that came to mind:

Airspeed AS.65 Consul

Antonov An-2

Barkley-Grow T8P

Beech Super 18 Expeditor

Cunliffe Owen Concordia

Ford Tri-motor

Grumman Mallard

Lockheed 12 Electra Junior

Miles M.57 Aero Van

Miles M.71 Merchantman

Percival Q.6 Petrel

Percival Prince/Merganser/Pembroke/President

Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer (first flew in mid 1955 so it really doesn't apply)

SIAI Marchetti S.M. 102 (if any were still around in the early 1950s)

Vultee V.1

Of course we've all heard of Bristol 170 Freighters and Douglas DC-3s operating from remote air strips of less than 3000 feet length in Canada's north.

[Noyade]

Lockheed L-1649 Starliner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some lengths for the Starliner....

[Spooky 2]

Connie story

My very 1st trip as a newly minted 1049H F/O was from KEWR to KONT, non stop. This is about a 10+ hour leg. When I called for the clearance it had a crossing restriction of 10,000' about 250NM west of EWR. Don't recall the name of the fix. The Capt interrupted and told me to tell them that would not be able to make that restriction. I advised Clearance and he in turn said , standby. About a minute later he came back and said, cleared as filed, cross Kansas City at 10,000. For those unfamiliar with US geography. Kansas City is just about half way across the US. I think we all laughed just a little at that one.