L049 Constellation

The USAAF originally Ordered 260 C-69’s, the military version of the Constellation, only fourteen entered service and these were quickly declared surplus and sold to the airlines in 1946 and 1947. At the end of World War II, Lockheed also had seven undelivered C-69’s in various states of production. These were quickly converted to civilian L049’s and sold to the airlines giving Lockheed a year head start on Douglas. A civilian type certificate for the Constellation was awarded on December 11, 1945 and commercial operations were inaugurated by Pan American on February 3, 1946 between New York and Bermuda. TWA followed three days later with Constellation service on their New York to Paris route