HU: Revised Lockheed L1649A availablle

Rallymodeller

Rallymodeller

Charter Member
Well, the folks at Team Constellation have done it again, and have released what seems to be the first in the new generation of their fantastic Connies: the L-1649A Starliner. Listed as v4.0, this is more than just a revision of the old Starliner; while it uses the same texture maps the model itself has been cleaned up a bit, but the real treat is in the cockpit. A brand-new panel with many new and/or recoded gauges, redone VC, updated engineer's panel and VERY realistic engine start procedure make this a fun challenge. The auto-start is still available but now the coding makes it crank over in the correct 3-4-2-1 sequence, including the 6-blade-count before the engines cough to life.

The download comes with a new Lufthansa skin, patterned after the only flying Starliner in existence, D-ALUB; all previous repaints can also be used, so the Alaska-type flyers can make use of the Alaska Airlines cargo repaints from Flightsim.

Really, this is a blast. The revised FDE is great, letting the monster turbo-compound R3350s loose. Run it at full payload and half-fuel (good for 3,000 NM!) and you'll have 1000 fpm at 180kts no problem -- not bad for a propliner.

Get it from Flightsim.com here: lockheed_l-1649a_4_0.zip
 
Thanks for the H/U, mate. I plan to take her up here in a bit and "wring her out". I have always liked the classic lines of the Constellation variants. Another magnificent four engined beastie to take to the skies in.

BB686:USA-flag:
 
I'll second the thanks for the HU on this one. It's one of my favorite planes bar none for FS 9. I'm glad all the previous skins will still fit this Version 4 of the aircraft.
 
Sweet! I wonder if they kept the easter egg of the testing pitot when the reg is set to N1649...
 
One of the things I noticed right out of the gate... was how crystal clear the gauges in the 2D and VC are. A very extensive technical manual is included. A dreamy flyer, if you follow the specs... :salute:

BB686:USA-flag:
 
I just answered my own question - the pitot is still there! Change the reg to N1649 and the monster pitot that was used on the prototype will be on the left wing. If you want the paint to go with it, it's still available on Simviation - just search for N1649 and you'll find the older v. 1.1 package from a few years back. You'll need to add in the rest of the textures from the new version to have a complete texture package.
 
Tom Clayton said:
I just answered my own question - the pitot is still there! Change the reg to N1649 and the monster pitot that was used on the prototype will be on the left wing. If you want the paint to go with it, it's still available on Simviation - just search for N1649 and you'll find the older v. 1.1 package from a few years back. You'll need to add in the rest of the textures from the new version to have a complete texture package.
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Sweet! I didn't know that livery was still around -- I love the old Lockheed prototype schemes. Thanks!
 
Pardon My Ignorance...

I looked over the model I have and I've downloaded this model. Mine is the Manfred Jahn creation. Is this the latest version of that plane?
 
V4 is the continuation of the Starliner project that Manfred started. When he moved on to the C-47 and the the TP versions of the DC-3, Basler and Barrick conversions, available for FSX only, the rest of the team continued working on the Connie line with the L-049 and finally applied all that was learned in that process to make the L-1649A just a tick better and most importantly yet a bit closer to the real thing.

In the past there were upgrades to the Starliner that replaced one thing or another. This one is a complete package. None of the previous versions are required, but if you have additional paints from V1-V3 they all should still work on V4. But you may need to combine some of them with bits from V4. Especially all the VC bitmaps have been redone many times and the old ones don't fit V4 anymore.

As with all the Constellations we strongly recommend taking the time to read the supplied documentation, even if you have flown our prior versions....she is a complex piece of kit. ;)

Cheers
Stefan
 
I also remember a project that was started for the YC-121 Turbo Constellation. I wonder if there were any plans in the works to finish a VC for that plane... The model is somewhat dated but still looks really nice in the spot. Those big turbo-props really bring the Constellation airframe to it's full potential... at least in the sim. From what I have read, the YC-121 was a testbed to evaluate the turbo-prop engines for the C-133 Cargomaster.

The L-1649 is definately a beautiful refinement of the piston powered Connie. Nicely done, mates. The quality of the model, both inside and out demonstrates the effort and research that went into the development of this latest L-1649 for flight sim.

BB686:USA-flag:
 
Blackbird686 said:
I also remember a project that was started for the YC-121 Turbo Constellation. I wonder if there were any plans in the works to finish a VC for that plane... The model is somewhat dated but still looks really nice in the spot. Those big turbo-props really bring the Constellation airframe to it's full potential... at least in the sim. From what I have read, the YC-121 was a testbed to evaluate the turbo-prop engines for the C-133 Cargomaster.
Click to expand...

Quite right. There was also an Allison 501/T56-powered Connie.

Blackbird686 said:
The L-1649 is definately a beautiful refinement of the piston powered Connie. Nicely done, mates. The quality of the model, both inside and out demonstrates the effort and research that went into the development of this latest L-1649 for flight sim.

BB686:USA-flag:
Click to expand...

Now know what we need? Take the T34 engines off the R7V-2/YC-121F, put 'em on the Starliner's wings in place of the R3350s, add a scale 10' fuselage extension, and voila! L-1449!
 
Blackbird686 said:
I also remember a project that was started for the YC-121 Turbo Constellation. I wonder if there were any plans in the works to finish a VC for that plane... The model is somewhat dated but still looks really nice in the spot. Those big turbo-props really bring the Constellation airframe to it's full potential... at least in the sim. From what I have read, the YC-121 was a testbed to evaluate the turbo-prop engines for the C-133 Cargomaster.

The L-1649 is definately a beautiful refinement of the piston powered Connie. Nicely done, mates. The quality of the model, both inside and out demonstrates the effort and research that went into the development of this latest L-1649 for flight sim.

BB686:USA-flag:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words BB, one small correction however re the YC-121 being a testbed for the C-133. Lockheed actually wanted a Turbo Constellation before the L-1649A came into being. The engines and the manufacturers different specs and requirements actually meant that a further improved R-3350 was bolted to the new wings of the L-1249A/L1449 which then made it the L-1649A as we know it.
The four Turbo Connies went on to fly for the Air Force and the Navy to evaluate the aircraft as a whole (2 each) not just the engines. In the end however the main role indeed turned out to be to increase the reliability of the T-34 engines in order to make a TBO of 1500h possible.

Rally,

There was and there wasn't a Allison 501 powered Constellation. One of the four YC-121s (actually R7V-2 to be precise) SN 53-8158 was leased back to Lockheed to test the Allison 501 engines for the Lockheed L-188 Electra. I have never seen any pictures of that airframe at that time period to see how different it may have looked. The nacelles on the L-188 or C-130 certainly do not look anything like the T-34 nacelles on the Connie or the C-133.

The good news is that the remainder of the team is considering the YC-121 WITH a VC as the next project. But we need much more technical information to make it a reasonable simulation.
So if anyone has access to engine specific information let me know and we'll see what happens.
I would bet a lot of money however that there is no way in hell to talk Volker into trying to model the 501 nacelles for a single airplane that we have no pictures for or idea how many hours it flew. So....no on the "Elation"

Here is a bit of what Wiki has to say about it which largely matches with the books I have.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_L-1249_Super_Constellation

Cheers
Stefan
 
After writing that I went back and looked through my copy of Dominique Breffort's Constellation book, and I had forgotten that the 501 testbed was a Lockheed project and not a military one. So mea culpa on that one. The Turbo Connie program was one of four or five being operated at the same time by the USAF and USN into turboprop operations and reliability -- the T34-powered YC-97Js, and YC-124Bs, and the original pre-CV580 YC-131Cs all served with the YC-121Fs in the 700th Test Squadron in the mid-to-late 50s.

I also note that it has been reported that the Turbo Connie was one of the loudest prop aircraft ever flown in the US (because of the wide-chord props).

But anyway, how about that L-1449? Eh? Eh? :wink:
 
Hi Rally,

'four or five' is actually absolutely correct. 4 aircraft were completed as turboprops (2 USAF, 2 USN) and the fifth was the prototype 'Old 1961', which recieved a turboprop in #4 engine position - retaining a R-3350TC in #1 and two R-2800 in the inboard positions. So it depends whether it counts as a turboprop or not.

L-1449: Sorry, no. We have discussed a number of options for further Constellation projects and there is no hypothetical model among them.

Best regards,
Volker
 
If a one off aircraft would be on the list it would have to be that very odd combination found on "1961".
I have seen a number of very curious prototype aircraft, the 5 motor B-17 for example and always wished some of them made it into the sim.
The problem is that such a one-off requires all the work of a full aircraft to be acceptable and aside from a handful of nutcases like me nobody would appreciate it.

The one tested I am hoping to come to life however is the Lockheed Ventellation. The engine testbed for the Constellation's R-3350s.
In another thread Milton graciously offered the Gmax file for the Ventura once he is done with it. Then it is "only" a matter of chopping off the nose and grafting on the nacelles from the L-049.

Cheers
Stefan
 
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