Eastern Air
Lines Lockheed L-649 Constellation
NX101A (c/n 2518)
Eastern's Constellations were
actually Model 649s which differed from the model 049 in that
they had a strengthened
airframe, improved brakes and additional fuel tankage. When introduced
on the New York to Miami run in
June of 1947 they cut the schedule to 4 hours. This, the first
of the Constellations to be
delivered, is still wearing its NX registration (although it wasn't
particularly
experimental). The shot of sister aircraft NC108A (below), in
full "Fly - Eastern Air
Lines" livery has always bothered
me. It looks like the props of all four Wright Double Cyclones
have been feathered, but perhaps the camera speed
was such that the props were "stopped"! If
it
was the former, it'd be awfully quiet in there! Both images came
from Eastern Air Lines in the 1940s.
Lockheed L-649
Constellation NC108A (c/n 2529)