Lockheed XR6O-1 (XR6V-1) Constitution

[hesham]

Hi,

I can't identify this Lockheed aircraft transport which based on Constellation,
it had double deck,I know it was from Flightglobal artist drawing but may be
it was really Lockheed project.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1946/1946%20-%201496.html

 

[fightingirish]

That's the Lockheed R6V Constitution, as mentioned in the article.

hesham, first read, then post!

 

[Just call me Ray]

Yes, not exactly a 'secret' project since it was actually built, though it never entered serial production. Either way I don't object to this thread's continued existence.

 

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi Everybody!

I thought that you might find this interesting.

This is a photo my Dad took of an R6V Constitution. The picture was taken in 1951 in Kodiak, Alaska.

My Dad was a USN flight engineer (Aviation Machinists Mate), and that's his P2V Neptune in the background.

Chuck Anderson

 

[flateric]

rare stuff in rare place for her, thanks!

 

[RyanC]

Super Airlifter for the Navy!

 

[Pioneer]

A great looking and capable design!
Unfortunately another ambitious design which was underpowered (and to a large degree a duplication of USAAF projects of the time to produce a strategic range transporter!)

Regards
Pioneer

 

[alertken]

Consolidated XC-99, Lockheed XRO-6 Constitution, Boeing 377, Douglas XC-74 (first versions) were all initiated after the fall of France, in a context of solo-US facing Fascists...without the bases of a Brit Ally, assumed to have thrown in the towel. UK's DC Mission did not grasp that purpose, reporting them breathlessly, so they were all perceived as the future for civil air transport - Big will be Beautiful, like Transatlantic liners. So, to sell against them, UK chose Big-with-propellor-turbines: Bristol T.167 Brabazon, Saro SR.45 Princess. France, too tried dinosaurs. What the nascent airline industry needed was Bristol Theseus or RR Clyde turboprop Connie (which Bristol Aeroplane Co. did licence in 1947 as L-849, thwarted by £ collapse).

 

[Stargazer]

From my collection of pictures found on the web:

 

[Triton]

Video of Lockheed R6O/R6V Constitution found on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ss9ZyidjlI

 

[Triton]

Lockheed R6O/R6V Constitution


Sources:
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/1236867
http://www.nvva.nl/renekrul/catalogs/0000aeronautics.htm

 

[Pioneer]

Hey great video!
How is that banking landing (time 2.47). I think the pilot has had some carrier time, with that approach!
Did Kelly Johnson have anything to do with this design?
Very neat RATO arrangement indeed!

Regards
Pioneer

 

[elmayerle]

I always thought it'd be a great piece of what-if art to do a pic of LAX in the late 1950s with commercial versions of the XC-99 and the R6V in airline markings, possibly with cargo versions in the livery of the short-lived Santa-Fe Air Cargo line (yes, operated by the railroad just after WW II, the ICC shut them down for competing with the airlines) and/or equivalents affiliated with other railroads.

 

[Jemiba]

Found in InterAvia September 1946:

 

[Stargazer]

Beautiful! Those 1940s and 1950s magazine are certainly ripe with forgotten treasure...

 

[Triton]

Source: http://www.codeonemagazine.com/gallery_slideshow.html?item_id=19

 

[fightingirish]

And, of course, a few pictures at the SDASM Archives.
Link: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Constitution&w=49487266@N07

 

[flateric]

Constitution and her younger sisters - again thanks to CodeOne

The Lockheed family of airliners and transports is shown on the ramp at Burbank, California, circa 1949. At the rear is the mammoth XR6O-1 Constitution double-deck transport for the US Navy. Wedged in the middle (left to right) are a Model 10 Electra, Model 12 Electra Junior, and a Model 18 Lodestar. In the foreground is a Model 749 Constellation that will be delivered to Air France and a Model 1049 Constellation that will be delivered to Eastern Air Lines. The Air France Connie (F-BBDV) was the last Model 749 to roll off the assembly line and the Eastern aircraft (N6202C) was the fifth Model 1049 to be produced.

 

[Maveric]

...from Klassiker der Luftfahrt

 

[Maveric]

...dito...

 

[Triton]

Press photo taken June 8, 1949.

Source:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1949-Lockheed-Constitution-Original-Press-Photo-/280612775791?_trksid=p3286.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D657264242102087897


Press photo taken March 19, 1949.

Source:
http://cgi.ebay.com/4x5-PHT-NEG-Lockheed-RV6-Constitution-Landing-Gear-1949-/330508398609?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item4cf3d5f011


Press photo taken November 9, 1946.

Source:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1946-Orig-Press-Photo-Lockheed-92-ton-Transport-Plane-/270739287106?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item3f0951ac42

 

[jzichek]

Lockheed XR6O-1 (XR6V-1) Constitution Development Story

[font=verdana, sans-serif]Check out this article on RetroMechanix.com on the Lockheed XR6O-1 Constitution:

The accompanying gallery reproduces the "Lockheed Constitution Development Story," a publication from December 1950 summarizing the design and development of the aircraft with numerous detail photos and drawings, including deck plans of an unrealized commercial airliner variant. The brochure was likely part of a marketing effort to a sell a turbine-powered version of the Constitution to the airlines of the day, an effort which ultimately failed, as the aircraft was judged too large and impractical for commercial use.


-Jared[/font]

 

[alertken]

This behemoth has sigificance for the UK (and French) Aero-industries. Its mock-up, dwarfing Connie, was seen 11/42 by a visiting team from UK's Ministry of Aircraft Production.Chairman 22/11/42-11/11/43 of the Br. Supply Council in US was ex-MAP Col.J. Llewellin, his Deputy, was J.Monnet who had headed France’s Purchasing Mission: both thought to know the Air, so detected civil potential. Their Reports led directly to UK's decision to try to compete with DC-4 and L-049, not head-to-head, but with turbines and size: so, Bristol T.167 Brabazon. France revived marine giant Latecoere 631

But R6O-1 was a Marines-carrier to o’erleap lost China/UK. Neither fell, US abandoned gargantuan Brabazon-stimulii: L-89; XC-97 Stratocruiser; Consolidated XC-99/Model 37 variant of XB-36; Douglas 415A XC-74 Globemaster (to be Mk.I): schemes with superchargers, pressurisation and novel nav/comms.

All were superior to UK bomber-transports; who could anticipate that all would lapse, or shrink to 4 pistons?

 

[LowObservable]

Fascinating. An explanation for three giant mutant aircraft...

 

[bercr]

Other photos here :

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=constitution&w=66845958%40N06&ss=2&z=e

 

[Triton]

From the National Naval Aviation Museum page on Facebook.

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152780286500174&set=a.223115755173.288718.71553655173&type=1&theater

 

[Triton]

From the National Naval Aviation Museum website:

The Lockheed R6O/R6V Constitution was a large, propeller-driven, double-decker transport aircraft developed in the 1940s by Lockheed as a long-range, high capacity transport and airliner for the U.S. Navy. Only two of the aircraft were ever built, both prototypes. The first Constitution, BuNo 85163, was built in 1946 while the second Constitution, BuNo 85164, first flew on 9 June 1948.

Notes: Prior to the entry of the United States into World War II, Lockheed and other companies
sought to design long-range landplanes for use by the nation's burgeoning airline industry.
With the outbreak of hostilities, the Navy agreed to sponsor the Lockheed design, which
resulted in two examples of the XR6O-1 Constitution. Some 156 ft. in length with a 189 ft.
wingspan, the aircraft could accomodate a maximum of 204 military passengers. The two
aircraft were not completed until after World War II, the first flight occuring on 9 November
1946. Redesignated XR6V-1s in 1950, they were initially assinged to VR-44. The aircraft were
placed in storage in 1953 for lack of spare parts and stricken in 1955.

Source:
http://naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16045636&QueryPage=%2Femuwebdoncoms%2Fpages%2Fdoncoms%2FQuery.php

 

[fightingirish]

Check out this article on RetroMechanix.com on the Lockheed XR6O-1 Constitution:

New link:
http://retromechanix.com/lockheed-xr6o-1-constitution-development-story/

 

[Triton]

Lockheed Constitution Navy's Biggest Airplane (1946)

Uploaded on Jan 5, 2010

Courtesy: Universal Newsreels

"Burbank CA: The wraps are taken off the new Lockheed 'Constitution,' 168-passenger plane built for the Navy and soon ready for test flights. The 92-ton dreadnaught will be able to fly to Tokyo in 19 hours." scenes of the Navy land-based transport airplane. (partial newsreel)

https://youtu.be/qTI2omojcRQ

 

[The Artist]

Another find in the Aric Aldrich Collection. Look at the tip of the 880's vertical tail and you will see one of the Constitutions in flat paint with no markings. The notation of the back of this print states that this Douglas D. Olson photograph was taken at Mc Carran Field on April 13, 1959.