enginehistory.org

[swilson]

Still trying to narrow down my engine model and origin .
It is either off a c69 constellation or l-049 const.
it states that the l-049 had a civilian version of the r3350-23.
What would the difference be between them ?
Also.. did they stop using frontal exhaust after the BA series engines?

[kmccutcheon]

I have posted Type Certificates that should help narrow your search..
Lockheed Constellation; 6A5 REV 25, A-763 REV19

Curtiss-Wright Duplex Cyclone (non-turbo compound): E-218, E-270

Curtiss-Wright Specifications are available at: https://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/Wright/C-WSpecsAfter1930.pdf

The thing I cannot ascertain is which engine have forward-facing front-cylinder-row exhausts. I suggest that C-W model numbers for XB-29 and B-29 variants might give some insight into Lockheed Constellation engines with forward facing exhausts.

Good luck.
_________________
Kimble D. McCutcheon

[swilson]

Excellent. Thank you

[swilson]

Excellent. Thank you

[avasko]

I don't believe the USAAF retained any C-69's. At Lockheed in NY, we had a very weary L-049 come through flying for a non-sched airline. Its main landing gear doors looked peculiar. They had a piece of fairing behind the strut thus resembling a DC-6 arrangement. One of the old timers said it was a very early version and originally had plywood gear doors. Can't confirm that. Turns out that quite a few of the L-049 (no outer wing tanks) and L-149 (with outer wing tanks had traces of their original start as C-69. Recognition lights were one feature. These were three flush lamps under the left-wing root pointing down. There were different color lens on each lamp and three switches in the cockpit. Proper combination of colors and you didn't get shot down.

One of our customers made representations to Wright that they were having considerable problem with cylinders. Wright came back that they were using World War 2 cylinders intended for B-29 which the airline purchased as war surplus. The part numbers were listed in the Parts Catalog and so were legal.

Deltas purchased four L-0049 from Pan Am when they started servioce to New York. Shortly there was a large number of cylinders changed due to some problem with a batch of cylinders. Fortunately, this was done in our engine build-up shop where they had some stands which supported the engin by the prop shaft allowing rotating the whole engine or turning it up with the prop shaft pointing down.

The forward-facing exhausts on the front cylinders fed into a big collector ring under the cowl with distinctive bulges on each side for exhaust. Thank Heaven, Lockheed didn't opt fot turbo-supercharging.

The BA series engines hadv the forward-facing exhausts on the front cylinders. All later versions went to aft facing stacks and, on the Constellations, the engine cowling changed shape and the front exhaust stack were gone. The exhausts for the lL-749 were either a manifold and trumpet exhausts (as seen on the CV-121A/B) or jet stacks under the copwl flaps. These were very dirty depositing a crust of carbon/lead on the flame shields aft of the exhausts. The VC-118A/B, being for high government officials therefor used the collector and trumpet stacks lest the aircraft looked less than pristine.Wrights 670C18B (R-3350-5) was user on the Douglas XB-19 but with turbo-superchargers so no protruding exhausts.

What the early development engines had, I have not been able to determine but presume they were like vthe BA types.

[avasko]

I inadvertently used VC-118 (Douglas DC-6) when I meant VC-121 (Lockheed L-749) in my preceding post.
Many of the Lockheed VC-121A Connies were named, example being Bataan for Gen Douglas McArthur. Allegedly, in preparation for the predicted sure election of Gov Dewey in1948, they named one "Dewdrop". Per legend at Lockheed, NY (LASI) where we maintained SAMFLEET and Presidential aircraft, President Truman would not set foot in a Connie thereafter. Allegedly, the Douglas VC-118 was quickly named Independence for freshly elected President Truman.
Can't verify, it was back in the 1950's but it was something well known around the base.
Sorry for thread drift.

[tspath]