A question about the Lockheed Super Connie

Connie tip tanks

The tip tanks were removable. My fathers squadron 6 Squadron Indian Air Force had 9 Connies taken from Air India and modified to be Maritime Recce airplanes – they were models starting from L-1049E to L-1049Gs. My dad was QFI, was also Technical Officer qualified and commanded 6 Sqn briefly before the Super Connies went to the Indian Navy. All of them had been upgraded to a uniform L-1049G standard. They had tip tanks, but those were never installed on IAF Connies. They actually increased the takeoff weight beyond just their fuel capacity because being at the wing tip they reduced the bending moment on the wing.

I guess they had enough range (my father did many 12 hr sorties over the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea) for the IAF not to bother with them. I think in Air India service the tip tanks were sometimes used.

Take a look at the URLs below for some IAF Super Connie pics.
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Images/Classic/Connie.html
and

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Constellation.html

Cheers
Anandeep

I actually emailed an expert here in Kansas City at the Airline History Museum, who fly the Save-A-Connie bird. this is the reply I got:

Thank you for that information. Much obliged. 😀

I actually emailed an expert here in Kansas City at the Airline History Museum, who fly the Save-A-Connie bird. this is the reply I got:

The tip tanks on the Connie are removable. TWA had tip tanks on about half of their Super G’s. They were installed so that the aircraft had the fuel capacity to make the Atlantic west bound crossing in the winter against the stronger winds. Eventually when the jets came into service all the tip tanks are were removed.

Foe Geldersma
President Airline History Museum

How long afterwards did they melt?

Not so much them melting as trying to stop the models blowing away, Mrs Ren has one of those Farnborough wind tunnel hair dryers ! 😮

As for the props moving… a conveniently placed hairdryer just out of shot. 😀

It’s official!!! Vidal Sasoon is the Frank Whittle of the 21st Century!! 😎

How long afterwards did they melt?

Nice model – how did you get the propellers spinning?

Thanks all, I’m still not sure if they could be easily removed on an ad-hoc basis or if it required a reasonable downtime in the hangar ?

As for the props moving… a conveniently placed hairdryer just out of shot. 😀

From http://spaniard.fordforums.com/lockheed_l1049_s.htm (which is not to say that it’s true! but makes it likely):

. . . The Super G Constellation came out in 1955
and featured weather radar and optional wing-tip fuel tanks . . .

Nice model – how did you get the propellers spinning?

I don’t know for certain, but I am fairly sure that the tip tanks are removable.