749

[ashaman]

Nice to know that the version of the Constellation I like the most (no offense implied in any way) is worked upon.

I'm already working into the ground the 1049G, with some excursus on the H model while giving the Starliner a bit of vacation (that problem of the engines overheating in descent in this last bird never really finding a solution... it's almost like my car [BMW 318i built in 1984], that lately has begun showing its age burning a veritable 0 feet AGL contrail of engine oil while traveling over 100Km/h ), can't wait to use the L-749 (hope you'll make the dynamics so to be able replicate the A version with jetstack).

[Mike]

Wow, Manfred. This is great news. The Constellation fleet will be pretty much complete when this is released.

Question for those more knowledgeable - was there any major external diiference between the 749 and 649??? If memory serves (increasingly less so...) the differences were minor. If so, perhaps the re-painters may also paint a few 649's using this too.


Cheers,
Mike

[Tom/CalClassic]

The only external changes between the 649 and 749 that I know of are the fuel dump valves on the wings on the 749's. The only other major difference I'm aware of is that the 749 had extra fuel tanks in the outer wings; the 649 had the 049's 4690 gallons of fuel, while the 749 had 6245 gallons. The 749A had internal strengthening to allow a higher MTOW. The 649A had the same internal strengthening.

As I understand it, both could be equipped with "jet stack" exhaust stacks, changing the appearance of the nacelles. This appears to have been an option from Lockheed from the very last 749's, and earlier aircraft could be retrofitted.

Airlines below listed by the size of their orders:

649: Eastern (converted to 649A's, then to 749's in 1950)
649A: Chicago and Southern
749: KLM, TWA, Air France, Eastern, Aerlinte Eireann, Pan Am, QANTAS, Air India, LAV
749A: TWA, Air France, KLM, Chicago and Southern, Air India, South African, Avianca

Many 749's were later converted to 749A's.

Hope this helps,

[Tom/CalClassic]

PS. Since Eastern and C&S both had 749's, there's no real reason to paint any 649's, unless there was a later operator of the C&S 649A's (that didn't convert them to 749's) and didn't own any 749's of their own.

[Moses03]

Looking forward to the 749!

Moses

[volkerboehme]

Hi,

just to elaborate a bit on the 649/749 difference - Tom has mentione the differences already.

The 649/749 production happened at the same time, the 649 is basically the short-range version of the same plane, without tanks in the outer wing panels. The 749 has been a developement from the 649 design, but in effect, they were produced at the same time, not one type after the other.

The only external difference that I know of are the fuel dump chutes for the outer wing tanks - naturally, the 649 neither had tanks nor dump chutes. These dump chuses are rectangular boxes at the wing's trailing edge between flaps and aileron. There might have been a different pattern of inspection holes in the outer wing, but I don't know anything about that.

The 649/749 were followed by 10 C-121A/B, which had recieved structural strengthening to allow higher operating weights, along with some other, minor modifications, including the deletion of the 'eyebrow' windows.

The last series were the 649A/749A, which made the C-121's changes available for commercial operators. Again, the 649A is the short-range version of the 749A and externaly lacks the fuel dump ports. Both had shorter oil cooler air intakes below the engines that did not reach the forward end of the nacelles. Note that the 649A is a later plane than the 749, even though version numbers suggest otherwise.

Best regards,
Volker

[tigerlily]

I'm so glad that you've chosen the MATS 749 as the representative model. I am a lifelong fan of the Connie in all of its permutations. The most beautiful aircraft ever created!
Thanks to the team for providing all of us with such spectacular Flight Simming!

[Mike]

Thanks for the replies, Tom and Volker.

Sounds like there are external differences between the 2 variants. I remembered that not many operators used the 649, but as far as repaints are concerned, it sounds like no-one misses out.

Really looking forward to the release of this.


Cheers,
Mike

[volkerboehme]

Hi,

sorry for the multiple posts - I had difficulties loading the page for some reason. Multiples deleted.

Volker

[Dennis the menace]

Hearing about this L-749 is really fine news! Just a couple of years ago, who would have ever believed that we would have the entire constellation family right here, and such nice and fun models to fly.

I can see dozens of repaints of this 749 on AVSIM right now...... Considering all these connies, it would not take much imagination to envision somebody having 20 or 30 connies in their aircraft directory.

Fine work, fine work indeed.

The only hard choice to make is going to be what connie to fly, or that new Canadair that is coming along!

cheers,
Mike

[thunder100]

Aug 20, 2009 22:04:39 GMT -5 ashaman said:

Nice to know that the version of the Constellation I like the most (no offense implied in any way) is worked upon.

I'm already working into the ground the 1049G, with some excursus on the H model while giving the Starliner a bit of vacation (that problem of the engines overheating in descent in this last bird never really finding a solution... it's almost like my car [BMW 318i built in 1984], that lately has begun showing its age burning a veritable 0 feet AGL contrail of engine oil while traveling over 100Km/h ), can't wait to use the L-749 (hope you'll make the dynamics so to be able replicate the A version with jetstack).

Hi write me a PM of the Starliner problem and add some shots of the Status panel when it occurs.Ill give it a try

Roland

[ashaman]

Aug 24, 2009 15:02:21 GMT -5 thunder100 said:

Aug 20, 2009 22:04:39 GMT -5 ashaman said:

Nice to know that the version of the Constellation I like the most (no offense implied in any way) is worked upon.

I'm already working into the ground the 1049G, with some excursus on the H model while giving the Starliner a bit of vacation (that problem of the engines overheating in descent in this last bird never really finding a solution... it's almost like my car [BMW 318i built in 1984], that lately has begun showing its age burning a veritable 0 feet AGL contrail of engine oil while traveling over 100Km/h ), can't wait to use the L-749 (hope you'll make the dynamics so to be able replicate the A version with jetstack).

Hi write me a PM of the Starliner problem and add some shots of the Status panel when it occurs.Ill give it a try

Roland

Thank you for your always prompt interest, but this problem of mine was already widely discussed (with pictures) in this thread: calclassic.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1074&page=1 and nothing could be done about it.

In the end, like I wrote at the end of the linked thread, I believe it has a lot to do with the speed in descent, that in the Starliner behaves oddly. In fact, While the two L-1049 (and even the old L-049/749 FSDZigns) are greased lightnings in descent, and one must plan well ahead to slow them down per time, the Starliner seems descending with the parking brake on, slowing down unnaturally even below 180kias in the higher flight levels, if the standard descent procedure is followed, bringing (I believe) a reduced airflow in the engines cowls and overheating.

And in fact, I must "forget" the MAP around 35 for the plane to descend at more or less the same speeds of the L-1049, and doing so the engines tend to remain below 200° C (yet they stay around 195°~198°, which is way more than the engines in the L-1049G and H I'm flying lately between Indonesia and the Philippines).

Read the old thread, and if you need more material to work upon, let me know. It's always a pleasure to be useful to you, seen that it means helping you code a better Starliner in the future.

[thunder100]

Hi

I remember

give me a bit of time ,although i cannot reproduce I'll think about it and may send you a new gauge.

Roland

[ashaman]

Aug 25, 2009 5:21:28 GMT -5 thunder100 said:

Hi

I remember

give me a bit of time ,although i cannot reproduce I'll think about it and may send you a new gauge.

Roland

Sure. Let me know at your leisure, and thank you for your interest.

[mjahn]

Hi - a progress report of sorts. Thanks for the suggestions given in this thread, I think I've implemented them all. Two engines with long oil coolers are in place now. Texture sheet uses the same layout as the 1049 family so repaints should be easy.

In this gmax screenshot, note the modelled vents on the right wing.



A close-up showing engine detail:



I will also do the sleeved Curtiss Electric props which were used by the military variants, also a Jetstack version with shorter oil coolers (TWA etc).

Yes, I'd love a Stewardess greeting the passengers - if only I knew how to orient a single poly plane towards the point of view. I know it can be done with scenery (trees and such).

Will Just Flight/Aeroplane Heaven's next (749) Connie be a short-nosed or a long-nosed one, I wonder ...

Manfred