Originally Posted By: johnny ola
So to recapitulate Hagen's trip to LA:

-We have established that the plane shown is a Lockheed Constellation.

-The Lockheed Constellation was the only aircraft in service at that time, that was able to make the trip in least amount of time, and able to go non stop.

-In order for Tom to be able to be on Lockheed Constellation at that time, either the Don had to reach in his pocket and contact one of his friends in the military who had access to that type of aircraft, or more likely FFC took "editorial" license to get Tom to LA in the shortest period of time.

-Whoever actually performed the dastardly act on Khartorum has never been established.

-Kudos to dontomasso for being astute in his observation of the inaccuracy in the time line of Tom's trip to LA, and causing the subsequent discussion about aviation at the time.


Since . . .






History: Design of the Constellation began in 1939, when Pan American Airways and Transcontinental & Western Air (later TWA) issued a design requirement for a 40-passenger airliner for their domestic routes. Production of the resulting L-49 by Lockheed began, but was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. The US Army Air Corps commandeered at least 22 of the aircraft off the assembly line, designated them C-69s, and used them as transports.

After the war, when civil production resumed under several designations, the military ordered a new, longer-range version called the C-121. Civilian variants included the 48-81 passenger L-649, which was replaced in 1947 by the longer-range L-749, and then by the 109-passenger L-1049 Super Constellation in 1949. The last of the "Connies" was the L-1649A Starliner, with a completely new wing and greater fuel capacity and range. Production of all Constellations ended in the late 1950s, but the type lived on for decades as an airliner and freighter in many smaller countries.