The Lockheed Constitution was built as a military plane. Only two were built. The US Navy cancelled the contract and no more were built. Back in the late 1940's, airlines did not move people in the masses like they do today. Also after WWII, there was a huge surplus of airplanes. No airline had a need for an airplane that size.
Quoting DIJKKIJK (Thread starter): Smaller than the A380 maybe , but doesn't the fuselage bear an uncanny resemblance?
Not at all. The lower deck looks split, with sections in front and behind the wings.
Quoting JBo (Reply 1): It may have, but was more likely inspired by the McDonnell-Douglas MD-12.
I agree. To build a very large airplane which will fit into today's airports, It needs to be a double decker. The only other choice is to make them longer. I don't think we will see any planes longer than the 748 in the near future.
MadameConcorde From San Marino, joined Feb 2007, 10243 posts, RR: 40 Reply 5, posted (2 years 12 months 14 hours ago) and read 14063 times:
I always thought that they took the idea from the Breguet that had a lower deck and an upper deck known as Breguet "Deux Ponts" a 4 propeller engine aircraft that used to fly until the 1960s.
cloudyapple From Hong Kong, joined Jul 2005, 2425 posts, RR: 9 Reply 7, posted (2 years 12 months 13 hours ago) and read 13979 times:
Quoting DIJKKIJK (Thread starter): Smaller than the A380 maybe , but doesn't the fuselage bear an uncanny resemblance?
Quoting JBo (Reply 1): It may have, but was more likely inspired by the McDonnell-Douglas MD-12.
Quoting dl767captain (Reply 2): I would say it came from the MD-12, they look nearly identical (especially the little winglets).
Quoting DIJKKIJK (Reply 3): Do you think that the MD-12 was inspired by the Lockheed Constitution?
Apart form the fact that they are both double deckers, there is no commonality between the aircraft. Is the BMW 7 series "inspired" by the Mercedes S Class, or indeed the Ford Model T? They all have 4 wheels!
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21481 posts, RR: 24 Reply 8, posted (2 years 12 months 13 hours ago) and read 13979 times:
Quoting bohica (Reply 4): Quoting DIJKKIJK (Thread starter):
Why did Lockheed not pursue this further?
The Lockheed Constitution was built as a military plane. Only two were built. The US Navy cancelled the contract and no more were built.
The Convair XC-99 was another very large double-decker (based on the B-36 bomber with a much larger fuselage) that never went beyond the prototype stage. Only one was built.
The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II military transport was probably the most successful double-deckers with 448 built. It was the primary USAF heavy transport in the 1950s and early 1960s until replaced by the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter.
tonymctigue From Ireland, joined Feb 2006, 1874 posts, RR: 10 Reply 10, posted (2 years 12 months 12 hours ago) and read 13614 times:
Quoting DIJKKIJK (Thread starter): Smaller than the A380 maybe , but doesn't the fuselage bear an uncanny resemblance?
Hmmm, I think it is a bit of a stretch of the imagination to say the fuselage of this looks like that of the A380. However, the idea of a double decked aircraft has been around for quite a while now. I think I've even seen schematic drawings of the 747 as a full double deck before so I guess you could argue the A380 is the idea of a double deck aircraft finally realised.
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Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21481 posts, RR: 24 Reply 13, posted (2 years 12 months 8 hours ago) and read 13087 times:
Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 5): I always thought that they took the idea from the Breguet that had a lower deck and an upper deck known as Breguet "Deux Ponts" a 4 propeller engine aircraft that used to fly until the 1960s.
MD-90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 8418 posts, RR: 13 Reply 14, posted (2 years 12 months 8 hours ago) and read 12909 times:
Wouldn't it be SO awesome if there was a Lockheed Constitution around today that could be flown in airshows? And even better, with the JATO rockets (impossible I know but still).
Too bad the A380's snout isn't anywhere near as graceful and beautiful as the Constitution's.
art From Lebanon, joined Feb 2005, 2937 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (2 years 12 months 1 hour ago) and read 11690 times:
Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 5): I always thought that they took the idea from the Breguet that had a lower deck and an upper deck known as Breguet "Deux Ponts" a 4 propeller engine aircraft that used to fly until the 1960s.
"cet avion pouvait voler à 340 km/h en croisière et emportait jusqu'à 107 passagers avec quatre membres d'équipage ou 59 passagers si le pont supérieur était seul utilisé, le pont inférieur étant alors réservé aux marchandises."
In plain English, it had a capacity of 107 pax or 59 if the lower deck was used for freight. It was a combi. Shame that option is not open to the A380. Removing half the pax would free the bird up for belly cargo too.
ebj1248650 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1932 posts, RR: 2 Reply 17, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 10025 times:
I suppose the primary reason Airbus went with the double-deck configuration is that it was the most logical approach to the problem of getting the most people into a reasonably comfortable flying environment. I don't believe they go the idea from any one airplane. They probably considered a number of options and decided the double deck was the way to go. Didn't they even look at a double wide fuselage configuration at one point?
keesje From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 9524 times:
I think Airbus studied a variety of different configurations. Most of them probably being studied/build by the many airframes of the previous 80 years. It's even documented at youtube:
Homsar From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 803 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 7881 times:
Actually, I kinda think that the Lockheed's nose looks somewhat like a 747's nose, based on its shape.
pink77W From United States of America, joined Aug 2009, 179 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 5122 times:
Amazing that Lockheed holds 180 passengers. A 737 holds 215 passengers. My how times and tech. change
Continental From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 5476 posts, RR: 21 Reply 23, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 4620 times:
I would say it came from my 6th grade invention, when I created a double decker airplane. Just a few years later the A380 was announced.
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