The International Cessna 170 Association

A great view into yesteryear with Authur Godfrey as he introduces Eastern Airlines’ Lockheed Constellation….( and Chesterfields. )

Great entertainment about the days when flying airlines meant wearing your Sunday Best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1z6BDBakYQ

I read a book years ago about Captain Eddie and Eastern Airlines. At a press event where Lockheed was touting the availability of fabric choices on the seats of the Connie, they asked Eddie, in front of reporters: “Captain Eddie, what would you like on your 93 seats?”

He replied: “93 a$$es.”

Just watched the film. Long but worth every minute to see Captain Eddie, Dick Merrill and Tony LeVeir all in one place. And a Connie flying with three engines feathered. When I was a kid in the 50’s there was a maintenance base for Lockheed ( I think ) at the airport near us. Mac Arthur now Islip. KISP.

Used to see Connie’s flying over with one feathered.

What surprised me most was that they deliberately chose to shut down all but No.1 , since it was farther out on the wing….(of course, with THREE TAILS perhaps they weren’t worried about sufficient rudder control)

I also thought that only Nos 2 and 3 had hydraulics…. Anyone confirm?

George I think you are probably thinking of the Piper Apache, the early ones had only one pump.

In the blurry drawing below of the Conny L-049 model Hydraulic system drawing, you can see there are part number 59 on each engine, the legend says 59 is Hydraulic pump.

Thanks… still not certain… but I may have been confusing it with the B-24-J which my Dad flew on as Flt Engineer/Top Turret Gunner. They usually started No 2 first in order to have hyd brakes immediately.

Here’s a pic of one of the airplanes from his actual unit (466th B.G, Attlebridge, England) after loss of hydraulics. They used crew chutes out the waist-gunners windows to slow down from loss of hyd brakes.