Basil Smith: Lockheed Constellation Airplane

Artist: Basil Smith
1925 -
Nationality: British
Artwork Year: 1984
Image Size: 7 by 6 inches
Overall Size: 10 by 9 inches
Medium: Mixed Media on Hot Press Illustration Board

The airport in Gibraltar is indeed unique. For this tiny land is a mere two and a quarter square miles in area. Thus, during World War II when the Allies decided they needed an airport there, they were faced with an interesting engineering problem. The solution was to dump a half a million tons of rock into the sea, creating a runway 1800 yards long. Cutting clear across the peninsula, the runway offers a straight drop into the sea at both ends, leaving no room for error in takeoff or landing. In addition, the only road from Gibraltar to Spain crosses the runway. Amazingly, a traffic light stops cars during aircraft activity to prevent crashes. It is no wonder, then, that the planes that used this runway were, of necessity, the best. And Connie -- as the Lockheed Constellation was known -- was truly a classic. With a pressurized cabin, hydraulic power boosted controls and reversible-pitch airscrews, she was a graceful beauty of her day, sporting a magnificent streamlined fuselage and triple fins and rudders. At a time when most airlines were pleased to attain a cruising speed of two hundred miles per hour, Connie boasted an average of 313 miles per hour with an estimated maximum speed of 360. A total of 232 of her class were built, giving way in 1951 to the newer Super Constellation, L1049.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® Trains & Boats & Planes & More Collection Description Card for the Lockheed Constellation.

Artwork Copyright © 1984 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB08776

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