Lockheed L-1649A Starliner, Version 2.0
(27 October 2008)

Last and most illustrious in the series of Constellation designs, the 
Starliner was designed to fly Los Angeles-London and Paris-Tokyo in 20-
plus hours non-stop. Providing accommodation for ninety-two tourist-
class or twenty-six first-class and forty-five tourist-class 
passengers, the Starliner entered service with TWA in May 1957. Other 
major operators included Air France and Lufthansa. Model, textures, and 
VC by Manfred Jahn, panels and gauges by Hansjoerg Naegele, effects and 
flight dynamics by Roland Berger, documentation by Howard Sodja. 
Special features in version 2.0 include wing views, "inclined wheels" 
nose-wheel steering, simplified reversing procedure, clickable 
sunshades, backlit VC gauges, new flight dynamics, detailed reference 
and checklist documents, period-style cockpit voices, and an early TWA 
texture. Also included is the "squeaking brakes" effect created by 
Diego S. Barreto. See the Starliner project threads at 
calclassic.proboards55.com for repaints, questions and comments, and 
general feedback.

INSTALLATION

FIRST-TIME USERS OF THE STARLINER PROCEED AS FOLLOWS 

(1)	Extract the version 2.0 zip file to a temporary folder. 

(2)	Copy the folder "Lockheed_L1649A" to your "Flight Simulator 
9\Aircraft" folder. 

(3)	Copy the *contents* of the folder "Effects" to your "Flight 
Simulator 9\Effects" folder. 

(4)	Copy the subfolders AddonVNCON30 and "squeaking brakes" 
contained in the Sound folder to your "Flight Simulator 
9\Sound" folder. (N.B. After copying, the FS9\Sound folder 
should contain AddonVNCON30 and "squeaking brakes" as 
subfolders.)

(5)	Copy the entire folder "squeaking brakes" contained in the 
folder Gauges to your "Flight Simulator 9\Gauges" folder. 
(After copying, the FS9\Gauges folder should contain "squeaking 
brakes" as a subfolder.)

In the aircraft selection menu, the Starliner will show up under 
Lockheed > L-1649A Starliner.  


USERS UPDATING FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS PROCEED AS FOLLOWS  

(1)	Move your existing "Flight Simulator 9\Lockheed_L1649A" folder 
to a backup location outside FS9, deleting the original folder.

(2)	Extract the version 2.0 zip to a separate temporary folder.

(3)	Proceed with steps (3)-(5) as detailed above for first-time 
users, but overwriting when prompted.

(4)	If applicable, copy any previously downloaded sound and texture 
folders from the backup folder created in step 1 to the new 
target Lockheed_L1649A folder, overwriting the default 
contents. Plus see note on Adding Older Repaints below.

(5)	If applicable, edit aircraft.cfg and/or panel.cfg to reflect 
any changes you made to previous version files.


TESTING YOUR INSTALLATION

Start FS9 and select the new TWA Starliner. Use the default airport, 
daylight conditions, and "fly now". Go to the VC cockpit and lower the 
flaps one notch. You should hear the Captain say "Flaps 80" and the 
First Officer confirm "Flaps coming 60". If you don't hear anything the 
custom sound folder AddonVNCON30 isn't where it is supposed to be (see 
above). Open the throttles a little until the aircraft begins to move 
and then brake. You should hear a "squeaking brake" sound; if you don't 
the *two* "squeaking brakes" folders aren't where they should be. 

ADDING OLDER REPAINTS

Feel free to add older repaints, creating new texture folders and 
updating the aircraft.cfg as necessary. Because the older paints are 
likely to have few or no vc textures, use texture.N3707C as a source 
folder and copy all files across to the added texture folder saying NO 
when prompted to overwrite. A number of repaints are available at the 
usual public domain servers as well as at Calclassic 
calclassic.proboards55.com


DISCLAIMER: THE AUTHORS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT YOU MIGHT 
INCUR AS A RESULT OF USING THESE FILES. YOU ASSUME THE RISK OF USE.


NOTES

In the present release, the sound defaults to the DC-3. Two more 
appropriate sound packs are readily available from avsim and other 
servers: Friedrich Trachsel's SCFA Breitling Connie sound and Diego S. 
Barreto's 3350 soundpack.
 
Two port passenger exits can be opened on pressing Shift-E and Shift-E-
2, but there are no interior fittings. 

Airstairs and wheel chocks appear when the following conditions are 
met: aircraft on ground, rear passenger exit open, and parking brake 
set.

Passenger and pilot wing views are invoked by pressing Ctrl-Shift-Num7, 
Ctrl-Shift-Num9, Ctrl-Shift-Num1, or Ctrl-Shift-Num3. 

Cowl-flaps open/close in increments on pressing Shift-Ctrl-V and Shift-
Ctrl-C respectively. Ten percent increment settings are available 
through the cowl-flap simicon on the Captain's panel.  

The check-mark simicon can be right-clicked to invoke a detailed status 
window showing a number of current flight data settings some of which 
are editable. 

By default, the cockpit voices are audible in all view modes, including 
external views (spot, tower). They can be muted, however, by flipping 
the "MUTE" switch on the pilot's side panel. 




OVERVIEW OF CHECKLIST AND REFERENCE MATERIAL
(by Howard Sodja)

For essential flying tips consult the reference and checklist sections 
of the kneeboard (F10).  The checklist (L-1649A_check.htm) and 
reference sheet spec (L-1649A_ref.htm) files are located in your local 
Lockheed_L1649A folder.  As many users prefer to use a hard copy 
checklist, I have included an MS Word checklist file (L-
1649A_check.doc), which is formatted for printing.

All of the checklist items and most of the reference sheet spec data 
were taken from the official Trans World Airlines L-1649A Operating 
Manual.  A hard copy of this manual can still be purchased at 
www.esscoaircraft.com. Data from other sources are noted and referenced 
where they are used.

I have attempted to duplicate the style and terminology used in this 
TWA manual.  Because the L-1649A is the most complex piston-engine 
airliner ever flown commercially, I was forced to significantly edit 
and shorten the long TWA checklist down to the 9-page printed checklist 
by only including checklist items for the primary controls and 
instruments, and only the most important backup systems that are 
modeled in our FS L-1649A.  A few important items have not yet been 
modeled, or cannot be created because of FS limitations.   These items 
are noted by an asterisk (*) in front of the checklist item.  I also 
did not include the cabin environment items, as FS does not allow these 
many additional controls, switches, meters, etc.

TAKEOFF, APPROACH & LANDING PROCEDURES 
Be sure to review these procedures for various types of IFR and VFR 
flights.  This section is followed by an EMERGENCY PROCEDURES section 
for those who want to plan a challenging in-flight emergency.

SPECIFICATIONS and OPERATIONAL TABLES
The aircraft performance charts and tables that are assigned to each 
aircraft have all of the engine and flight performance tables and 
graphs for all flight conditions.  Unfortunately, no one seems to have 
a copy of these detailed tables and graphs.  Therefore, the checklist 
and reference sheet spec files only have engine and performance figures 
that are in the TWA manual.  This data tends to be only for maximum 
and/or  minimum weights, airspeeds, etc.  If a copy of these detailed 
aircraft performance documents is obtained, the reference sheet will be 
expanded to include this additional performance information that is 
currently missing, such as V1 and V2 speeds at all gross weights.

The reference sheet begins with hardware and performance data that has 
all the data you need for planning a realistic flight.  Our L-1649A 
model will perform close to these figures.  In real aviation, aircraft 
perform at factory specifications only when they leave the factory, so 
in both FS and real life you never get the exact same performance that 
is in the manuals.

PANEL & CONTROL FUNCTIONS
This last part of the reference sheet contains the thorough tutorial by 
Tom Gibson that was in our first release.  As Tom and I have different 
HTML editors that use slightly different HTML code, I had to reformat 
some sections that my editor did not properly display.  Please let me 
know if anything is displayed improperly.

I have been very busy working on our current release, and have not yet 
had time to see if anything in Tom's tutorial needs to be altered to 
conform with our latest model.  Please let me know if you find any such 
discrepancies so they can be corrected.

Please send me any other errors that you may find in any of the above 
documents. (Howard Sodja)


FSX USERS

Note that this is an FS9 native model that allows only restricted 
operation in FSX. Specifically, there are some display problems in VC 
mode, and the prop discs have to be replaced by more suitable ones. For 
the latter issue we have included a folder called FSX_Propdisks, which 
offers a choice of discs. See the readme file contained in that folder 
for installation instructions. 

COPYRIGHT
 
Redistributing this archive with any files added, removed or modified 
is prohibited. 
 
This archive (or any parts of it) may NOT be included in other packages 
without the written permission of the authors. 
 
No specific charge may be made for this archive and it may not be 
uploaded to any server that specifies that the server owners hold a 
copyright (of any sort) on this archive when stored on that server. You 
may NOT use the archive (or any parts of it) for commercial purpose 
without all the authors' explicit, written permission in advance. This 
includes "free" CD or DVD compilations with a charge of any kind. 


CREDITS 

Effects by Milton Shupe (engine), Hansjoerg Naegele (fueldump), Wayne 
Tudor (exhaust flames), and Diego S. Barreto (squeaking brakes and FSX 
prop discs). Effects rework by Roland Berger and Hansjoerg Naegele.  

The cockpit voice files were created by Howard Sodja (pilot) and Tom 
Gibson (First Officer). 

Panel and gauges: Original main panel bitmap by Jan Visser. Main panel 
bitmap rework by Hansjoerg Naegele and Steve Hornberger. Parts of the 
main panel bitmap are based on John Dow's cockpit pictures 
(cpjpeg99.zip) of the HARS Connie (VH-EAG). The overhead/windows 
section and the throttle levers of the main panel bitmap contain 
bitmaps made by Louis Betti. The FE panel bitmap was made by Hansjoerg 
Naegele using a photo of the MATS Connie taken from Graham Robson's 
book Prop Perfection - Restored Propliners and Warbirds, 1997 
Motorbooks International. Further bitmaps are based on photos provided 
by Bill Rambow, Jan Visser, Tim Hanna, Howard Sodja, John Howard White, 
Dai Griffiths, and Bill Smith. Gauge bitmaps and programming: Hansjoerg 
Naegele. The VORLOC indicator is a copy of the T37_VOR1 from HGHB 
Virtual Instruments (Harald Geier, Helmut Busch, Christian Koegler, 
Tony Cullen) and contains bitmaps taken from the original gauge. Other 
bitmaps, sound and effects files are modified versions originally taken 
from Flight Simulator 2002, 2004, and FSX. 

We are particularly grateful for suggestions, advice, and materials 
offered by the members of Calclassic - FSAviator, Tom Gibson, Dave 
McQueen, Milton Shupe, Russ Tucker, Jean Maridor, Alejandro_SD, Volker 
Boehme, Maarten Brouwer, Diego S. Barreto, Randy Cain, Wolfgang, Pao, 
riogrande, t.creed, Colonial, RadioRangeR, and many others.


SOURCES

Anderson, Holmes G. Profile Publications 120: The Lockheed
Constellation. Windsor, 1967.

Breffort, Dominique: Lockheed Constellation: From Excalibur to
Starliner. Paris: Histoire & Collections 2006 ISBN 2-915239-62-2

Flight Operation Handbook. Lockheed Super Constellation. Lockheed 
Report 8758.

FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet  L-1649A (TCDS  4A17).

Green, William; Punnett, Dennis I. The Macdonald Aircraft Handbook. 
London: Macdonald, 1964.

Henderson, Scott: Constellation in Color . Porteland,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: Scoval, 2005 ISBN 1 902236 12 2

Jane's All the World's Aircraft (various editions). 

Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Model 1649 Maintenance Manual: General 
Dimensions. Burbank, 1957.

Marson, Peter J. The Lockheed Constellation Series. Air Britain:
London, 1982.

Marson, Peter J. The Lockheed Constellation. Tonbridge: Air
Britain, 2007. ISBN 0 85130 366 8 9780851 303666

Morgan, Terry. The Lockheed Constellation. New York: Arco, 1967.

Springfellow, Curtiss K., Peter M. Bowers. Lockheed Constellation MBI
Publishing 1992. ISBN 0.87938-379-8

Taylor, H.A. Air Enthusiast No. 14: Constellation: Lockheed's "Queen of
the Skies". Ducimus Books: London, 1980.

TWA L-1649A Operating Manual. Transportation Training Dept. Kansas 
City, 1960-61.

Wilson, Stewart: Lockheed Constellation. Aviation Notebook
Series. Bungendore: Notebook Pub., 2001. ISBN 1 876722 03 7

Wings of Fame, Volume 20. Heathcott, John, Ed. USA: Westport: Aerospace
Publishing, 2000 UK: London: Airtime Publishing , 2000. Pages 112-139.

Woods, John and Maureen. Constellation Production List. Airline
Publications: Hounslow, 1980.



27 October 2008

Manfred [dot] Jahn [at] uni-koeln [dot] de