Building a Lockheed Super Constellation 

    
 In order to generate interest and excitement build-up to delivery with the airlines, Lockheed occasionally created a progress report following a specific aircraft‘s construction. These reports were
photo essays compiled into an updatable binder. Updates were then sent on a regular basis to the airline. Not many of these books were created and even fewer still survive. The AAHS has an example in its collection for Compania Cubana de Aviacion, S.A. (Cubana Airlines) Lockheed contract LX-121, ship construction number 4557, an L-1049E Super Constellation.
      In order to follow the progress, Lockheed included an assembly flow chart that helps not only illustrate the construction stages associated with building a "Super Connie," but also provides insight into the complexity of building what was then a modern airliner. In the intervening 60 plus years, the fundamentals have not changed all that much in the process, but the complexity has expanded greatly. This increase in complexity stems from technological advances and the outsourcing of major subassemblies to third-party contractors. The result is a constant juggling of activities to keep the process flowing smoothly.
      The Progress Report for Ship 4557 is divided into sections. The first is an introduction into the design, engineering, construction and testing required in developing and certifying the Constellation. It consists of 18 images documenting all phases. Included in this set is a copy of the Aircraft Type Certificate No. 763 which covers models L-049, L-649 and L-749. It is supposed that these photos along with two of visiting airline officials comprised the initial components of the book. As the ship proceeded through the assembly process, the additional photos were added to complete the book. In total, this Progress Report consists of a total of 57 images and one drawing.
       The following images are exerts from the book. The annotations on the figures are the descriptions provided by Lockheed to document the process and stage. The captions refer to stage numbers that can be found on the chart, providing insight into the build progress. [Editor‘s note: The complete book can be found on the AAHS Web site]