Editing Lockheed Constellation (section)

===Initial studies===
Lockheed had been working on the [[Lockheed Model 44 Excalibur|L-044 Excalibur]], a four-engined, pressurized airliner, since 1937. In 1939, [[Trans World Airlines|Transcontinental and Western Airlines]] (TWA), at the instigation of major stockholder [[Howard Hughes]], requested a 40-passenger transcontinental airliner with a range of {{convert|3,500|mi|abbr=on}}<ref name=Jane1993>{{harvnb|Taylor |1993|pp=606–607}}</ref>—well beyond the capabilities of the Excalibur design. TWA's requirements led to the '''[[Lockheed L-049 Constellation|L-049 Constellation]]''', designed by Lockheed engineers, including [[Kelly Johnson (engineer)|Kelly Johnson]] and [[Hall Hibbard]].<ref name=yenne>{{harvnb|Yenne |1987|pp=44–46}}</ref> [[Willis Hawkins]], another Lockheed engineer, maintains that the Excalibur program was purely a cover for the Constellation.<ref name=boyne>{{harvnb|Boyne|1998|pp=135–137}}</ref>
[[File:Superconstellation2594.jpg|thumb|left|A preserved C-121C Super Constellation, registration N73544, in flight in 2004]]