If You Were An Airplane...

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A couple weeks ago, I sent you a video of a beautiful Lockheed airplane and in it, I remarked that this is the airplane that you would be if you were an airplane. After last week, I have changed my mind. If you were an airplane, you'd be a Lockheed Constellation.

To my mind, the top five most beautiful airplanes are as follows: the Spitfire, the Electra Jr., the Zero, the Staggerwing and the Constellation. Of them, only the Electra Jr. and the Constellation are what I would call elegant and I suspect that that's because they are more lithe in appearance. Of the two, the Constellation (or "Connie," as they're known,) is the most elegant. It is not just elegant, but also very capable and sexy, even, just like you

The Constellation was originally built as an airliner for TWA, but with the start of WW2, the US government commandeered them to be used as a transport and executive airplane. After the war, it would resume its original life as an airliner and it had some success at that. More importantly for my concern is that it's just beautiful. A more beautiful airliner has never been created in fact. Its long fuselage is sensuously-curved and it has those long legs that even make it look great when on the ground. It looked futuristic back in 1939 and today, 84 years later, it looks incredibly modern.

During its time in service, the Connie was regularly the recipient of superlatives such as "highest", "fastest", "best" and "most" and these applied whether it was being used to smuggle drugs, conduct wartime operations, spraying for insects, hauling freight or hauling generals and presidents. It was the fastest piston-engined airliner at ranges over 4,000 miles ever built and indeed it was faster than some WW2 fighter aircraft.

I recently saw a restored Connie take her first flight after eight years and it was a rare and amazing sight, just like you are.