The A2A Simulations Community

Hi!
I am very thankful of A2A's team for the great product they have created.
As it is a plane to fly "by the book", I haven't added flying hours on her, since I expect to have time enough to finish the manual.
I got living the last days of the Super Connies, since I was born on early 1959 and, yes, I'm a senior PC pilot, indeed.
Since you have the basic model, the 049, it doesn't seem impossible to draw up a new Captain of the Ship series models adding the L-1049 Super Connie and the L-1649 Starliner, since both of them were an important step in commercial aviation at the very end of piston-engined birds and had their jet-powered counterparts not come into scene, they would surely had prospered long time ahead. I believe they (L-1049 - L-1649) were the very "top" of piston-engined liners, beside the Dougas DC-7C. It was a splendid era, when crossing the Atlantic took 8 - 10 hours and sometimes, even longer. The plane had to be not only a flying hall but a flying hotel in which to live, eat, do natural eliminations and then sleep too, in great luxury and comfort. A refuge from hypoxia, cold and gravity at some 25,000 ft. over the dark sea.
Last L-1049 series in flight simulation had such a limited functionality, extremely bad VC quality (poooooor) and -I have no references about their flight dynamics, but suffice with saying that turbochargers were not available... The only thing that really went good on that product were their exterior models and the great profusion of diferent liveries and variants.
So, a petition for you: try to revive those great birds again. You have recreated an exctint bird from its ashes, the L-049. Now you can do even better with her younger sisters: the L-1049 and the L-1649, since there even are (or will be) already flying specimens (Lufthansa Thechnik is reviving a L-1649 practically from "0" in USA and plans to make it fly for Lufthansa charter flights in a matter of months/years). The other great model that's missing in the FS developers community, is -of course- a good rendition of the Douglas DC-7C "Seven Seas", which had a forced short life even though her inherent thecnical merits.
So, I hope A2A may add those magnificent birds to world's community of PC flyers.
Paul.-

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"What the caterpillar calls ''the end of the world'', the master calls a ''butterfly''.” ― Richard Bach, Illusions

There is a nearly 0 chance of any additional versions being produced from A2A unfortunately.

The main reason is this - it's not that simple. While the L-649/749 is externally similar to the L-049, internally there were significant changes and the engines changed even more significantly. With the L-1049 model and beyond, the Constellation became a completely different aircraft inside and out. About the only thing that stayed "unaltered" between the Constellation and Super Constellation was the airfoil shape. Beyond that, everything else was tweaked, strengthened, improved, or completely redone. The TurboCompound R3350 introduced with the L-1049 was an all new engine. While the cylinder bore was the same, it had a new ignition system, a new gear ratio from the engine to the propeller, a new exhaust system (even from the L-649/749 engines) and most importantly, the PRT's that gave it the "TurboCompounding" that made the engines famous on both the Connie and the DC-7.

The reason A2A went for the L-049 wasn't to start a "family". It was because it was, for all purposes, the first modern airliner. It was the first pressurized, purpose-built long-range piston airliner ever produced. It paved the way for the DC-6, DC-7, B-377, and the Super Connie that followed it. Most people don't realize the L-049 had completed not only its production run, but most of its service life before the DC-6 had even flown. That's why Lockheed was so far ahead of Douglas and Boeing. They'd been flying the Connie for almost 5 years learning how to do the high-altitude, long range flying in the real world and that meant they could apply those lessons to the Super Constellation and deliver something faster and with longer range than what their competition was able to produce for almost 15 years.


THAT BEING SAID.

I will do something I don't do around here very often. I'll recommend something from another group - specifically, the Manfred Jahn / Team Connie aircraft. While originally for FS2004, they work well in FSX apart from a few minor issues (prop reverse only works from the 2D panel for example).

749 Constellation - http://www.calclassic.com/connie.htm
Super Constellation - http://www.calclassic.com/sconnie.htm
Starliner - http://www.calclassic.com/starliner.htm

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Thanks, a lot CAP Flyer.
I had made some peeks over Calclassics but I rejected them since I believed a non-FSX native plane wouldn't work fine in my P3Ds v2.5 & v.4. If an A2A Sims consultant says the opposite, that means it deserves a try!
It is sad reading you about the rest of the Connie series for the work on the 049 was fabulous (as I have appreciated in YouTube). As fast as I finish reading the manual I will try it by myself.
Even though there's another developer which rendered another classic liner with a cyber flight engineer, the idea of an automatic crew is yours and it is really GORGEOUS. You have proven it is possible!
A2A is a serious developer and I don't like to compare, but I really love your aircrafts. I have never ever felt dissapointed by your products I have purchased. I hope you go on creating new classic liners. I'd love, for example, seeing a B707 of yours.
Have a nice Family Xsmas and a beautiful Seasons
Paul.-

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"What the caterpillar calls ''the end of the world'', the master calls a ''butterfly''.” ― Richard Bach, Illusions

Paul, I can't speak to if the Jahn/Team Connie aircraft work in P3D v4, but they should work in P3D V2 and V3. I would simply try and if there's issues, there are several very knowledgeable people in the CalClassic Forum (which now has an FSX/P3D specific section) who can help you. As I only have FSX and no plans to get P3D, I can't speak to that sim.

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Thanks, many thanks CAP Flyer! I am in process to install and try the L-1049 and L-1649. If I have issues I'll go to CalClassics.
Paul.-

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"What the caterpillar calls ''the end of the world'', the master calls a ''butterfly''.” ― Richard Bach, Illusions

Yeh, pretty much go with Jahn's connie. No simulation at all of the flight engineer's station in the virtual cockpit, just a flat bitmap, although plenty of 2d panels. And you're not the only one who wishes it had been a L-1049 instead. Spark advance and 9 fuel tanks! (With top tanks.) Also frankly a better looking plane.