l049-n90826-phx-760-bob-proctor1
Picture 44 of 57
N90826 saw duty for more than 14 years. Star of the China Sea and the last original 049 built, it was delivered in May 1947 and flown until the end of 1961. By then, jets were taking over the lion’s share of the airline’s principal routes. Unlike the later-model 749 Constellations, TWA retired the 049 fleet rather than install weather radar that became mandatory on January 1, 1962. The type’s fuselage shape required a step down in the cabin at the prop line, evidenced in this picture by the window arrangement.
