THE CONSTITUTION

This smoke-shrouded monster is Lockheed's 92-ton Constitution, the largest commercial-type land plane in use. Built for the U.S. Navy, the Constitution took off last week from Moffet Field, Calif., on its maiden passenger trip to Washington. Six auxiliary jets helped the plane cut its take-off run. The double-decked Constitution broke no speed records (it made the trip in 9 hrs. 35 min.), but it carried 90 people, the largest number ever flown in a nonstop transcontinental flight. Though Lockheed has no commercial orders for the plane, President Robert Gross thinks it would be a moneymaker. It could carry 180 passengers nonstop between New York and London at far less than present rates.

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