Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star

The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was an early warning aircraft of the Cold War. It was in service with the US Air Force and US Navy between 1954 and 1982. It was developed from the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constallation, which was a commercial airliner. Although it was generally used to provide early warning of approaching enemy aircraft, it played an important role as a fighter controller during the Vietnam War, directing the US fighters towards the Soviet-made Vietnamese MiG-21 combat aircraft.

The prototype of the EC-121 Warning Star, the PO-1W, made its maiden flight on June 9, 1949. Basically, it was a Lockheed L-749 Constallation carrying radars on the dorsal and ventral part of fuselage. However, the flight tests proved that the aircraft was too small for the large equipment. Thus, they decided to use the L-1049 Super Constellation instead. Having passed the tests satisfactorily, it would be introduced into service with the US Navy in October 1954. It was nick-named 'Super Connie'. A total of 232 aircraft would be produced for both the US Navy and the US Air Force, with the main variant being the EC-121K and the EC-121D.

Below, color photo of the aircraft; the US Navy WV-2/EC-121K, No. 143221, kept in the storage yard of the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, Fl.

Technical Description

The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was a heavy four-engine monoplane. It had an all-metal fuselage and straight, cantilever low-wing, with dihedral angle. The wing supported a load equal to the aircraft weight. The tailplane had a wide horizontal stabilizer, with three vertical fins and three rudders. The aircraft had a large and comfortable cockpit, with the two pilots sitting in front side by side. The flight engineer, the navigator, and the radio operator sat behind them. The 28 electronic equipment operators sat in two rows in the fuselage.

To carry out its electronic surveillance missions, the Lockheed EC-121 was fitted with two powerful radars; one AN/APS-20 air-search, and one AN/APS-45 height-finding radar, which were set up in ventral and dorsal dome respectively. Later, they would be replaced by one AN/APS-93 air-search and one AN/APS-103 height-finding radar. The aircraft was powered by four Wright R-3350-34 turbo compound, 18-cylinder, supercharged, radial engines, each of which produced 3,400 horsepower.

Specifications

Type: airborne early warning aircraft.

Length: 35.54 m (116 feet, 7 inches)

Wing Span: 37.49 m (123 feet)

Wing Area: 153.29 m2 (1,650 square feet)

Height: 8.23 m (27 feet)

Power Plant: four Wright R-3350, turbo compound, twin-row 18-cylinder radial engines. 3,400-HP each.

Maximum Speed: 516 km/h (321 mph)

Range: 7,400 km (4,600 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,280 m (20,604 feet)

Crew: 5 + 28 electronic operators

Below, the WV-2 (future EC-121) during a test flight in May 1954.

Below, the Lockheed EC-121K, the US Navy version, in flight in 1958.

Ventral view of the EC-121D in service with the US Air Force. You can see the large belly dome, which carries the AN/APS-93 air-search radar.

Below, the Warning Star of the US Navy flying over the Pacific and above a USS aircraft carrier.

A US Air Force EC-121 Warning Star about to take off.