Dave Hadfield wrote:
Check out this video at :37 secs. The Connie's nosewheel is being dragged sideways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxW5XeIqexQI never flew one, obviously, but that clip tells me it was light on the nose, and perhaps the angled geometry was to try to help it get a better grip on the pavement.
Unless loaded oddly, the Connie is no less "nose heavy" than any other piston aircraft (which is to say - it isn't). What you saw in the video was a pilot using differential braking and power on a snowy/icy ramp to steer the airplane and intentionally "drag" the nose wheel to help keep the plane from turning to quickly.
The early Connie was actually very difficult to make too nose heavy because they built the plane to specifically prevent it; putting most of the cabin and the cargo over and aft of the wing. This was because the original wing liked to be "on step" and benefited from having an Aft CG. However, with the different Super Connie wing, the plane liked to be more "neutral" for the CG, so Lockheed put more fuselage forward, giving the airplane a more "balanced" look.