Why was first class at the back of the Constellation?

In propeller aircraft, the engines and spinning blades produce the most intense noise and vibration at wing height, right in the front and middle of the cabin. That's why, on the Constellation, first class was placed at the rear, far from the engines, where the journey was quieter. This is the opposite of what would happen in the jet age, when engines came to be heard mostly from behind and the premium cabin moved to the front.

The Constellation was an aircraft well ahead of its time. It was very fast, with a top speed of around 600 km/h, and its pressurized cabin allowed it to fly above bad weather, at about 7,500 m (around 25,000 ft), making it comfortable for travelers. Depending on the version and configuration, it carried between about 65 and about 90 passengers.

After World War II it became very popular with airlines. Qantas used it on the famous Kangaroo Route to London and on its round-the-world service, one of the first of its kind. On such long flights, with many hours of engines running without pause, placing the passengers paying the most in the quietest part of the cabin was a first-rate selling point.

The layout persisted while piston aircraft dominated long-haul routes, and it still surprises visitors to the preserved examples on display in museums today.

Enthusiasts know it by the nickname "Connie." In its passenger versions, the engines hung from the wing at mid-cabin: the farther back a passenger sat, the farther away the propellers were, and the less noise and vibration they felt during the long cruising hours.