We would like to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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| CS-TMP © original photo by José Jorge |
And hopefully more L-1011s to track in 2016 :)
18 December 2015
15 December 2015
L-1011 design features
Early RB211-22B engines that powered standard lenght TriStars were equipped simultaneously with both cascade vanes and clamshells reversers. The clamshells when deployed deflected the hot stream from the engine core. But they were very unreliable and troublesome and were definitely removed. As a result, a new and shorter afterbody design led to less engine drag.
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| Reverser system © Lockheed |
As an option, Lockheed offered built-in airstairs that serviced door R3 on standard lenght TriStars. Very few airlines took this option, LTU being one of them.
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| Built-in airstairs © Lockheed |
Our website's Specialties page was updated with this information and pictures.
14 December 2015
Barq Aviation - redelivery of TriStars?
The website CH-Aviation recently announced that Barq Aviation took redelivery of its three TriStars:
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| L-1011-500 © Barq Aviation |
Barq Aviation (BUR, Amman Queen Alia) has taken redelivery of its trio of Lockheed Tristars following their return from South America where they were supposed to operate for Transportes Generales Aéreos (Lima Int'l) in Peru.
However, these aircraft never left Ras Al Khaimah Airport (RKT) where they are stored since 2013. In fact, it was somewhere in 2013, that a possible operation for Transaer RASA (Peru) was studied with the following registration numbers being assigned to the aircraft:
- msn 193B-1230 as OB-2049-P
- msn 293A-1238 as OB-2060-P
- msn 293A-1220 as OB-2061-P
Probably none of these TriStars have ever flown out of RKT since 2013 and they are still listed in the FAA N-Number registry with their previous ATA Airlines tail numbers.
- CH-Aviation News: Barq Aviation
21 November 2015
L-1011 retirement video (Air Transat)
Source: Airliners.net Forum
19 November 2015
Site update - new photo galleries
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| CS-TMP © Luís Machado |
To accommodate the new galleries, the website's structure was slightly altered. The global overview of the website can be seen in our Sitemap.
05 November 2015
There's still a TriStar reaching for the Stars
Last Saturday (31 Oct), the L-1011 with tail number N140SC dubbed "Stargazer" was seen airborne between Phoenix Goodyear Airport and Mojave.
This was not a Pegasus launch mission - it was a flight for unknown operational reasons. Nevertheless it's always great to see the Stargazer in action with its new blue livery of Orbital ATK. Ain't she beautiful?
05 October 2015
An article from AirlineReporter
It was published by AirlineReporter a comprehensive article about the L-1011 and what made this aircraft so unique.
This article starts with a brief description of the historical context of the time where the L-1011 developed and the goal of Lockheed of designing a product that made the difference by employing advanced technology and unique features.
Then it proceeds with the inputs of the airlines on the L-1011 and with special cabin details that made the TriStar a pleasurable aircraft for the passengers.
It even includes the proposed self-dimming windows (a concept very similar to what we find today on the Boeing 787) that unfortunately did not make it into production aircraft:
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| Self-dimming windows © AirlineReporter/Lockheed |
Another interesting curiosity revealed was that the L-1011 flight deck was proposed in three different colours to the operators: grey, blue and olive. TAP's original L-1011s were delivered with their flight decks in tones of blue.
Finally, the article tells about the remarkable TriStar's AFCS, whose systems are also described in this website's Features page.
- AirlineReporter: Requiem For a Trijet Masterpiece - The Lockheed L-1011
26 August 2015
TAP TV Commercials in the 80s
With the renewal of the fleet in the early 80s and with the arrival of the first L-1011s, TAP advertised its new product in a typical Portuguese way. The L-1011 is the aircraft shown in these adverts, being presented as a "race horse". In the last advert we can also see a nice view of the original Economy Class interior. This is a sequence of three TV commercials by TAP:
19 August 2015
LTU L-1011 video footage
It was recently made available on YouTube a footage about a Düsseldorf-Fuerteventura flight on a LTU L-1011 that shows what a charter flight looked like in the 80s.
Video uploaded by Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture
19 May 2015
AGD Systems takes six TriStars from RAF
Defense Contractor AGD Systems announced recently that it will operate six ex-Royal Air Force TriStars which will return to civilian operation (these aircraft once belonged to British Airways and Pan Am) and will be available for military contracts.
The six aircraft have already the following N-numbers assigned:
- msn 193V-1157 | N304CS
- msn 193V-1164 | N405CS
- msn 193V-1165 | N309CS
- msn 193V-1174 | N705CS
- msn 193Y-1186 | N507CS
- msn 193Y-1188 | N703CS
Ex-British Airways examples (193V) are air-to-air refueling capable while the two ex-Pan Am (193Y) are in ordinary passenger configuration. These aircraft are intended to be deployed on the very same missions they performed for RAF such as "refueling, cargo, personnel and medivac missions globally".
23 April 2015
Stargazer turns blue
Following the recent merger of Orbital Sciences Coporation with Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Stargazer - the only active L-1011 left in the world - got a revised paint job that reflects the new corporate identity.
At least two more launches of the Pegasus rocket are scheduled until 2017.
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| N140SC © Orbital ATK |
09 January 2015
N91011 is ready to fly
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| N91011 © TriStar History and Preservation, Inc |
According to TriStar History and Preservation, Inc, N91011 (ex-CS-TMR) is now ready for its ferry flight to Kansas City where it will be preserved in TWA colors.
The L1011 (N91011) now effectively ready to fly resides at its restoration site Pacific Aerospace in Victorville, California. We’ll ferry it to Kansas City as the next steps for painting and parking are finalized.
It has been a long marathon to bring the aircraft back to an airworthy status so let's hope everything goes fine for the flight to its final resting place.
TriStar Inc's related newsletter can be read here.
TWA's TriStars and Court Line footage
We would also like to suggest a very interesting video on Youtube about Court Line's L-1011 and some of its special features:
Also, Jon Proctor's full article about TWA's TriStars is now available for reading on its own website.
