With photos from the collections of Scott Jankowski, Shawn Byers and Ken Kula.
Lockheed’s long-ranged, widebody airliner known as the L-1011 Tristar took its first flight on November 16, 1970. Widebodies were a new phenomena at the time, and included the Boeing B-747 and the Tristar’s direct competitor, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The L-1011 was equipped with a trio of Rolls Royce RB-211 turbofans, and had intercontinental range, carrying up to 400 passengers in the original form.
Delivery delays, partly attributed to engine performance issues, and to higher weights than originally planned, reduced the expected range of the aircraft. only 249 airframes were delivered from 1972 through 1985. The direct competitor, the DC-10, gained more orders from a limited field of would-be operators...
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