| L-1011 TriStar | |
|---|---|
 A L-1011 TriStar of Air India | |
| General information | |
| Type | Wide-body jet airliner |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Corporation |
| Status | One in service as Stargazer |
| Primary users | Northrop Grumman
|
| Number built | 250 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1968–1984 |
| Introduction date | April 26, 1972, with Eastern Air Lines |
| First flight | November 16, 1970 |
| Variants | |
The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar (pronounced "El-ten-eleven")[1] is an American medium-to-long-range, wide-body trijet airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation. It was the third wide-body airliner to enter commercial operations, after the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The airliner has a seating capacity of up to 400 passengers and a range of over 4,000 nautical miles (7,410 km; 4,600 mi). Its trijet configuration has three Rolls-Royce RB211 engines with one engine under each wing, along with a third engine center-mounted with an S-duct air inlet embedded in the tail and the upper fuselage. The aircraft has an autoland capability, an automated descent control system, and available lower deck galley and lounge facilities.
The L-1011 TriStar was produced in two fuselage lengths. The original L-1011-1 first flew in November 1970 and entered service with Eastern Air Lines in 1972. The shortened, longer range L-1011-500 first flew in 1978 and entered service with British Airways a year later. The original-length TriStar was also produced as the high gross weight L-1011-100, the up-rated engine L-1011-200, and the further upgraded L-1011-250. Post-production conversions for the L-1011-1 with increased takeoff weights included the L-1011-50 and L-1011-150.
The L-1011 TriStar's sales were hampered by two years of delays due to developmental and financial problems at Rolls-Royce, the sole manufacturer of the aircraft's engines. Between 1968 and 1984, Lockheed manufactured a total of 250 TriStars, assembled at the Lockheed plant located at the Palmdale Regional Airport in southern California north of Los Angeles. After L-1011 production ended, Lockheed withdrew from the commercial aircraft business due to its below-target sales.[2] As of 2024, only one L-1011 is in service, as Stargazer.
- ^ Simons, Graham M. (May 30, 2018). "9 – Enter The TriStar!". Colours in the Sky: The History of Autair and Court Line Aviation. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-5267-2557-8.
the L-1011 (pronounced 'Ell-ten-eleven) or TriStar, was a medium-to-long-range, wide-body trijet airliner
- ^ Greenwald, John; Hannifin, Jerry & Kane, Joseph J. (December 21, 1981). "Catch a Falling TriStar". Time. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2007.