This plane was nothing but a joy to ride in back in the mid '70's. I've been on just about all of the airliners since beginning to fly, and this plane has, and always will be my favorite.
The Royal Air Force has just retired its fleet of tristars, they flew them for 30 years without incident, no problems, no complaints, the tristar was a stellar performer.
My dad and grandparents both worked on the L-1011. I remeber going to the plant in palmdale and my grandfather showed me the area of the L-1011 he worked on. I got to fly on one in a trip to Hawaii. It was awesome. Its saw to see them scrapped now. Whole lot of my family worked on that plane..
I had flown since childhood in the early 60's in my Grandpa's Cessna 180. My company had flown me back and forth so much I kept a bag packed, but my young wife (Young at the time!) had never flown until we vacationed in Maui in 1985. We flew in a chartered L-1011 Tristar which was painted a god-awful Purple and was probably one of the first off the assembly line. Had a great flight but her knuckles stayed white until we had a couple of drinks. The old Tristar was a real marvel and I trusted it more than the DC-10, hands down. Thanks for posting all these great classics!
As i kid i would play infront of my house back in 78 thru the 80's - right across the river from laguardia airport n.y. , when the L-1011 was taking off , without even seeing it , i knew the sound of those engines before it even reached me at a height of 1200 feet, i knew that plane every time and it was always exciting to hear it growl its way over head. My windows would rattle from the power. I miss seeing it.
My Father in Law was the lead designer of this aircraft and you are so very right, for after they (Lockheed) lost the SST contract to Concorde, they sunk all they had into the L-10 program and it almost sunk them.
I had the opportunity to fly in one of these from Atlanta to Paris, nonstop (1994) and it was awesome! Extremely roomy inside. Had a row of seats all to myself and was able to lay down and sleep...comfortably.:-) Although I'm primarily a Boeing fan, I too like the l1011 very much. Thanks for sharing, AGW.
My very first airplane ride was on a TWA L1011 from PHL to St. Louis. I remember being nervous as all-get-out but it was a smooth flight and a beautiful airplane.
I was working as a Reservation Agent For EA in Charlotte at the time the L1011 came online for EA. This was the first passenger airliner designed with the input from the airlines. It was designed and built for passenger comfort. My husband and I were also lucky in being to visit the Lockheed plant in Palmdale, CA and seeing the planes as they were actually produced.
I started to work on these back in 1979, I always thought they were a better design than the DC10. I never liked the placement of #2 engine on the rear stab, Lockheeds idea of placing the engine lower behind the fuselage and using that huge inlet duct was much better. I can remember sliding down that duct to inspect the primary blades! Such a great aircraft. Elevators inside, reel to reel movie projectors, Cabin doors opening upward into the fuselage, some of the unique things I remember!
Reading through the comments, it's great to see many have true interest, knowledge, and appreciation for the L1011. Thanks to CAVAPC for posting this slice of vintage goodness.
Delta Air Lines most popular aircraft the Lockheed Tri-Star (L-1011) they used these on most Medium Haul flights in the United States, Atlanta to Florida, and Intercontinental flights. My first flight to Orlando Florida was on a L-1011 on Delta out of what is known now as Newark Liberty International Airport in 1986.
It sure was a beautiful airplane! I worked on them as a Final Assembler from 1971-74 in Palmdale. Palmdale was beautiful too back then but may have changed.
I flew on these out of my base in SJU and MIA, and loved working on them. A good solid performer and always felt safe on them. Thanks for making such a great aircraft..
The elevators went down to the lower galley. Same level as the cargo. This was for crew only. They were 2 of them side by side and very small, smaller than a phone booth. They were made to hold exactly one trolly cart, or one person standing perfectly upright and straight. Carts would come up on one side full, get emptied, then go down on the other. The lower galley had an access door outside for loading/unloading right before the R/H wing root.(often hit by service trucks!!)
As a 22 year old my flying experiences on the L-1011 only occurred in my childhood in the twilight of this wonderful aircraft. I will always cherish the memories I had flying on them. This aircraft is the reason I love aviation. Also I can see the old L-1011 at MKC in Kansas City, MO. Its a must see for any aviation enthusiast.
Thanks for posting. I was at the rollout as a young engineer working on the autopilot. I flew on many automatic landings in this test aircraft tweeking gains and getting air sick due to the smell of jet fuel in the cabin which had no real interior at that time. This airplane had an advanced autoland system which was eventually certified for CAT III blind landings. It used Direct Lift Control (DLC) spoilers to hold the glidepath without pitching the aircraft. Pilots loved the autopilot.
a very happy birthday tristar i worked on tristars for long time they were great to fly on and to work on..it would be nice to no if there are any tristars flying now?....
What a truly amazing video, thanks. What a truly majestic airliner! And this video is so nostalgic... Ahh.. the music too is really great.. wish I could travel back in time.. I miss seeing the TriStar around airports.. it was so sexy!
being hoping this video existed bought a book about the l1011 some years back the front cover had the plane in rotation on its maiden flight best plane of its era with a fantastic safety record thanks for posting video
when watching the initial flight, I figured at the beginning that the test would be done 'gear down', but it was great to see that they raised them, and lowered them for landing. Thank you Lockheed for a fantastic aircraft! And thank you for the video.
Favorite real jet, behind the 727. I was lucky enough to ride cockpit jumpseat once in a Delta L-1011 from PDX to SLC back in the early 90's. Best jumpseat by far, of any commercial jet. What a beautiful plane. Flew on one as a kid in '72 or '73 from LAX to DFW (I think), again, on a brand new Delta.
My Dad worked on these airplanes for over 10 years for Delta . He tells me these where great planes , Extremely easy to work on This is my Favorite Aircraft because it's one of a kind and i remember flying for the first time in this aircraft . Such a Cool plane
One of the best commercial planes ever made. Powerful with brilliant maneuvering capabilities, took me in several trips, better than the contemporary DC-10, but consumption was high according to pilots I talked to. Taking off was really that...literally pushing the ground and climbing strong and fast.
Brother retired from Delta after 30 years, as a Captain (for many years) on the L-1011. You wouldn't find (well, maybe) someone that praises that aircraft more than he.
While working for JAL at LAX, from 1971 thru 1979, I logged a lot of miles on the Tristar, most of that coming while flying the livery of TWA. Funny that many younger commercial aviation enthusiasts only seem to remember Eastern's 401 and Delta's 191.
I was there when that first flight occurred. Glen Fisher, the Flt. Engineer was a good friend of mine. Actually I took some of my first training flights on Ship 1 and 2 qualifying as a Production Flight Test Flight Engineer.
Brilliant footage I flew many Tristar flights across america Mostly Delta so the race was on between the L10 11 and the DC 10 both spectacular Tri jets
The L-1011 was a magnificent aircraft and without question - one of the best airliners of all time and with an exceptional safety record. I loved flying on board the L-1011.
Thanks for uploading this! I never got to fly on the Tristar, but I'm almost 38 and have never flown with Delta, and that explains that. AFIK, Delta operated about 70 Tristars, and I believe it, because I used to see so many at airport gates,
David Halligan In the 80's, I used to fly on them about once a month. It was an amazing plane...by far my favorite. And the sound of the RB211 on takeoff was awesome. Most beautiful jetliner ever to fly.
Pay Atteontion to 2:37 to 2:39 into this clip The movement of the tailplane (the horizontal stabilizer) moves up and down. I have see this on An Air Transat L-1011-500 at pearson airport in Toronto..
I first flew on one(Delta) back in the 70's from Stapleton to DFW. Very quiet plane...I liked it more than the DC-10. I actually flew out of DFW the day after the crash of one...I believe it was caused by a microburst near the approach end of the runway. Very sad to see the wreckage as we departed.
From a day when California wasn't afraid to have actual manufacturing, and even commercial aircraft being built there. California was am amazing place back then, it's pretty much over now though, it's lost all it's most skilled people.
The Captain on this first flight was Hank Dees...the co-pilot was Ralph Cokely...the Flight Engineer was my future boss Glen Fisher and the Flight Test Engineer was Ron Bray....after returning from Viet Nam, I got a job with Lockheed as a Flight Engineer Instructor on the L-1011 TriStar.
This bird was far superior to the DC-10 in every possible way. If Lockheed had offered Pratt & Whitney and GE power plants as options along with the Rolls Royce's, then it's quite possible that the DC-10 would have been relegated as an insignificant footnote in aviation history, and the nearly 1,000 passengers and crew members that it killed may have gone on to live long and productive lives.
My favourite plane,and I love the low 'coffee grinder hum' noise from the engines. The Tristar was built around the then new and innovative Rolls Royce RB211 engines - when these were delayed by developmental and financial problems in the UK, then the plane was a bit late as well. But the RB211 were fine engines,eventually developed in the 90's into the Trent series of engines which are today used in 40% of modern planes. [sourced from wiki]
Ah, the sweet ache of deep nostalgia . . Just the quality of that video conjures up the magic of childhood in the 70s. The tristar was the coolest looking, safest plane ever made. Most advanced for its time. . Too bad Lockheed doesn't build em for the civil market anymore. Thank RR for that, and airliners choosing the three most dangerous pos in aviation, save the British Comet, the DC10.
I loved flying this a/c to Europe when I was a Flight Attendant for TWA. We really enjoyed the lower galley (a great place to take a break away from passengers.....and have a smoke! LOL)
Why did they cut off the segment and not show the Flight Engineer, Glen Fisher, and Flight Test Engineer (can't remember)that also were on that first flight?
Christopher Digital The engine is mounted in a similar way to the tri-jet Boeing 727, the air intake being on the top edge of the fuselage and the air going through a smooth s curve down to the centrally mounted jet intake. I believe that the L-1011 was the ONLY jet to use a central end-of-fuselage jet and two wing-mounted jets.
no the book is volume 8 airlinertech by jim upton the plane looks like the test plane and its in the air not taking off the photo i was on about is in the book though i do apologize theres one on e bay at the moment if your after one it has a couple of days left
The DC-10 and L-1011 were amazingly similar: Trijets rolled out in 1970 with 237” & 235” circular cross sections and manufactured near L.A.. Not surprisingly, airlines were easily able to leverage one jet against the other for pricing. If one of the manufactures had bailed out of this game of chicken, both would have benefited, IMO. Perhaps one company should have opted for a fuselage more like the 767. Initially, this would be a trijet but later ETOPS rules would allow a twinjet.
During the 1970s, the L-1011 was the most popular ride for those of us who spent a good deal of time in the sky, the era before teleconferencing and Internet travel. Are there any of these planes still in service?
Sick Note It makes me sick whenever I see a video of the boneyards where once elegant jets are retired to simply rot in the desert sun or otherwise scavenged. Wish I was a rich man. I'd buy an L-1011 and spend the remainder of my days flying all over the place and picking up likewise fans for a long ride.
+robert glenn I remember flying on a Delta L-1011 from Atlanta to Orlando back in 1989 (They were the official Airline of Disney or something like that). Nice ride it was.
This plane was nothing but a joy to ride in back in the mid '70's. I've been on just about all of the airliners since beginning to fly, and this plane has, and always will be my favorite.
I got to fly a TWA L-1011 from LAS to PHX back in 1988.
The Royal Air Force has just retired its fleet of tristars, they flew them for 30 years without incident, no problems, no complaints, the tristar was a stellar performer.
I wish Russians stole the plans and made them .... [ and even tougher ]
Yeah--Russians are known for their manufacturing prowess.
Hope those planes be exposed in an important place, they deserve it
The Tristar, so sexy, so characterful,so 70's. So wonderful.
All we need are the Jackson 5 and Bread to make it perfect.
My dad and grandparents both worked on the L-1011. I remeber going to the plant in palmdale and my grandfather showed me the area of the L-1011 he worked on. I got to fly on one in a trip to Hawaii. It was awesome. Its saw to see them scrapped now. Whole lot of my family worked on that plane..
love the retro presentation style, the sound and the music. great!
I loved flying on the L1011!
I think it's still one of the most beautiful aircraft's ever built and if you love 'jet noise', those RR engines are the tops.
What a bird! Such a classic beauty. Blew the DC-10 out of the water!
I had flown since childhood in the early 60's in my Grandpa's Cessna 180. My company had flown me back and forth so much I kept a bag packed, but my young wife (Young at the time!) had never flown until we vacationed in Maui in 1985. We flew in a chartered L-1011 Tristar which was painted a god-awful Purple and was probably one of the first off the assembly line. Had a great flight but her knuckles stayed white until we had a couple of drinks. The old Tristar was a real marvel and I trusted it more than the DC-10, hands down. Thanks for posting all these great classics!
As i kid i would play infront of my house back in 78 thru the 80's - right across the river from laguardia airport n.y. , when the L-1011 was taking off , without even seeing it , i knew the sound of those engines before it even reached me at a height of 1200 feet, i knew that plane every time and it was always exciting to hear it growl its way over head. My windows would rattle from the power. I miss seeing it.
My Father in Law was the lead designer of this aircraft and you are so very right, for after they (Lockheed) lost the SST contract to Concorde, they sunk all they had into the L-10 program and it almost sunk them.
It was way ahead of its time. The aircraft was extremely complex. My father was a First Officer and a Flight Engineer on Delta's L1011's.
I had the opportunity to fly in one of these from Atlanta to Paris, nonstop (1994) and it was awesome! Extremely roomy inside. Had a row of seats all to myself and was able to lay down and sleep...comfortably.:-) Although I'm primarily a Boeing fan, I too like the l1011 very much. Thanks for sharing, AGW.
My very first airplane ride was on a TWA L1011 from PHL to St. Louis. I remember being nervous as all-get-out but it was a smooth flight and a beautiful airplane.
I was working as a Reservation Agent For EA in Charlotte at the time the L1011 came online for EA. This was the first passenger airliner designed with the input from the airlines. It was designed and built for passenger comfort. My husband and I were also lucky in being to visit the Lockheed plant in Palmdale, CA and seeing the planes as they were actually produced.
flew this jet for Delta for nearly 32 years. 32 years was not enough. Miss this jet... cant compare a 787 or A380 to the L-1011. Long live the Tristar
I started to work on these back in 1979, I always thought they were a better design than the DC10. I never liked the placement of #2 engine on the rear stab, Lockheeds idea of placing the engine lower behind the fuselage and using that huge inlet duct was much better. I can remember sliding down that duct to inspect the primary blades! Such a great aircraft. Elevators inside, reel to reel movie projectors, Cabin doors opening upward into the fuselage, some of the unique things I remember!
thank you for the video put up on you tube,i miss flying in the L1011 tristar a nice airplane
Happy 45th anniversary of your first flight, grand lady of the skies! 16 November 1970.
Reading through the comments, it's great to see many have true interest, knowledge, and appreciation for the L1011.
Thanks to CAVAPC for posting this slice of vintage goodness.
That had to have been the most graceful company scheme which, suitably, adorned one of the most graceful of airliners.
Delta Air Lines most popular aircraft the Lockheed Tri-Star (L-1011) they used these on most Medium Haul flights in the United States, Atlanta to Florida, and Intercontinental flights. My first flight to Orlando Florida was on a L-1011 on Delta out of what is known now as Newark Liberty International Airport in 1986.
really love that video. there are not many tristar video in youtube. and this one really shines.
I flew on the Eastern L10-11 in the mid to late 70's as a child. What fond memories!
I spent many an hour on the L-1011 and this bird was amazing. I'll never forget the sound of those RB211's spooling up.
I remember watching this film over and over again when i was 7 years old. Just a marvelous aircraft. Its a shame I'll never ride one.
It sure was a beautiful airplane! I worked on them as a Final Assembler from 1971-74 in Palmdale. Palmdale was beautiful too back then but may have changed.
I flew on these out of my base in SJU and MIA, and loved working on them. A good solid performer and always felt safe on them. Thanks for making such a great aircraft..
What a magnificent beast!
Great Find, thank you so much for posting!
Flew on the L1011 twice when Delta had them. Superb ride and an excellent airliner! Miss them a lot.
The elevators went down to the lower galley. Same level as the cargo. This was for crew only. They were 2 of them side by side and very small, smaller than a phone booth. They were made to hold exactly one trolly cart, or one person standing perfectly upright and straight. Carts would come up on one side full, get emptied, then go down on the other. The lower galley had an access door outside for loading/unloading right before the R/H wing root.(often hit by service trucks!!)
As a 22 year old my flying experiences on the L-1011 only occurred in my childhood in the twilight of this wonderful aircraft. I will always cherish the memories I had flying on them. This aircraft is the reason I love aviation. Also I can see the old L-1011 at MKC in Kansas City, MO. Its a must see for any aviation enthusiast.
It's very fitting you have uploaded that video as 2012 marks Lockheed Martin's centennial.
Just beautiful!
Best three engines widebody of it's time!
Thanks for posting. I was at the rollout as a young engineer working on the autopilot. I flew on many automatic landings in this test aircraft tweeking gains and getting air sick due to the smell of jet fuel in the cabin which had no real interior at that time. This airplane had an advanced autoland system which was eventually certified for CAT III blind landings. It used Direct Lift Control (DLC) spoilers to hold the glidepath without pitching the aircraft. Pilots loved the autopilot.
a very happy birthday tristar i worked on tristars for long time they were great to fly on and to work on..it would be nice to no if there are any tristars flying now?....
stunning aircraft. I fixed/flew on them for 2 years.
What a truly amazing video, thanks. What a truly majestic airliner! And this video is so nostalgic... Ahh.. the music too is really great.. wish I could travel back in time.. I miss seeing the TriStar around airports.. it was so sexy!
What a beauty she is :)
being hoping this video existed bought a book about the l1011 some years back the front cover had the plane in rotation on its maiden flight best plane of its era with a fantastic safety record thanks for posting video
when watching the initial flight, I figured at the beginning that the test would be done 'gear down', but it was great to see that they raised them, and lowered them for landing. Thank you Lockheed for a fantastic aircraft! And thank you for the video.
I loved flying in them,the great sound from the RR engines I miss them
Favorite real jet, behind the 727. I was lucky enough to ride cockpit jumpseat once in a Delta L-1011 from PDX to SLC back in the early 90's. Best jumpseat by far, of any commercial jet. What a beautiful plane. Flew on one as a kid in '72 or '73 from LAX to DFW (I think), again, on a brand new Delta.
My Dad worked on these airplanes for over 10 years for Delta . He tells me these where great planes , Extremely easy to work on
This is my Favorite Aircraft because it's one of a kind and i remember flying for the first time in this aircraft .
Such a Cool plane
Nice lefty Les Paul!
Thanks so much for posting this, have wanted to see it for ages. Thanks also for your Air New Zealand DC-10 video.
I USED TO LOVE THE BIG WIDE SEAT QUITE TAKE OFF AND TOUCHDOWN LEG ROOM. SOFTIST LANDING EVER FOR ME.
It was automatic
One of the best commercial planes ever made. Powerful with brilliant maneuvering capabilities, took me in several trips, better than the contemporary DC-10, but consumption was high according to pilots I talked to. Taking off was really that...literally pushing the ground and climbing strong and fast.
3:45 4:01 4:37 4:49 looks incredible taking off and climbing
What a treasure, thank you got sharing.
Brother retired from Delta after 30 years, as a Captain (for many years) on the L-1011. You wouldn't find (well, maybe) someone that praises that aircraft more than he.
While working for JAL at LAX, from 1971 thru 1979, I logged a lot of miles on the Tristar, most of that coming while flying the livery of TWA. Funny that many younger commercial aviation enthusiasts only seem to remember Eastern's 401 and Delta's 191.
I was there when that first flight occurred. Glen Fisher, the Flt. Engineer was a good friend of mine. Actually I took some of my first training flights on Ship 1 and 2 qualifying as a Production Flight Test Flight Engineer.
You can almost taste that wonderful feeling of post WW2 optimism in this film, we never knew how good we had it did we.
Brilliant footage I flew many Tristar flights across america Mostly Delta so the race was on between the L10 11 and the DC 10 both spectacular Tri jets
Since I never got a chance to ride the L-1011, Lately, I wish those things are still in production and still in service.
Beautiful
I'd forgotten about the "Los Angeles Intercontinental Airport" until watching this!
Palmdale is my hometown. Flew to my honeymoon on a TriStar =)
L-1011's 1st flight, was just after my 10th birthday.
damn, i'm old.
Yes you are
The L-1011 was a magnificent aircraft and without question - one of the best airliners of all time and with an exceptional safety record. I loved flying on board the L-1011.
One of the best aircrafts, much better then the DC10. I worked in the 70's for an airline and have been several times in Palmdale.
Great video! Is the entire thing available somewhere?
First glance at title says L-1011 Tristar Porno Film, although it was wrong, it was quite accurate after watching it.
Exactly, on both counts. :)
I used to have it titled, Lockheed L-1011 Tristar - "Rollout & First Flight" - 1970. Shall we go back the original title do you guys think?
OK, either way is fine with me. : - )
Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture No, this is perfect :)
70's test pilot is my dream job
fun fun fun
True that, society is officially screwed today, powers that be trying to shafts everyone
Thanks for uploading this! I never got to fly on the Tristar, but I'm almost 38 and have never flown with Delta, and that explains that. AFIK, Delta operated about 70 Tristars, and I believe it, because I used to see so many at airport gates,
David Halligan In the 80's, I used to fly on them about once a month. It was an amazing plane...by far my favorite. And the sound of the RB211 on takeoff was awesome. Most beautiful jetliner ever to fly.
The nose of N1011 is resting peacefully at Delta Air Lines' museum near ATL, DL's world HQ.
N1011?
Prototype L1011 seen here
carried the reg N1011.
I'm in Salt Lake City, which is a hub for Delta. We used to see tons of Delta L-1011s back in the 80s and 90's.
Ronald Reagan was the great president. He passed away in ten years ago. He was ninety three.
I was in the USA when Nancy Reagan passed away. I remember watching it on airport screens and thinking wow that lady looks graceful.
I heard L-1011 had advanced avionics than any other aircraft produced in that era.
Pay Atteontion to 2:37 to 2:39 into this clip The movement of the tailplane (the horizontal stabilizer) moves up and down. I have see this on An Air Transat L-1011-500 at pearson airport in Toronto..
an article read that the slats broke on this first flight. you can see it land without the slats.
I first flew on one(Delta) back in the 70's from Stapleton to DFW. Very quiet plane...I liked it more than the DC-10. I actually flew out of DFW the day after the crash of one...I believe it was caused by a microburst near the approach end of the runway. Very sad to see the wreckage as we departed.
From a day when California wasn't afraid to have actual manufacturing, and even commercial aircraft being built there. California was am amazing place back then, it's pretty much over now though, it's lost all it's most skilled people.
The Captain on this first flight was Hank Dees...the co-pilot was Ralph Cokely...the Flight Engineer was my future boss Glen Fisher and the Flight Test Engineer was Ron Bray....after returning from Viet Nam, I got a job with Lockheed as a Flight Engineer Instructor on the L-1011 TriStar.
That must have been amazing!
1:25 : Reagan shuts up
Flew on one to and from Belgium on Delta in '96 while TDY with the Army.
This bird was far superior to the DC-10 in every possible way. If Lockheed had offered Pratt & Whitney and GE power plants as options along with the Rolls Royce's, then it's quite possible that the DC-10 would have been relegated as an insignificant footnote in aviation history, and the nearly 1,000 passengers and crew members that it killed may have gone on to live long and productive lives.
My favourite plane,and I love the low 'coffee grinder hum' noise from the engines. The Tristar was built around the then new and innovative Rolls Royce RB211 engines - when these were delayed by developmental and financial problems in the UK, then the plane was a bit late as well. But the RB211 were fine engines,eventually developed in the 90's into the Trent series of engines which are today used in 40% of modern planes. [sourced from wiki]
frglee Yes, I recall that delay in development was a serious problem. I agree that this equpment was far superiior to the Douglas product.
A fair opinion.
You would even know where it flew if I handed you an Atlas and asked you to stick a pin 100 miles outside your own State, insular dumb yank.
frglee But Lockheed never recovered from that delay!
Ah, the sweet ache of deep nostalgia . . Just the quality of that video conjures up the magic of childhood in the 70s.
The tristar was the coolest looking, safest plane ever made. Most advanced for its time. . Too bad Lockheed doesn't build em for the civil market anymore.
Thank RR for that, and airliners choosing the three most dangerous pos in aviation, save the British Comet, the DC10.
nostalgia
0:42 - L1011 price tag was $50 mil. Nowadays A320 price tag is over $80 mil.
Flew the L-1011 SO MANY times on Delta.
Ben Schaeffer has no
I loved flying this a/c to Europe when I was a Flight Attendant for TWA. We really enjoyed the lower galley (a great place to take a break away from passengers.....and have a smoke! LOL)
!!!the same on Ilyushin 86))))
Excellent
Who was the launch customer for the TriStar when it was introduced?
Why did they cut off the segment and not show the Flight Engineer, Glen Fisher, and Flight Test Engineer (can't remember)that also were on that first flight?
@TFinSF is LAIA now known as LAX, the los angeles airport ?
They were a wonderful aircraft. The perfect coach seating too before the airlines stuffed the 5th center seat in.
notice that lockheed had the confidence to retract the gear on the maiden test flight. Nobody does that. Not even today.
what a beautiful aircraft.
I like how the rear engine is mounted lower than on the DC-10. This looks like it gives it more usable rudder surface area?
I have no complaints to the video quality. You must have replied to the wrong comment, friend!
Christopher Digital The engine is mounted in a similar way to the tri-jet Boeing 727, the air intake being on the top edge of the fuselage and the air going through a smooth s curve down to the centrally mounted jet intake. I believe that the L-1011 was the ONLY jet to use a central end-of-fuselage jet and two wing-mounted jets.
GOODSTUFF!
Do you have the entire video for this or the DC-10 version?
no the book is volume 8 airlinertech by jim upton the plane looks like the test plane and its in the air not taking off the photo i was on about is in the book though i do apologize theres one on e bay at the moment if your after one it has a couple of days left
Eastern, TWA, Delta.....
The DC-10 and L-1011 were amazingly similar: Trijets rolled out in 1970 with 237” & 235” circular cross sections and manufactured near L.A..
Not surprisingly, airlines were easily able to leverage one jet against the other for pricing.
If one of the manufactures had bailed out of this game of chicken, both would have benefited, IMO.
Perhaps one company should have opted for a fuselage more like the 767. Initially, this would be a trijet but later ETOPS rules would allow a twinjet.
Is there more of the video?
My favorite commercial plane!!!
During the 1970s, the L-1011 was the most popular ride for those of us who spent a good deal of time in the sky, the era before teleconferencing and Internet travel. Are there any of these planes still in service?
+robert glenn Sadly, only two or three worldwide, Robert. I wish I'd had the opportunity to fly on one myself.
Sick Note It makes me sick whenever I see a video of the boneyards where once elegant jets are retired to simply rot in the desert sun or otherwise scavenged. Wish I was a rich man. I'd buy an L-1011 and spend the remainder of my days flying all over the place and picking up likewise fans for a long ride.
I'm with you there, Robert. If you ever get that together and need a co-pilot, count me in.
+robert glenn I remember flying on a Delta L-1011 from Atlanta to Orlando back in 1989 (They were the official Airline of Disney or something like that). Nice ride it was.
anyone know if there are any of these still out there? flying or static but full aircraft
Maybe parked at Victorville