· ............ J. ........LI~..L 5 E R I E 5 LOCKHEED VOLUME 8 - • Design and Manufacturing Details • Flying Hospital · • First Auto-Land Airliner • Flight Test and Certification I~~_ Rocket Launcher • Pilot Interviews AIRLINERTECH 5 E R I E 5 8 VOLUME LOCKHEED D By JIM UPTON COPYRIGHT © 2001 JIM UPTON Published by Specialty Press Publishers and Wholesalers 11605 Kost Dam Road North Branch, MN 55056 United States ofAmerica (651) 583-3239 Distributed in the UK and Europe by Midland Publishing 4 Watling Drive Hinckley LElO 3EY England ISBN1-58007-037-X All rights reserved. No partofthisbookmaybereproduced or transmittedinanyform orbyany means, electronic or mechanicalincluding photocopying, recording, orby anyinformationstorage and retrieval system, withoutpermissionfrom the Publisherinwriting. Materialcontained in thisbookis intended for historicaland entertainmentvalue only, and is nottobe construed as usablefor aircraftorcomponentrestoration, maintenance, or use. Printed inChina TitlePage: L-I011 TriStar One taxis at Lockheed Palmdale, pastJoshua trees, during earlyflight testing in 1970. Firstflight was on 16November 1970. (LockheedMartin) FrontCover: Lockheed TriStar One (msn 1001), thefirst L-I011, on atestflight outofPalmdale, California. The snowcapped Sierra Mountains are in the background. (Lockheed, ChuckMercerCollection) BackCover (LeftTop): Extensivemodifications on theaft bottomfuselage ofthe L-I011 tankerfor theRoyalAirForce include two retractable refuelingdrogues andtheassociatedequipmentincludingtheexternal lights. Capacityfor an additional 100,000 pounds offuel was added with new tanks in the cargo bay. (Marshall ofCambridgeAerospace) Back Cover (Right Top): Exploded view ofthe Rolls-Royce RB.211 propulsion systemfor the two wing position engines on the L-1011. (Lockheed) BackCover(RightLower):Fatigue testL-I011 was thesecondairframeofftheproductionline, msn1000. Loadswereapplied to theairframeandcontrolsurfaces usinghydraulicjacks attachedto thefixtures in the photo. Loadsapplied to thefatigue test airframe representedaprofile simulating84,000flights. (Lockheed, DaveSteinbacherCollection) AIRLINERTECH TABLE OF CONTENTS LOCKHEED L-I0ll TRISTAR Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5 And Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Birth of the TriStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7 Design, Development, and Manufacture Chapter 2 L-lOll Features 23 The World's Most Innovative Jetliner Chapter 3 Tests & Certification 39 Testing Started Before the First Flight Chapter 4 Airline Operations 47 The Original 18 Airlines Color Section TriStar in Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 65 Past and Present Chapter 5 Aerial Hot Rod 73 L-1011-500 - The Most Advanced TriStar Chapter 6 TriStar Derivatives 81 Rocket Launcher and The Flying Hospital , Chapter 7 Current Operators 93 Still Going Strong After 30 Years Appendix A Production List 99 All of the L-1011 TriStars ·f· . Appendix B SpeCI lcatlons 103 Model Designations and Specifications Table Appendix C Significant Dates 104 Key Dates in the History of the Lockheed L-101l TriStar LOCKHEED L-l0n TRI~TAR b FOREWORD ByELLIOTTA. GREEN W hen our Lockheed man Tests were thenperformedonall stand that there are many different agement launched the major components to assure that the configurations for a modern air TriStar, the airplane was components and systems would plane which are to be provided to configured to meet our basic work properly together. A complete different airlines. Jim has done a requirement. That was, to produce airplane was exposed to the flight very thorough job in documenting the best aircraft of its time. In order loads to duplicate its design life thestoryofthe L-IOll. to meet that objective each system expectancy. In effect, it was flown and major component was designed beforethefirstL-IOll took tothe air. and planned in detail. All systems Jim Upton's description in this ElliottA. Green were duplicated in the laboratory book creates a picture of the air November2000 and were operated under the flight plane, its configurations, and its loads to assure the final product performance. He also provides the wouldmeettherequirements. reader an opportunity to under- ElliottA. Green playedamajorrole in thedesign, development, andfielding ofthe Lockheed L-I011. His involvementwith the L-I011 started in the design phase as Assistant ChiefEngineer,followed by a number ofprogressing management positions includingL-I011 ChiefEngineerand culminatingin Lockheed Vice Presidentand GeneralManager ofCommercial Programs. (Lockheed) AIRLINERTECH 4 INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS L ockheed's history with airlin ment of the mammoth C-5A Galaxy ture of the L-1011. This new process ers goes back to 1927 with its transport, the C-141 transport, and offered a lightweight structure with .revolutionary single-engine, theJetStar. essentially unlimited fatigue life. six-passenger Vega, followed by the The avionics on the TriStar were The bonding technique eliminated later single-engine Sirius, Altair, and five to tenyears aheadofthe compe 200,000 rivets and fasteners on the Orion models. In 1934 the all-metal tition. The Lockheed Autoland sys L-1011 which meant 200,000 fewer twin-engine model 10 Electra was tem was the only systemthe Federal holes to crack or corrode, making the fastest airliner in the sky. In 1943 Aviation Administration would the TriStar the most corrosion resis the four-engine triple-tail Constella allow to land in zero-zero weather tantairlinerin theworldatthetime. tion made its first flight leading to a for over 10 years. Commercial flight From a safety standpoint the series of Constellation models that and transport flight management L-1011 was designedwithredundan wereproduced until 1958. In Decem were pioneered by the L-1011. The cy on all systems. It had four sepa ber 1957 the four-engine turboprop Lockheed Flight Management Sys rate and independent hydraulic sys ElectrawithmanyadvancedJeatures tem worked in conjunction with the tems, four electrical systems, three made its first flight which led to a autopilot systems to provide fuel environmental control systems, and productionrunof170aircraft. savings while significantly reducing two separate automatic landing sys In 1966 Lockheed started work crewworkload. tems,eachwithdualcomputers. on what would become the most The Rolls-Royce RB.211 high A publication like this would technologically-advanced jetliner in bypass turbofan engine was the not be possible without the help of the world, the L-1011 TriStar. Lock largest, quietest, and most fuel-effi many people. I would like to thank heed was able to draw on its tech cientturbofan ofthe time. the following. For their extensive nology experience from the devel Lockheed made the bold deci selection of photos, Jim Fitzgerald, opment of the triple-sonic high-alti sion to use advanced metal-to-metal Dave Steinbacher, and Ken Mims. tude SR-71 Blackbird and develop- bonding techniques in the manufac- For their photos and information, Two Lockheedairliners from different eras.make an interestingcompari son. The 1934Lockheed Madella Electra was as advancedfor its day as the L-10ll wasfor the 1970s. The la-passen- ger Electra cruisedat 190 mphand the wide body TriStar could cruiseat575mphand carryup to 400 passen gers. (LockheedMar tin Corporation) LOCKHEED L-IOH 5 Chuck Mercer, Doug Triplat, Tom Methods Mike Prieto and Mike Lockheed L-IOll Vice President Doll, John Whittenbury, Stephen Thompson; Victoria Morley at Mar Robert V. Williams for his review Griffin, Tony Landis, Chuck Duty, shall of Cambridge Aerospace; and suggestions;Jackie Pate ofDelta John Souders, Hans Van Wijk, Joe Robert Baughniet of Rolls-Royce; Airlines; Elliott A. Green for his Carrillo, Ron Hart, and Sal Chavez. Barry Beneski, Mark Gamache, and review and foreword; and my wife Special thanks go to Denny Lom Dave Baumgartner of Orbital Sci Carol for her research, editing, and bard, Tom Crawford, and Bob ences. I would also like to thank Bill supportivepatience. Owenby of Lockheed Martin; Sandy Weaver for his interview and hospi Tatay of American Trans Air; at the tality on the Stargazer; Captain Foe Jim Upton Flying HospitalAlison Snook; atAir Geldersma for his interview; former November 2000 Lockheedplant10in Palmdale nearcompletion ofconstruction. The large buildingin theforeground is building 602 where the L-1011s were built. This was aone-million-square-foot productionfacility sized to support production of36 L-1011s per year. Building602,theflight testandstructuraltestfacility, isthebuildingabove601. A taxiwayleads to theadjacent U.S. AirForce Plant 42 runways. (Lockheed, ChuckMercerCollection) .. AIRLINERTECH 6 --_._-- ------- BIRTH OF THE TRISTAR DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND MANUFACTURE I nitial design work on what The L-1011 with Rolls-Royce Douglas DC-10 were remarkably would become the Lockheed RB.211 engines was launched in similar. Both had been built to the L-IOll started in 1966.American March1968with144firm ordersand same specification established by a u.s. Airlines had circulated a statement options, including 50 each from consortiumof airlines,and even of its requirements, based on traffic Eastern Air Lines and Air Holdings, more specifically,hadbeendesigned forecasts, to several U.S. airframe and 44 from Trans World Airlines within the constraints imposed by manufacturers including Lockheed (TWA). Before long additional construction details of New York's and McDonnell Douglas. Basically orders followed from Delta Air LaGuardiaAirport. This airport was this projected a need for a large Lines, Northeast Airlines, and Pacif a hub used by many domestic air commercial short- to medium-haul ic Southwest Airlines. Meanwhile, lines, and operationally, the most transport to alleviate increasing air one month earlier, McDonnell Dou restrictive. As a result the 178-foot port congestion. American Airlines glas received an order from Ameri overall length and ISS-foot also visualized that two large tur canAirlines for 50 DC-las, followed wingspan were fixed by the maneu bofan engines should power the in late April by an order from Unit vering space available between La transport and it should have edAirLines for another60aircraft. Guardia's terminal fingers. Overall dimensions and performance tai performance parameters were influ lored for operation from smaller DC-IO Comparison enced by runway lengths and gross airports, with La Guardia Airport weight. The landing gear geometry, beingspecificallymentioned. Outward appearances of the which determined footprint and Lockheed's design, meeting the LockheedL-1011 and the McDonnell track, were largely established by requirements of American Airlines as well as other operators, had a maximum gross weight of 300,000 pounds. This design also had a passenger capacity of 250 and the capability for 1,850 nautical-mile flights such as from Chicago to San Francisco. Powerplants were two SO,OOO-pound-thrustturbofans. FROM Two ENGINES TO THREE By mid-1967 most of the major airlines favored a three-engine con figuration designed to meetthe same mission requirements as the twin-engine version, but also having transcontinental-range capabilityand affording better route flexibility. Resulting from further evaluationby the airlines, the three-engineconfigu rationgrew inseatingcapacityto330 Lockheed TriStar Oneflying over U.S. AirForce Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. passengers, engine thrust to 42,000 The Lockheed plant is located in the bottom centerofthe photowith the large white pounds, and gross weight to over roofed building. The taxiwayfrom the plant to the runway can beseen. (Lockheed, 400,000poundsfor additionalrange. George Bollinger Collection) LOCKHEED L-IOH Tln~TAI 7 - mentwiththe enginemountedinthe 176'4" ---------53.745M--------- aft fuselage. Tests on the L-IOll TYPE AENTRY installation showed efficiency loss of 142X761 IN. 1.0X1.9M the engine to be negligible and also I showed positive gains in directional IT12Y4PXE6101EXINIT. stability and maintainability of the 0,61X1,5M engine. Additionally, the aft fuselage engine installation resulted in an improved aerodynamic aft-fuselage configurationthatinturnallowedfor awiderimprovedaftcabinlayout. L-I011 FEATURES TYPE 1EXIT 124X60)IN. TYPEAENTRY 0.61X1.5M Desire for improved operational 142X761IN. 1.0X1.9M performance and safety of flight led to the inclusion of three advanced 19'7" 12351IN. technologyfeatures in the flight con 5.97M trol system: full power controls, SEEFIGURE 2.3 backedupbyfour fully independent hydraulic systems; a flying stabilizer to eliminate the dangers of miss-trim during takeoff; and direct lift control to provide a rapid verti !"----------5147.71'58M"----------{ cal response in maintaining a required approachdescentpath, SCALE An overall goal in the design of 5 10 15 METERS k::; : the airframe structure was to pro vide an airframe with essentially o 200 400 600 INCHES unlimited fatigue life, an assurance that the aircraftwould notrun into a major structural problem during its projected lifetime. Of the various actions taken by Lockheed to satisfy this goal, the commitmentto employ 155'4" 1---------47.344M--------! extensive metal-to-metal bonding in the fuselage was probably the most 2.2 GENERALAIRPLANEDIMENSIONS important, providing significant MODELSL·1011·1,·100,·200 advantages for long fatigue life, August 1978 improved fail~safe capability, and corrosionresistance, LockheedL-l011generalaircraftdimensionsfor theoriginalmodelsofthewide-body The avionics flight control sys TriStar, The L-1011-500 was shorter with longer wings and was the long-range tem, the autopilot, the flight controls, version ofthe 1011. (Lockheed) and the cockpit displays were devel opedwithsafeandpreciseall-weath the unusual construction of La McDonnell Douglas opted for a er automatic landing as a prime con Guardia's runways, extending onto straight-through duct arrangement sideration. For the first time, auto piersreachingoverFlushingBay. with the engine mounted on the fin matic landing was certificated in an Between the two aircraft, the for optimum engine performance, initial airplane certification program most noticeable difference was in Lockheed, after conducting extensive for all-weather landing conditions the installation of the aft engine. tests, opted for an S-duct arrange- downto, andincluding,International .. 8 Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) cations were strengthening of the air Launch customer was British Air category IIIa, which allows landing frame structure and landing gear to ways, followed by many existing with zero ceiling conditions and 700 achieve a gross weight of 496,000 TriStar customers, as well as by Pan feet of horizontal runway visibility. pounds and the installationof50,000 American, British West Indies Air However, automatic landing was pound-thrust RB.211-524B engines. ways(BWIA),andTAP-AirPortugal. only part of the total avionics flight control system that provided manual or automatic modes of control throughout the total flight envelope, from takeofftolandingrollout. Firstflight ofthe L-1011-1 TriStar was on November 16, 1970 and deliveries began in April 1972. Sig nificant additions to the launching airlines were Air Canada, All Nip pon Airways (ANA), British Air ways, and Lufttransport-Unter Largest Sale Ever Launches L-10ll nehmen(LTU). Eastern, TWA, British Group To All Calac Employees: GROWTH MODELS Place Orders for 144 Planes; S/;tTllifc,e.tIDInilJl'lOolfmtchcemmCaIlrItcsaigrrniiefdicainnttdil~l'I'm~/l;oopimle/iltllKlscinoltwi,nerIuJisCttn1rl}. ' ofmlrcOli/pm'.". The maximum gross weight .Rolls-Royce Engines Chosen CaIlIifprrmpricll.{Crfll1l,1'I1:/IH(1mtyfl'mmIrllnidllmliult'tclcohr/i/c(\l'fcf1tmliQ.'/nIrwblwy1,I1/1(1I.1f'(t''witlllrkfri,l1e soI'C'Y/t(lrdmu!.mn",."fOllgtomakefllispossi#J/r. of the basic L-1011-1 model, with Orders for 144 Lockheed L-101I trans 4. HaughtonrevealedthaianoJf~tpur .rlrr/sskimlOif'"fw,hlxmic'Y()O'IdflJlruinw!r:b,1e1(l.''n/ueuxlpofe.nre-d{fa/0)·s(.1m1?irlrlflJleflllll/lIm,'l.ltlrtlll,"'tI' portswereannouncedtodayatahastilySUlIl eha...ehasbeennegotiated10preventanad )'01/tlml)'011\1'(',...1101(//nnt'.t/oll'cw·r.IlI'i,.../,tofIlld'I/lieUy 42,000-pound-thrust Rolls-Royce LmoOciklehdeendewBsoacrodnCfehreanircmeainnDNaenwielYJ.orHka,u:gmhd uvsecrsoefctlhlccetBorintisUh.-Sb.uigllolednglIionwc,rTeshueltoinlTgl'Cftroamr ItehammIia/lmtill'lXlorerf'l:Io/el'lIi,l\,'a(f,imonmsl-fno.rtf/lJkf'lilrol(l}'1I)'1/.1~1f/ma/lrfiel-lgoIf'iellre(o'rmL·f/I/Oll"IcI. tonpromptly<l11110Ullce<.!thaithenew-gcncra rangemcnt provides for purchase of 50 Ial.mwnnt10gil'crccnt:"itionfoallOllrolherpcoill" il/fl/l' RB.211-22B engines, was finally tiontrijetlransportwillproceedimmediately L-IIII!'sbyaBritishlinn,AirIh.ldings,Ltd. ,'mill/lillY11"110JUII'enll/illlai/ledthdrI'('rfomlmlce'dl/rillK/lIi,f intoproduction. nCllresclllill~Rollsoltu)"cc111theJleI'Sellll' period1/1/(1toIJ/II,ft'orglllllZnfimlS11'111111/I1'cIImlln/flake.m(' The folluwing disclosures were lIltlde in fercnccwasDavidP.HlHldic,nHHlugingdi ri(iccsofkey1'('r.fVu"C'Itothe1011/Iro!:mm. established at 430,000 pounds. With quicksucces.~ion: reclor-Aero Engine Division, Rolls-Royce WelU1I'('bC/'1IlookingforwardfOfhi.rt!f,yInrII'mlf~,(0I11-: I. EasternAirlines'BoardChainllanand Ltd. til'!I',11/111II'"IU/I'"CI'I'f.Vright1(1hI'proudmI(lIIfl/lP),.1111101 minimal structural modifications CnohuienfceEdx.tehc:uutivEeasUteJlrincewr,ilFllobyudyD50, lLll-liIlO.IaIn's· encLeo,ciknh:eteddditirucnprc1.0~eHtlatu:1n!ihvlcOslIn,twethreethcoenCfe(Jrr tchOeII..lfi/i/f1{IeI1r'1l1i1l1/'ll'joIh{f"l,llIile'al'd('.1\'('IIlliStbeSl'riollsfltldhumbled.f11"1' fordeliveryin1971. poration's prc.~idcllt. A. Carl Knlchian; T'>f/lly',tamlOl/lICCII/Nl111lIwcllC,flISagain iJlfo"ll' ('0111 the L-1011-100 was later certificated 2. Charles C. Tillinghast Jr., President Chuck Wagner, Cabe presidenl; and Dab l1Il'rci,l!airemllbIUit/cS.f(Inti(II fll"samc Ilml'pmjl'CfSIU andChiefExecutiveOnicerofTrailSWorld Bailey.Ci,lacvice-presidentand 1011 pro illlo,memn/n(lflOrtllnitics,cfmllell!:t.'.t,'lnt!Rrl'I/'re.fporai Airlines,announced;'\grcements10purchase grammanager. billtics. to operate at gross weights up to 443L.,.T.1h0e11a'si,rcforarfdtewliivllerbyestpaortwinegreidnb1y97t2h.ree lhoFuog.lhlotowninsagidththeesloertaielssaolefs"aanlnuoeuonfcethmeen14ts4. corTllOherlltfiimOleIahlillSdo/lQllrII'elclsofmllmeefrosrhuasvetoexjlp'-rfetils>s'edrilill'l/t"I,ielhplt'l0lmI,lt''h0e1 466,000 pounds, allowing the addi R~~olels~·~R~o~yc~e~~tRiB~-2:1:1;~~a~dava~nhc~end-~t~ec~h~n~o~lorg:y: alairrgceraslftcwomoumldercbiealaahiorcurtaf$t2p.1u6rchbaislleioinn-hthise· tLh·eIOCuIIl,l/oommia/wCeoimnpellvlleyrybyortglladnriwmlpiopnormll(llsnfdpuulcfoertmioll\lo'dflliilnt' tory. (PleaselumpaKe) (ptens~IIlrnpage) tion of center-section fuel for addi tional range. The L-1011-200 TriStar had the same structural changes as the Dash 100, but was powered by 48,000-pound-thrust RB.211-524 engines. Gulf Air, Saudia, and British Airways were among the operators ofthis Dash200version. The L-1011-500 model was the IG\ng-range member of the family. --""- Fuel capacity was increased to allow afull passengerload (246passengers) over 6,000 miles. Modifications to the basic TriStar included the removal of fuselage sections fore and aft of the wing to reduce fuselage length by The March 29, 1968front page ofthe Lockheed Star announced the launch ofthe about 13 feet; and the addition of L-1011 program with orders for 144 widebodies powered by Rolls-Royce RB.211 wing tips to achieve a nine-foot engines. Totalsalesvaluewouldbeabout2.16billiondollars, thelargestcommercial increase in the wingspan, a change aircraft purchase in history. Launch customers were Eastern Airlines with 50 that included the incorporation of aircraft, Trans World Airlines with 44 aircraft, and the Britishfirm Air Holdings active control ailerons. Other modifi- Limitedwith 50aircraft. (WayneMohrCollection) LOCKHEED L-]@U TRI~riR 9