The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar first took the skies more than 50 years ago, and the aircraft was one of the key players at the time, as the jet age entered its next stage of evolution. Here's a look at the rise and fall of the L-1011 TriStar, from innovative technology to limited commercial success. Fulfilling demand After six years of work, the Lockheed California Company made the first delivery of the L-1011 TriStar in April 1972.
The first operator of the aircraft was Eastern Airlines , which entered the plane into service in the same month it was received. However, it was another US-based carrier that spurred the project to get underway. According to AeroTime , American Airlines required a plane that could transfer its passengers from the carrier's hubs in New York and Dallas to destinations across the Atlantic and to South America.
So, the carrier's chief engineer, Frank Kolk, contacted the three big players in the aircraft manufacturing game - Boeing , Douglas, and Lockheed. Boeing was occupied with the development of the 737 and 747 at the time, and it was something in between these two eventual mainstays that American Airlines needed - the carrier wanted to transport more customers than the 737 but something more fuel-efficient than the 747. Thinking big Douglas' solution was the DC-10, which drew significant inspiration from one of its predecessors, the DC-8.
Lockheed, however, went all in and sought to create something innovative and fresh. Ultimately, it wanted to mak.