Lockheed L-1329 JetStar
| Lockheed L-1329 JetStar | |
|---|---|
 NASA's JetStar |
|
| Type: | Business jet |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
4th September 1957 |
| Commissioning: |
August 1961 |
| Production time: |
1957 to 1978 |
| Number of pieces: |
204 |
The Lockheed L-1329 JetStar (military name: Lockheed C-140 ) is one of the first business jets and one of the few with four engines . It is a low-wing aircraft with a pressurized cabin and retractable landing gear . Typical features are the cross tail, the four jet engines in the stern and the additional tanks through which the wings pass.
history
Development of the L-1329 began in 1956 due to a tender by the US Air Force for a light transport aircraft. The start of development was announced in March 1957. The first flight took place on September 4, 1957. The two prototypes were equipped with two Bristol Orpheus engines with 20.3 kN thrust each . Since there was no license agreement for production in the USA, Lockheed had to install four Pratt & Whitney JT12A-6 engines with 10.7 kN thrust each in one of the prototypes in December 1959 . This was the reason for the unique design with four engines, which were mounted on the right and left at the tail of the aircraft. The first production machine flew in the summer of 1960, the type certificate was granted in August 1961.
From mid-1963 Pratt & Whitney JT12A-6A engines with 11.4 kN thrust were used. In January 1967, a version with Pratt & Whitney JT12A-8 engines flew for the first time, generating 14.7 kN of thrust. In addition, improved brakes with an anti-skid system (ABS) and a device were installed so that the landing gear can be extended using compressed air in an emergency. This version was approved for aviation on July 6, 1967. It was also possible to convert earlier versions to this status.
With the availability of the Garrett AiResearch TFE731-3 engine with 16.45 kN thrust, a new version of this aircraft was created to reduce noise and fuel consumption. At the same time, the takeoff weight could be increased.
The development of this model with the designation Lockheed L-1329-25 Jetstar II began in October 1972. In the spring of 1975 the first machine was built, which took off on August 18, 1976 on its maiden flight. The FAA issued the type certificate on December 14, 1976. 40 machines were built between 1976 and 1979.
Garrett AiResearch offered a conversion kit and the first machine converted from JT-12 to TFE731-3 took off on July 10, 1974. The first converted customer machine took off on March 18, 1976 on its maiden flight.
A total of 204 JetStar units were built.
The last JetStar to fly (N313JS) was decommissioned in December 2019 and handed over to a museum in Marietta.
Military use
Five aircraft with the military designation C-140A were purchased by the US Air Force communications service to check navigational aids. The first of these machines were delivered in the summer of 1962.
Eleven machines were provided by the US Air Force for passenger transport. The first deliveries were made in the winter of 1961. Six machines were designed for VIP transport with a facility for three pilots and eight passengers, five machines with seating for 13 passengers.
Germany also used four L-1329 JetStar aircraft as VIP aircraft in the flight readiness of the Federal Ministry of Defense .
Military users
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Privately owned machines
Some examples of the L-1329 JetStar have survived to this day, including the two former private planes of Elvis Presley's , one of which can be viewed at Presley's former residence, Graceland .
Incidents
On January 16, 1968 collided JetStar the flight readiness near Bremen with a Piaggio P.149 the Lufthansa Pilot School . The two occupants of the single-engine propeller plane - flight instructor and student - perished and the jet was able to make an emergency landing at Bremen Airport .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Crew: | 3 (2 pilots and a flight engineer) |
| Passengers: | 6-10 |
| Span: | 16.41 m |
| Length: | 18.41 m |
| Height: | 6.22 m |
| Wing area: | 50.4 m² |
| Empty mass: | 11.3 t |
| Max. Takeoff mass: | 20.2 t |
| Cruising speed: | 880 km / h |
| Top speed: | 920 km / h |
| Summit height: | 13,100 m |
| Range: | 4,820 km |
| Engines: | JT-12 or TFE731-3 (JetStar II) |
literature
- Cadillac of the skies. In: AERO International , No. 3/2020, pp. 58-60
Web links
- History of the JetStar on YouTube , accessed February 16, 2020.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Air-Britain Aviation World, March 2020, p. 64.
- ↑ Maureen O'Hare: Elvis Presley's abandoned private jet is up for auction. In: CNN . June 21, 2018, accessed July 2, 2018 .
- ^ Aircraft Accident Piaggio P.149 D-EJCO. Aviation Safety Network, accessed August 26, 2015 .
| US Navy 1948 to 1962 | |
| USAF from 1948, US Navy from 1962 | |
| Parallel designation sequence from 1962 |
