Lockheed L-1011-500

Lockheed · United States · first flew 1978 · airliner

The L-1011-500 is the long-range, shortened variant of the TriStar, sacrificing passenger capacity for intercontinental range through a reduced fuselage, additional fuel and active aerodynamic controls.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	3 × turbofan, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Shortened fuselage of 50.05m vs the baseline L-1011-1's 54.2m — the clearly reduced window count and compressed nose-to-wing proportion distinguish it from the longer variant
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Shortened fuselage of 50.05m vs the baseline L-1011-1's 54.2m — the clearly reduced window count and compressed nose-to-wing proportion distinguish it from the longer variant
Three RB211 engines: two underwing and one via a straight-through S-duct intake above the rear fuselage centre; the S-duct engine is flush within the tail rather than in a pod atop the fin as on the 727
Active aileron control system (unique feature for its era) and extended-span outer wing panels for improved cruise efficiency on ultra-long-haul sectors

Shorter fuselage than the L-1011-1/100/200 (50.05m vs 54.2m) is the primary visual cue; three RB211 engines with the distinctive flush S-duct centre installation distinguish all TriStar variants from twin-engine widebodies; the active aileron gives no external visual cue.

Specifications

The Lockheed L-1011-500 has a length of 50.05 m (164 ft).
It has a wingspan of 50.1 m (164 ft).
Its maximum speed is 972 km/h (604 mph).
Typical crew: 3 flight crew.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The L-1011-500 first flew in October 1978 and entered service with British Airways in 1979. Lockheed developed it to offer airlines an intercontinental TriStar capable of routes such as London–Los Angeles non-stop, competing with the DC-10-30. It incorporated extended outer wing panels and an innovative active aileron system for ride quality improvement.

Variants

The -500 is the final significant TriStar variant; the earlier -100, -200 and -250 variants all retained the longer fuselage of the original -1.

Where you'll see it

Operated by British Airways, Delta Air Lines, TAP Portugal and Gulf Air; the British Airways fleet served long-haul routes from Heathrow until retirement in the 1990s. Delta later acquired examples from former Eastern operations.

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