Don Pierce send me an original transcript from the Lockheed-California Company Newsbureau. This news release highlighted the features of the L-1011 Tristar to the public:
NEWSBUREAU, LOCKHEED-CALIFRORNIA COMPANY(A DIVISION OF LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION)BURBANK, PHONE (213) 847-5730BURBANK, Calif. -- The L-1011 TriStar is the first in a series of Lockheed wide-bodied commercial airliners designed to meet the traffic demands of the 1970s and beyond.
One of the new generation of advanced technology jetliners, the three-engine L-1011 will be one of the most flexible commercial transport aircraft in airline inventories when it first enters service in April 1972.
The basic version of the TriStar, now in production, will carry loads of 250 to 400 passengers and cargo over distances of more than 3,500 statue miles (5,600 km). Its maximum capacityis 45,750 pounds.
Its three Rolls-Royce RB.211 turbofan engines offer two outstanding features: economic fuel consumption and low nose and smoke emissions well below Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
The TriStar will operate on short, medium and long haul routes, as well as over many transoceanic routes. Size of this aircraft has been based upon the knowledge that an airliner capable of this versatility will fulfill most of the free world traffic requirements in the 1970s and beyond.
The Rolls-Royce RB.211 engine for the basic L-1011 is a high bypass-ratio turbofan design, rated at 42,000 pounds (18,180 kg) of maximum takeoff thrust. Inherent in the design is the capability to produce higher thrust without major modifications.
The TriStar's propulsion arrangement, with two engines mounted on pylons under the wings and a third at the rear of the fuselage, assures optimum balance, minimum structural weight and minimum aerodynamic drag.
The three-engine configuration was selected because it will offer greater growth potential in range and payload and give the airline operators better route versatility.
Compared with a two-engine transport, a three-engine aircraft can be dispatched under more adverse weather conditions and is subject to less constraint on over-water operations.
More efficient engines, advanced aerodynamic features and large passenger and cargo capacity will make the TriStar's direct operating costs per seat mile equal to or lower than those of earlier jetliners.
Sophisticated avionics systems provide the L-1011 with true all-weather operational capability necessary for safe, reliable airline service.
Introduction of the TriStar into scheduled service will require no major airport changes. The L-1011's takeoff and landing characteristics, low noise levels, "light footprint" landing gear, airport compatibility and a high degree of self-sufficiency where ground facilities are minimal will assure a smooth integration into the existing system of airports.
The basic TriStar is 178 feet, 8 inches long and has a wing span of 155 feet, 4 inches. Ground maneuvering capability will permit execution of sharp turns on runways, taxiways and in terminal paring areas.
Pavement stress with the TriStar will be no greater than those imposed by earlier jetliners. The L-1011 is equipped with a two-strut, four-wheel-bogie main landing gear.
Recognition of the public's concern with increasing noise in the vicinity of airports has influced development of the TriStar. The TriStar will be quieter than any commercial jet aircraft now flying or scheduled to enter airline service.
Lockheed's L-1011 will be from 60 to 70 per cent less annoying around airports than current DC-8/707 type jets and from 20 to 30 per cent less annoying than three-engine 727 aircraft.
in addition, L-1011 noise at airports will be substantially below the Federal Aviation Administration levels specified for new transport aircraft, which in many cases represent a 50 per cent reduction in noise heard by the human ear.
The TriStar's RB.211 turbofan engine achieves much of its thrust by passing about five times more air at low temperature and low velocity through the engine fan than through the engine core. High-temperature, high-velocity jet exhaust has been a primary noise source in previous engines.
Rolls-Royce has also eliminated fan inlet guide vanes and has optimized the spacing and number of outlet guide vanes to reduce the siren effect of the fan, particularly on approach, landing and taxiing.
The unique three-shaft construction of the Rolls-Royce engine permits more efficient design with no need for supercharging booster stages, all resulting in lower noise.
The efficient nose-absorbent lining for the engine ducts of the RB.211, developed jointly by Lockheed and Rolls-Royce, provides additional quieting, resulting in further lessening of airport noise.
Strategic location of passenger doors, eliminating overwing exits, in combination with a wide, spacious cabin provides L-1011 operators with great latitude in the choice of interior seating arrangements.
Improved passenger appeal is afforded by the spacious cabin which features roomier seats, a high, flat ceiling, sidewall storage cabinets for carry-on articles, wide-screen entertainment, and a tasteful decor. Two wide aisles, running the full length of the cabin, complement seating arrangements. The 19 foot 7 inch wide (5.97 m) interior is well suited for high-density seating without overcrowding, a feature of special interest to tour operators. Wide cross aisles between each pair of double-width entry doors make boarding and deplaning easier for passengers. Controls for passenger utilities such as reading lights, air outlets, stewardess call buttons, and entertainment are located conveniently in the seat arm rests.
Basic interior arrangements include seven lavatories, two forward and five aft, but additional lavatories are available as options. These are large, well lighted facilities featuring modular replenishment of service items and infant care facilities.
The below-deck galley, a Lockheed innovation, is a bonus feature made possible by the L-1011's large fuselage. It is completely equipped for the preparation and service of hot or cold foods and beverages, plus sufficient stowage space for two-meal service.
Foods and beverages are stowed in insulated serving carts that load directly through the galley's separate door, precluding interference with passenger and cargo loading, and aircraft servicing. Ovens, cold storage units, refrigerators, wast receptacles, and working areas are arranged efficiently within the twenty-foot long, six-foot high galley.
Food is prepared in high-speed ovens, returned to the carts, and lifted to the main cabin in two elevators. complete meals then are served to passengers from the carts.
An above-deck galley configuration is available for those airline operators with high cargo demands.
Baggage and cargo are accommodated below deck in three compartments -- forward, center and aft. The forward and center compartments are designed to accept preloaded containers. Four large full-width or eight half-width containers can be loaded in each of these compartments.
The containers conform to airline requirements for interchange-ability and can be rapidly loaded or unloaded by one man using an integral, power-driven handling system. The aft compartment is reserved for bulk material and animals. All compartments are pressurized, insulated and heated.
Other features of the L-1011 include provision for all-weather operations, a flying stabilizer and placement of the center engine in the aft fuselage.
Advanced fail-operational avionic equipment, together with direct lift control, make the L-1011 an all-weather aircraft. Glide slope and rate of descent deviations are minimized, thereby decreasing touchdown dispersion patterns.
Designed initially for Category II all-weather operation, avionic equipment now under development will qualify the aircraft for Category III all-weather landings. Designed for use with the basic automatic landing system, the new equipment an be installed at a later date.
Pitch control of the L-1011 is effected by movement of the entire horizontal stabilizer rather than by elevators alone. At low speeds, pitch control is increased the the use of elevators geared to the stabilizer, thus varying the control surface camber and increasing aerodynamic efficiency. The flying stabilizer precludes accidents associated with takeoff mistrim, runaway trim problems and jet upset because the pilot has continuous pitch control throughout the entire speed range of the aircraft.
Placing the center engine in the aft fuselage has both functional and ergonomic advantages. Gradual tapering of the fuselage to the engine diameter rather than to a relatively pointed tail cone increases the seating area in the aft cabin. Additionally, engine exhaust helps to reduce drag by effectively smoothing afterbody airflow.
The relatively low position of the center engine, as contrasted to one mounted above the fuselage, simplifies routine servicing and engine changes with a consequent reduction of maintenance cost. Through design interaction, the fuselage engine location also beneficially affects the height of the vertical tail, the position of the wing engines, the location oft he center fuselage passenger doors, and wing and tail structural weight.
The TriStar structure is designed for unlimited fatigue life, meaning that with normal maintenance and repair the life of the structure will be limited only by economic obsolescence.
Corrosion prevention is achieved by selected use of corrosion-resistant materials and surface protective coatings, use of sealants in the installation of all structural fasteners.
The fuselage is a semimonocoque shell consistent of aluminum alloy with skin and stringers supported by frames at 20-inch (50.8 cm) intervals. It will be pressure designed for a cabin altitude of 8,000 feet (2,438.4 m) at an altitude of 42,000 feet (12,801.6 m).
The wing structure is a two-spar box beam of upper and lower surface skins reinforced with stringer and rib installations.
The vertical fin is a two-spar box-beam design with a skin cover of aluminum sheet metal and stringers for reinforcement. The horizontal stabilizer is a box-beam spar assembly with a removable leading edge and tip.
Fuel capacity of the TriStar is 156,000 pounds (70,760 kg). Each wing contains two integral fuel tanks. The two inboard tanks feed the wing-mounted engines, and the outboard thanks collectively feed the after center engine through a flow equalizer.
There are four independent hydraulic systems in the L-1011 to provide safety and redundancy to flight controls. All four systems share equally the primary flight control loads. In addition, two of the systems carry secondary flight control loads and utility functions such as the leading edge devices, landing gear, brakes and nose wheel steering .
In normal operation, the landing gear is lowered hydraulically, but the pilot can unlatch the gear from the cockpit for free-fall lowering. The main wheel brakes have an anti-skid system for good braking control.
To achieve a low direct maintenance cost, the adoption of modular design concepts, "on-condition" predictive maintenance and progressive overhaul are provided for during design and development. The goal of the L-1011 maintainability program is to provide a design that is capable of being maintained during the period when the aircraft cannot be normally employed for revenue service.
The L-1011 has been designed for 99 per cent dispatch reliability and 99.8 per cent operational reliability.
The first L-1011 aircraft flew on November 16th, 1970. Following a testing and certification program involving five flying aircraft an two ground-test vehicles, TriStars will enter commercial service in April 1972.
While the L-1011 is the first of a planned family of airliners, the basic transport itself has considerable growth potential. This inherent design growth can be used to increase passenger capacity capability or to match future range requirements.
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