History: Test Flight Images

Two more images showing N1011 and N301EA during test flights. The images are part of photographs released in the 1970s by Lockheed-California. The images are not dated but are, like most of the other images I have, from the archive of Don Pierce.

The image below shows N1011 repainted to a new demo scheme with the words "Advanced TriStar" on the tail. This is the paint scheme N1011 remained in until it was scrapped in 1992. You can see N1011 in its original paint scheme here.

History: N1011 Test Flight Images

Here are a few really cool shots of N1011 during test flights. The images are pictures published by Lockheed for press releases in the very early 1970s.

The image below shows Lockheed's N1011 with the still TWA painted N3001 in a little bit of L-1011 formation flying. The aircraft was later re-pained to Eastern Air Lines colors and sold to Eastern. 

Below shows N1011 chased by what appears to be N8544, however, it's hard to tell from the picture and the FAA registry for N8544 is no longer known.

They are really neat shots of N1011 and again, they are from the archive of Don Pierce. By the way, just as a piece of useless trivia, N1011 (as a FAA registration) has gone from this iconic aircraft to being registered to a Sea Ray kit plane witch was destroyed in 2000 and is currently registered to a Cessna T210N. 

History: Frank Borman Test Flight (Press Image)

Don Pierce sent me a great picture from his archive. The picture is an original 8 1/2 x 11 black and white photograph released by Eastern Air Lines in French. The picture shows the NASA Astronaut and Eastern Air Lines CEO Frank Borman on the left and Lockheed L-1011 test pilot Henry Baird (Hank) Dees on the right. The picture was taken onboard the prototype L-1011 used for flight tests conducted together with Eastern and Frank Borman. 

The original caption of the picture reads:

Frank Borman, Vice-Président du Groupe Opérational d'Eastern Air lines, après avoir piloté l'impressionnant "TRISTAR" et effecuté en outre un essai concluant de "touch and go" consistante à prendre contact avec le sol, puis à redonner des gaz en bout de piste, simulant le cas d'un atterrissage "trop court", a déclaré:

"c'est un avion pour vrais pilotes, sa parfaite stabilité en vol fait présager qu'il deviendra un appareil très populaire auprès des usagers".

Aujourd'hui l'appareil est au BOURGET. L'expérience technique de Frank Borman s'est révélée concluante puisque nous avons le loisir de présenter l'appareil au milieu de toutes les autres nouveautés du Salon. 

Here is my best effort translation since I don't speak any French (per Google translate):

Frank Borman, Deputy Chairman of the Operational Group of Eastern Air Lines, after having driven the impressive "TRISTAR" and also conducting asuccessful trials of "touch and go" to make consistent contact with the ground and to restore thrust, simulating the case of landing "too short", said:

"It's a real airplane for pilots, with its perfect stability in flight I predict that it will become a very popular vehicle among users."

Today the aircraft is at Bourget. The technical experience of Frank Borman proved conclusive since we have the opportunity to present the aircraft in the middle of all the other novelties of the show.

There are some interesting details on the cockpit panel of the test aircraft (which I assume was N1011 ... however, the picture does not identify the aircraft). 

1. There is is no pitch or auto throttle panel yet, actually there are no autopilot elements all tighter. 
2. The place of the APFDS disconnect panel is taken by a clock. 
3. The APFDS Modes panel has a clock in place of the modes annunciator. 
4. There are no TGT instruments as part of the main instrument cluster. 
5. The annunciator is displaced to the right in this prototype panel and the standby instruments are replaced with a number of other unknown instrument. 
6. The pilot side main instrument panel has a number of extra instruments that did not become part of the final production version. They are hard to make out from this picture. 

The overhead panel on the test model is also missing a number of production panels in this image. For example 

1. there an unknown panel with no light plate and a few cutouts. I suspect, that the panel did not actually do anything but was placed as a placeholder and 
2. there is no Rudder Limiter and Mach Feel panel quite yet. 

History: Lockheed L-1011 Ship 3 (1003) During Flight Tests - N301EA (by Don Pierce)

This an old photo I found, scanned it on one computer and forwarded it to my new computer. The photo was taken around 1972. I [Don Pierce] am the person on the far right. The men in the dark suits in the center of the photo are, from left to right, the pilot, the FE, the co-pilot (second pilot), and my boss (team leader). The photo is of all of the various engineers involved. It does not include flight line personnel. The "301" on the on the nose is Eastern's number assignment - the FAA registry number of the plane was N301EA.

A confusing story: The second TriStar built was in TWA colors during flight test, but built as an Eastern plane, so it was repainted prior to delivery - in EAL colors and numbered N301EA. The plane on which I flew during flight Test, was renumbered N302EA prior to delivery. If you have a log of planes delivered, you will note that Ship 1002 (painted in TWA colors during flight test) was actually delivered as N301EA. The first TriStar to be delivered to TWA was Ship 1012 or 1013 (I don't remember exactly).

I used know the serial numbers for the LTU planes, since I taught them many times. Their first plane was 1033, which was basically an EAL plane with a few modifications. LTU would lease from EAL on occasion. Three of LTU's later planes were originally built for PSA, but not taken up by PSA, so LTU obtained them for a good price, after they sat on the flight line for quite a while. LTU had a mixture of -1, -200 and -500. (I still remember their "tail numbers")

"1003 while in route on 9/24/95 flying as DL157 (LAX-HNL) about 450 miles west of LAX airplane experienced sudden decompression at FL330 Airplane descended to FL140 and safely returned to LAX Due to cost of repairs Delta decided to retire the airplane which had over 52K hours and 25K cycles on its airframe at that point strd Dobbins AFB Marietta, GA used for stress evaluations by Lockheed"

The aircraft has most likely been destroyed after testing.