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The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was the third widebody passenger jet airliner to reach the marketplace, following the Boeing 747 "jumbo jet" and the Douglas DC-10. In the 1960s, American Airlines approached Lockheed and competitor Douglas with a need for an aircraft smaller than the existing 747, but still capable of flying to distant locales such as London, the Caribbean, and Latin America from company hubs in Dallas and New York. Lockheed answered the call with the TriStar. Perhaps ironically, American never flew the "Ten Eleven," purchasing many DC-10s instead.

First flown on November 16, 1970Events January events January 1 Construction begins on Arcosanti, by Paolo Soleri, in Mayer, Arizona, located 65, miles north of Phoenix, Arizona. January 1 Unix epoch at 00:00:00 UTC. January 12 Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war. January, the twin-aisle TriStar was considered a technological marvel of its day, featuring low noise emissions, improved reliability, and efficient operation. Although the TriStar's design schedule closely followed that of its fierce competitor, the DC-10, Douglas beat Lockheed to market by a year due to delays in powerplant development. Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce plc is the second-largest aircraft engine maker in the world, behind General Electric's GE Aircraft Engines division. Rolls-Royce, an automobile company founded in 1906 by Henry Royce and C. Rolls, produced its first aircraft engine in 1914., the maker of the TriStar's RB211The Rolls Royce RB. 211 family is a family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by Rolls-Royce capable of generating 37,400 to 60,600 pound (166 to 270 kN) thrust. Rolls-Royce engines had traditionally had numeric names while in testing and then turbofanTurbofan is a type of airplane engine which is evolved from the turbojet essentially by increasing the size of the first-stage compressor to the point where it acts as a ducted propeller (or fan) blowing air past the "core" of the engine. This type of eng engines, had filed for bankruptcy, halting L-1011 final assembly. The British government did not approve the large state subsidy used to restart Rolls-Royce operations until after the U.S. government had guaranteed the Lockheed loans previously provided to Rolls for the extensive engine contract. The first TriStar was finally delivered to Eastern AirlinesFor the Chinese airline, see China Eastern Airlines. Eastern Airlines was a United States airline company that existed from the late 1920s to 1991. History Eastern Air Lines began life on April 19, 1926 as Pitcairn Aviation. Pitcairn won a government cont on April 26April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). There are 249 days remaining. Events 1478 The Pazzi attack Lorenzo de' Medici and kill his brother Giuliano during High Mass in the Florence Cathedral. 1607 English col, 19721972 is a leap year starting on Saturday (click link for calendar). Events January events January 2 the Pierre Hotel Heist Six men rob the safety deposit boxes of the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Loot is at least $4 million January 5 President of the Un.

Designed for a maximum seating of 400 passengers, the TriStar utilized a new engine layout: in addition to Rolls-Royce turbofanTurbofan is a type of airplane engine which is evolved from the turbojet essentially by increasing the size of the first-stage compressor to the point where it acts as a ducted propeller (or fan) blowing air past the "core" of the engine. This type of eng jet engines on each wing, a third engine was located dorsally below the vertical stabilizer . Manufactured in LockheedLockheed Air Corporation was an aerospace company established in 1932 from the remnants of a bankrupt predecessor founded four years earlier by the brothers Allan and Malcolm Loughhead, after whom the company was named. The company's headquarters were in facilities in Palmdale, California, the TriStar faced brisk competition with the Boeing 747 and, even more directly, the Douglas (later McDonnell Douglas) DC-10, which it closely resembled. The TriStar had a better safety record than the DC-10, and Trans World Airlines heralded the TriStar as one of the safest airplanes in the world in some of its promotional literature in the 1980s when concern over the safety record of the DC-10, which was flown by most of its competitors, was at its peak. However, the DC-10 outsold the TriStar nearly two to one, partly because of the TriStar's delayed introduction.

Nevertheless, a number of airlines flew the TriStar, including Aer Lingus, Air Atlanta Icelandic, Air Canada, Air Lanka, All Nippon Airways, Arrow Air, British Airways, BWIA, Cathay Pacific, Court Line, Delta Air Lines, Eastern Airlines, Fine Air, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines,

Lockheed bribed the Japanese government to subsidize ANA's purchase of L-1011's, and the resulting political scandal led to the arrest of Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei.

A longer-range variant of the standard-length L-1011 was developed in the late 1970s. Designated the L-1011-500, the fuselage length was shortened by 14 feet to accommodate higher fuel loads.

Lockheed manufactured a total of 250 TriStars, ceasing production in 1984. Lockheed needed to sell 500 planes to break even. Failing to achieve profitability in the civilian airliner sector, the TriStar was to be Lockheed's last commercial aircraft. Airlines played Douglas and Lockheed off each other, driving the prices of both planes down, and the end result was Douglas' merger with McDonnell and Lockheed's departure from the commercial aircraft business.

The aging L-1011 was still in use by some airlines at the start of the 21st century, and in the late 1990s, NASA performed aerodynamic research on modified L-1011s.