JETSTAR the Unkown "Warbird"

[Robbie Stuart]

If you attended a aviation school that had a Jetstar that had only two engines, unlike the typical four, and no wing aux tanks, that was a prototype aircraft!!!
Lockheed made only two of these airframes, they have a history, setting records (cross country speed) Kelly Johnson flew on one or both aircraft, Mrs, Jean Cochoran flew one and set a cross country record for female pilot in one of these.
When Lockheed finished flight testing these aircraft they were put in storage until they were donated to display or schools.
Thanks, Tom

No, the aircraft we had was a four engine model.
Robbie

[RareBear]

Kyleb,

I was in that group of folks at the end of the runway (it's 11-29) at Dobbins in the late 60's when the C-5A made it's first flight. Awesome to watch that plane finally lift off.

I lived in and around Marietta until 2001, when I moved to Charleston, SC.
Worked at NAS Atlanta from 1989 until 2001 and saw the last of the C-5B's come off the line at Lockheed.

Walt

[John Cotter]

I got to fly a Jetstar II for a couple years and it is still my favorite people hauling jet.

[Ken Hyman]

John,

Ditto on that. I'ts my favorite people hauling jet too. Got about 500 hours on a dash 8 Jetstar and I found it hard to make a bad landing in it.

Ken

[Silverplate]

A unique Jetstar.

[Michel C-GNCJ]

Here's two pics of the one we have at the National Museum in Ottawa:

[vernicator]

A unique Jetstar.

Cool! Would have loved to have seen this rocket ripping up the course at Reno back in the day!!

[RNDMTRS4EVR]

Boy the memories I have off bloody knuckles and and cut-up arms doing engine work on #2 and #3. I did like the old girl though. Never worked on any -6 or -8 only 731, and Jetstar II's. I personally liked the 731 better. You may not get to see any flying with an N# on them in the near future if Lockheed gets their way. They are trying to get the FAA to issue an A.D. that will ground them all on the U.S registry.
Scott.......

[Kyleb]

Boy the memories I have off bloody knuckles and and cut-up arms doing engine work on #2 and #3. I did like the old girl though. Never worked on any -6 or -8 only 731, and Jetstar II's. I personally liked the 731 better. You may not get to see any flying with an N# on them in the near future if Lockheed gets their way. They are trying to get the FAA to issue an A.D. that will ground them all on the U.S registry.
Scott.......

Why?

[RNDMTRS4EVR]

Well to sum it up quick and easy, "Lockheed wants out of the general aviation/ corporate jet world". They are tired of supporting the airplane, it was their only corporate jet they built and its a burden to have to provide support for them. You see most of the non U.S. operators do not even call Lockheed for advice on repairs and engineering, they just do what they want. But here in the states the FAA through regulations makes us involve the manufacturer on major repair work and etc... The last time I called Lockheed about a part and engineering support the guy on the phone told me I got the last one they had of a particular structural part, and they would have to go look for the engineering drawings I was asking about. This was going to take a couple of days for them to find them! So Lockheed has found an item in the aircraft (Hence the A.D. they want put out) that if it is out of tolerance per the guidlines set fourth by them it will ground the airplane until the part is replaced. Well guess what? No parts to replace them, and Lockheed does not intend to remanufacture any either. Last Jetstar owner I did work for had whole other airplane worth of spare parts to support the one he was flying. And when it came time to sell the the airplane, they parted it out because they are worth more as parts vs flying airplanes. Hell the only thing of real value on them anymore are the engines, they are the same dash model 731 that is used on the Lear 35.
Scott......

[Roger Cain]

This was the last landing for this JetStar. It was flown into Hollister Airport, Ca in 1996 for it's engines. They were to be used on several Hansa jets that had come from the German Air force and were being converted into cargo haulers. One of them is visible in the background of this picture.

[John Cotter]

When the the Hansa's get 731 engines?

[JetStarMech]

Boy the memories I have off bloody knuckles and and cut-up arms doing engine work on #2 and #3. I did like the old girl though. Never worked on any -6 or -8 only 731, and Jetstar II's. I personally liked the 731 better. You may not get to see any flying with an N# on them in the near future if Lockheed gets their way. They are trying to get the FAA to issue an A.D. that will ground them all on the U.S registry.
Scott.......

I know the busted up hand feeling, I was always the guy that had to get a "5606" bath anytime we did work on the hydraulics, the #1 pump usually bled pretty good, the #2 pump on the #3 engine tended to be a pain in the butt to get all the air out, if you didn't you sure as hell heard it during engine start, that pump would make a lot of noise!!!

[JetStarMech]

This was the last landing for this JetStar. It was flown into Hollister Airport, Ca in 1996 for it's engines. They were to be used on several Hansa jets that had come from the German Air force and were being converted into cargo haulers. One of them is visible in the background of this picture.

The history on this plane was so unkown or forgotten, it had so many firsts, long before the "Corporate" or private jets such as the Lear or Sabreliner.
Having worked on them and flown trips on them this was one hell of an aircraft.
It was built with so many back-up features and the airframe was built like a bridge!
Sorry that Lockheed is trying to get these planes grounded.
Who knows, maybe somebody can get some of them painted up in the military colors and deem them "Experimental" and keep a few flying>>>

[Robbie Stuart]

I am pretty sure that the Jetstar, Kenny Rogers operated was parted out by Atlanta Air Recovery when the engines timed out.
Robbie