Ahead of Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary, the airline has restored a Lockheed L-1649A Super Star to its former glory. The aircraft faithfully sports the classic 1950s livery and will be displayed at the Lufthansa Group’s new conference and visitor centre in Frankfurt.
The Super Star Restored
Lufthansa’s former flagship – the Lockheed L-1649A Super Star – has been restored to its former glory. Altitude Paint Services (APS) and Mankiewicz have collaborated to provide around 500 litres of paint free of charge to decorate the aircraft at Münster Osnabrück International Airport (FMO).
The iconic aircraft has been worked to proudly display its classic 1950s livery. Historical documents from the company archive allowed for Lufthansa Technik’s Graphics Solutions department to carefully create a detailed paint plan. This enabled a faithful recreation of the Super Star’s design, including the aircraft’s famed parabolas.
The restored aircraft will be transported to Frankfurt Airport (FRA), and taken to the Lufthansa Group’s new conference and visitor centre. Together with the Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI, the legendary aircraft will be under the spotlight in its new home as a must-see attraction.
About the Lockheed L-1649A Super Star
The original Lufthansa was founded in 1926, and has since grown to become Germany’s flag carrier, one of the five founding members of Star Alliance, and one of Europe’s leading airlines. Notably, Lufthansa is the largest airline in Europe by revenue, and second by the number of passengers carried.
In 1957, the Lockheed L-1649A Super Star joined the Lufthansa fleet, flying a non-stop transatlantic connection from Hamburg to New York. These flights took up to 17 hours, and were the first to feature the “Senator Class” that offered enhanced customer experience with an elegant leather-clad lounge, music for entertainment, and an on-board chef to prepare à la carte menus.
The Super Star marked the end of classic propeller aircraft, welcoming in a new age of technological advancement with the use of four piston engines. The iconic aircraft is 35.42 metres long, 7.12 metres tall, and has a wingspan of 45.18 metres.
Lufthansa has largely expanded its fleet since the Super Star, now boasting 735 aircraft across the group. This includes six new Airbus A350 that were added earlier this year to increase long-haul operations from Frankfurt.
What are your thoughts about Lufthansa’s Lockheed L-1649A Super Star? What other classic aircraft would you like to see restored? Let us know.
