Prototype Lockheed L-1011
Original fuselage section of the first L-1011 TriStar built by Lockheed. Only used for test flights; never flown by an airline.
- Type: Lockheed L-1011-1
- Serial Number: 1001
- First flight date: November 16, 1970
Movie Set
After the plane retired, an aircraft maintenance team from the Delta Technical Operations Center (TOC) in Atlanta traveled to Ardmore, Oklahoma, in 1989, and salvaged a 65-feet section of the fuselage from cockpit to wing. They split the section into three pieces and trucked the pieces to Atlanta.
The team created a mock-up aircraft as a set for photography sessions and filming movies, commercials and in-flight safety videos. It rested on a frame that supported and moved the three sections to allow wide camera angles. The exterior was painted in the classic widget livery worn by Delta L-1011 from 1973-2001.
The movie set was housed at the MGM-Disney Studios in Orlando, Florida. At the time, Delta was the official airline of Walt Disney World. Movies filmed in the L-1011 include Passenger 57, starring Wesley Snipes, and Quick Change, starring Bill Murray.
Museum Store
Returned to Delta headquarters in Atlanta in 1999. Served briefly as a unique conference room, before opening its doors as the Delta Museum Store from June 17, 2002 to Fall 2013.
Exhibit
In Spring 2014, the L-1011 moved from Historic Hangar 1 to Historic Hangar 2 and was retrofitted as a conference room available for event rentals. While the Museum was closed for COVID-19 in 2020-2021, the audiovisual system and interior went through a major upgrade.
More Information
FlyTristar: Lockheed employees recall that first L-1011 test flight
Delta 1989 Movie Set Brochure: Learn more about filming in the fuselage.
Flickr: Photos of prototype L-1011 and its transformation into movie set, then Museum Store.