Eastern Express 144122 Royal Air Force Lockheed L-1011-385-3 TriStar K1 (500) airtanker

The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was an American, three-engine, low-wing transport and passenger plane with a three-support landing gear - retractable in flight. The drive - in the basic version - was provided by three turbofan engines Rolls-Royce RB.211-22 . The flight of the prototype took place in 1970, and serial production continued in 1968-1984. In total, around 250 aircraft of this type were built.

Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was developed in connection with the rapid development of long-haul air connections in the 1960s and the desire of Lockheed to compete with such planes as the Boeing 747 or McDonnell-Douglas DC-10. However, the high cost of the project and, above all, the terrible financial condition of Rolls-Royce (an engine manufacturer) in the 1970s, translated into a moderate commercial success of the L-1011. In the course of production, however, many development versions of the aircraft were created, including: L-1011-1 (basic version), L-1011-50 (version with a reinforced chassis and greater take-off weight) or L-1011-500 (version intended for intercontinental flights with increased flight range).