LOCKHEED TRISTAR 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 83Type: Four-crew long-range tanker and transport aircraft
First fl ight: November 16, 1970; entered RAF service August 1983
Powerplant: Three 50,000lb st (222kN) Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofans
Dimensions: Span 164ft 6in (50.14m), length 164ft 3in (50.06m)
Weights: Empty 242,864lb (110,163kg), all-up 540,000lb (244,944kg)
Max speed: 545mph (877km/h) at 30,000ft (9,144m)
Range: 4,310 miles (6,936km)
Capacity: 187 passengers (250 in pure passenger layout) or equivalent
freight or fuel
Replaced: Handley Page Victor
Taken on charge: 9
Replaced by: Airbus VoyagerLOCKHEED TRISTAR KC.I
carried supplies and personnel
between the UK and the Arabian
Gulf region.
In 1999, TriStars deployed
to Ancona in Italy as tankers
during the Kosovo War and other
airframes were later employed over
Afghanistan and Libya.
The TriStars were regularly
upgraded during their service
careers, including the addition
of Large Aircraft Infra-Red
Countermeasures to deter man-
portable ground-to-air missiles.
A plan was launched to digitise the
cockpits, but this was abandoned
due to the aircraft’s retirement date
being brought forward; the type had
originally been due to remain in
service until the late 2010s.
The aircraft were ultimately
replaced by the Airbus Voyager
in late 2014 and following their
withdrawal from operations,
all nine TriStars were flown to
Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire,
where they remain in storage with
a private owner pending possible
onward sale or lease.Above
When the TriStar fi rst
joined the RAF in the
1980s it operated in a
smart white transport
scheme. This example
is refuelling Tornado
F.3s during a training
sortie.Left
During its latter years
the RAF TriStar fl eet
was repainted in
overall low-visibility
grey camoufl age.
STEVE BRIDGEWATERof these was the first aeroplane
to land at the newly opened
Mount Pleasant airport on the
Falkland Islands.
The first fully modified tanker was
completed by Marshall in July 1985
and 216 Squadron received its first
examples in March 1986.
The type served comprehensively
with the RAF, including
involvement in various conflicts. It’s
first deployment on a war footing
had two examples deployed to King
Khalid International Airport, near
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during 1991’s
First Gulf War. The two aircraft,
painted desert pink and nicknamed
Pinky and Perky, primarily operated
in support of the RAF’s Tornado
F.3 fleet during the conflict. OthersLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTARLOCKHEED TRISTAR
LOCKHEED TRISTAR KC.I
“It’s fi rst deployment on a war footing had two examples deployed
to King Khalid International Airport, near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
during 1991’s First Gulf War.”
“It’s fi rst deployment on a war footing had two examples deployed
to King Khalid International Airport, near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
“It’s fi rst deployment on a war footing had two examples deployed
to King Khalid International Airport, near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
“It’s fi rst deployment on a war footing had two examples deployed