Name this plane

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Spooky,


I think I remember seeing that Comet in ORD in years past. Who was going to use it ? I think I have a dim memory of some scuttlebutt but can't be sure.

By the way, where does one go to Comet school ?

BAFAN BUMP

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The "Starjet" was originally designed as an executive transport for military brass. LBJ used one to fly into, and out of his TX ranch during his presidency. Phenomenal aircraft for it's time, typical of Kelly Johnson's brililance, as a previous poster pointed out. Had the pleasure of flying them for a few years. Maybe the best bizjet ever ?!?! Quite a few celebs operated them at that time. Wayne Newton and Kenny Rogers come immediately to mind. The later version Jetstar II's were less thirsty and had increased range, but didn't sound as sweet as the old dash series Pratt's.

The King has one on display across the street from the Jungle Room.

Very disapointed in all posters for not mentioning Goldfinger. I mean really guys, when you wake up in a Jetstar and a blond says my name is PussieGalore, you never forget....the jet that it was said in....

I was under the belief that the Jetstar was orginally designed/built to be Air Force Two. IOW, VP transport.... anyone...??

 

[Viffer]

I was under the belief that the Jetstar was orginally designed/built to be Air Force Two. IOW, VP transport.... anyone...??

The Jetstar was competing for the government VIP transport contract at the same time the Sabreliner was going for the utility transport contract. Lockheed beat out MD, and the Sabre won it's program. The Jetstar was built as the C-140 for the government/ military. Not long into it's contract, the government decided to change a large number of airframe purchases from C-140's to the much cheaper Sabreliners, and consequently Lockheed was facing huge losses on the project. That is when they decided to market the Jetstar to the civilian market. They lost their shirts on it, due to politics. It did serve presidents and government VIP's, in the 89th at Andrews. I was taught how to fly them from one of the guys that ran that fleet. All in all there was only about 230-240 of them produced. This is the only civilian airplane ever designed by the 'skunk works' of Kelly Johnson, and his team designed it in something like 240 days. It flew first with two British engines because the Pratts it was meant for were not available in time, because of the fast design process. I have heard that one reason that it was designed for four engines was that the rules of the day were that the president would only fly in four engine airplanes. I can't back that up with a reference, but it is reasonable, and also that there weren't many small engines back then that would worked well with just two.

 

[bafanguy]

The King has one on display across the street from the Jungle Room.

Rez,

Thought there's Elvis' CV880 on display at Graceland. So, there's also a Jetstar too ? Never been there personally.

Many years ago in MIA, I met the guy who claimed to have sold Elvis the -880. He said he'd met with him to sell him a -707, but had one of those postcards in his briefcase with an -880 on it that DL used to put in the seatback pockets.

Elvis saw it and said he wanted "....one of those...". And, so goes the story...