Lockheed JetStar - Design

Design

The JetStar has a fairly typical business jet layout, with a swept wing and a cruciform tail. The wing has a 30° sweepback and features large fuel tanks at about half-span, extending some distance in front and behind the wing. The wing also includes slats along the front of the wing outboard of the tanks, while double-slotted trailing-edge flaps span the entire rear surface. The horizontal stabilizer is mounted about half way up the vertical stabilizer to keep it clear of the jetwash. One feature is that trim is provided by pivoting the entire vertical stabilizer, which leaves a distinctive unpainted area at that base of the fin that is noticeable in most pictures. This arrangement, called a flying stabilizer, is now standard on most larger airplanes. A speed brake is located on the underside of the fuselage to aid deceleration for landing. The original prototypes used a tricycle landing gear with one wheel per leg, but after an accident in 1962 the nose gear was modified with two tires.

The JetStar is a relatively heavy aircraft for its class, at 42,500 lb (19,278 kg). Maximum cruising speed is Mach 0.8, or 567 mph (912 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,401 m). Range is typically quoted as 2,500 mi (4,023 km) with a 3,500 lb (1,588 kg) payload. Typically interiors feature seating for eight with a full-sized lavatory, or a slightly denser arrangement for ten. The JetStar is one of the few aircraft of its class that allowed a person to walk upright in the cabin, although to do this the aisle was sunk slightly so that the seats were raised on either side. The windows are relatively large.

The JetStar II is generally similar, with a number of detail changes. The cockpit area has somewhat more "modern" looking nose and window arrangement, larger engines, and most notably, the fuel tanks are larger and sit with their upper surfaces flush with the wing, rather than being centered on it.