Stargazer: The World's Last Flying Tristar

I generally try and avoid Bluebox / Jet-X Tristars but some of them are just so unusual that they are hard to turn down. This model was part of a big box of fabulous obscure models (mainly 10 IL-76s but also Vanguards and others) that arrived late last week. I'm gradually getting sucked in to these types of unusual model offerings and it is somewhat surprising to see that Jet-X was putting this sort of effort in, and doing such a good job too. But, just what is an L-1011 doing with a rocket strapped to its belly?

Orbital Sciences Corp L-1011 Tristar N140SC 'Stargazer' in 1:400 Scale by Jet-X

This aircraft was originally built for Air Canada as C-FTNJ, first flying on February 22, 1974 and being delivered on March 9th. Aside from a month-long lease to Air Lanka in February 1992 its entire airline career was with the Canadian flag carrier. Sold in August 1992, as N140SC, the aircraft was acquired by the Orbital Sciences Corporation and converted by Marshall Aerospace in the UK as an unusual launch vehicle.

The aircraft was modified to act as the mothership for the Pegasus-XL, an air-launched multistage rocket developed by Orbital themselves. The Pegasus system could carry small payloads of up to 443kg into a low Earth orbit.

The Pegasus rocket was carried on the belly midline and the first launch using the Tristar, itself rechristened as Stargazer, was conducted on June 27, 1994. Prior to that launches had used a NASA operated NB-52 known as Balls 8. Launches usually took place from bases at Vandenburg, Cape Canaveral, The Kennedy Space Centre or NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. At times Kwajalein, in the Marshall Islands, and Gando, in Spain, were also used.

Below: Stargazer ​taking off in June 2013 as part of the mission to launch the IRIS satellite. Note the Pegasus XL carrying IRIS mounted to the aircraft's belly, which is to be launched once the aircraft reaches cruising altitude.

NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The aircraft wore several schemes throughout its career with the version on the model worn until 2015 after Orbital Sciences had merged with Alliant Technosystems in 2014. In 2018 the merged business was taken over by Northrop Grumman and the aircraft now carries their titles.

Impressively Stargazer was kept airworthy and by 2019 was the world's only remaining flying L-1011. Airliners.net has an image of her still flying in October 2022 and looking airworthy still at Mojave in March 2024. I believe that despite being 50 years old the aircraft is still in use.

Although the Blue Box / Jet-X Tristar is far from the best L-1011 that has been made this model really has a lovely finish to it. The work to craft the Pegasus rocket and launcher is very well done. It's be interesting to see NG try something like this on their superb Tristar mould. Until then, however this 2008/09 vintage release is a really unique model in 400 scale.