The Lockheed JetStar was one of the very first business jets ever built, and a true icon of 1960s jet-age luxury and power. Designed for long-range executive transport, the JetStar stood out with its quad-engine layout, distinctive design, and a clientele that included everyone from Elvis Presley to military brass.

✈️ Overview:

• Role: Business jet / VIP transport
• Manufacturer: Lockheed Corporation
• First flight: September 4, 1957
• Entered service: Early 1960s
• Total built: 204 aircraft (plus prototypes)
• Production ended: 1978

🛠️ Key Specs (JetStar II variant):

• Engines: 4 × Garrett TFE731 turbofans (originals had Pratt & Whitney JT12 turbojets)
• Cruise speed: ~565 mph (Mach 0.8 / 909 km/h)
• Range: ~2,500 miles (4,000 km)
• Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100 m)
• Passenger capacity: 8–10 (plus 2 crew)
• Wingspan: 54 ft 5 in (16.59 m)
• Length: 60 ft 5 in (18.42 m)
• MTOW: ~44,500 lb (20,185 kg)

🔍 Design Highlights:

• Four engines at the rear in twin nacelles on each side of the fuselage (very unusual for a bizjet!)
• T-tail configuration
• Wide fuselage for a more comfortable cabin compared to other early business jets
• Long, low-slung profile that gave it a powerful look on the ramp
• Originally developed under a US Air Force requirement for a small utility jet—though that contract went to the North American Sabreliner, Lockheed pushed on with the JetStar as a civilian aircraft

🎖️ Military and Government Use:

• Used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and NASA Military designation: C-140 JetStar Roles: VIP transport, radar calibration, navigational aid testing
  • Military designation: C-140 JetStar
  • Roles: VIP transport, radar calibration, navigational aid testing
• A JetStar was often the first jet many future generals and presidents flew on
• Still used by some military branches into the 1990s

🎤 Famous Owners:

• Elvis Presley famously owned two JetStars; one is now on display in Tennessee.
• President Lyndon B. Johnson flew on a JetStar as part of the "Air Force One" fleet for short hops.
• Various heads of state and executives used it in the Cold War era.

✅ Strengths:

• Fast and comfortable for the 1960s
• Solid range and reliability
• Good high-altitude performance
• Had a commanding look and prestige factor in its time

❌ Weaknesses:

• Fuel-thirsty, especially the early turbojet models
• Heavy for a business jet (more like a mini airliner)
• Outclassed in later years by lighter, more efficient jets like the Learjet, Gulfstream, and Dassault Falcon
• Limited parts support in later years

🪦 Legacy:

• Last JetStar retired from active service in the early 2000s
• A few are preserved in museums or private collections
• The JetStar remains an aviation classic, remembered for its distinctive look, trailblazing role, and celebrity cachet