USA NortheastAuburn-Lewiston Mun'l Airport -
12oct09
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 The airport of Auburn-Lewiston isn't exactly easy to find, it is quite unsatisfactorily signposted, but with some directions we got there. The reason for my visit was to see what progress had been made concerning Lufthansa's Starliner Project. Germany's flag-carrier Lufthansa has a Historic Flight (flying a perfectly restored Junkers Ju.52) and intends to extend its classic airliner collection with a Lockheed L.1649A Starliner. An ambitious project. N7316C has been hand-picked to be made airworthy, using parts of N8083H and N974R (many parts will have to be newly manufactured).
N7316C and N8083H were flown to Auburn, N974R stranded in Florida with technical snags. The latter has actually been flown by Lufthansa as D-ALAN. Roundy’s long-running efforts had mixed results. His ultimate goal was to create an airline, Maine Coast Airways, flying these ultimate propliners. But at some point, after 25 years, Roundy conceded that the time had come to hand the restoration to an organisation with more substantial resources. A sale in 2005 failed and Lufthansa bought all 3 at auction on 18Dec07. The least of what can be said of Mr Roundy's efforts is that he saved these fantastic, classic airliners from the scrapman, he bought them time. Now it is Lufthansa's turn to realise a dream. The Starliner a.k.a. Super Star served Lufthansa from 1957-68 (another source claimed 1958 - 1966), the next episode may well be 2011-...  It is almost like working from scratch, in fact probably even more difficult than building a new airplane. But when operational, Lufthansa will have a 'looker' and gained huge prestige! |
A modern hangar was erected esspecially for this 3-year project, dedicated |
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Lufthansa operated 4 Starliners (or 'Super Stars' as the Germans named them): D-ALUB, D-ALAN, D-ALER and D-ALOL in passenger and cargo service from 1958 until 1966 (I read elsewhere 1957 - 1968). The L.1649A's primarily flew on North Atlantic routes and could fly non-stop from Germany to/from North America. L.1649A D-ALOL survives as ZS-DVJ on display in Johannesburg, in the livery of former operator Trek Airways.  But compare the rigging with the 2011 update further below. |
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The cargodoor will be replaced by a passengerdoor. L.1649A ZS-DVJ (ex/ D-ALOL) has been preserved in Johannesburg and is the only remaining Starliner which was not converted to cargo configuration. The South African owners have allowed Lufthansa to produce replica passenger doors, which will be fitted to ZS-DVJ, while Lufthansa will receive the doors of ZS-DVJ to fit them on N7316C once they are inspected, repaired and approved to be installed. |
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| Initially it was said that volunteers from maintenance division Lufthansa Technik would work on the Starliners here in the USA, but this plan has been abandoned. Progress by using (former) employees on a voluntary basis would probably see an erratic progress, due to varying number of volunteers willing/able to join this project. BizJet from Tulsa,Oklahoma is a Lufthansa subsidiary and has been contracted to do most of the work here. BizJet International is the maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) and fixed base operator (FBO) arm of Lufthansa Technik in the USA for VIP and business aircraft, their operators and their users. Founded in 1986 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where its premises today extend over an area of 85,000 square meters, the company offers its customers a wide range of services, from aircraft and engine maintenance, overhaul and repair to avionics services, cabin design, refueling and the use of a comfortable pilot lounge. Since 2000, this specialist provider, which has a workforce of around 200, has been a fully-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik. |
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N7316C (c/n 1018) has been stripped of all removable components, everything that could be removed has been removed for inspection, evaluation and refurbishment. The cockpit has been cleaned out in the same manner. Many structural components have been shipped to Tulsa,OK for inspection and refurbishment by Lufthansa's subsidiary BizJet once all approvals are granted. The multitude of parts removed from the 3 aircraft, plus the parts collected by Maurice Roundy over the years, have been evaluated, cleaned, catalogued, inventoried and stored for further disposition. The logistics of this project is immense, but in Lufthansa's capable hands. Michael Austermeier is Lufthansa's resident project manager in Auburn and in constant liaison with the FAA and Lufthansa headquarters in Germany.
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 N7316C will be painted at the facilities of Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg,Germany. Due to the massive 150 feet wingspan of this L.1649A, the plan to have it painted at BizJet's facilities in Tulsa,OK had to be abandoned: it just wouldn't fit! |
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A lot of work needs to be done before it will take to the air again, but when it does, it will be a sensation wherever it will fly and grace the skies!
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And updates on Lufthansa´s website: |
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| Six Wright R-3350 Turbo-Compund engines have been sent to Ray Anderson Airmotive in Idaho for overhaul. |
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 N8083H (c/n 1038) saw parts removed for possible use in this restoration project and is also used as a reference for the engineers, for when they need to have a look of how things should look like. The ultimate fate of this aircraft is as yet undecided, while former D-ALAN (N974R, c/n 1040) should remain preserved at Kermit Weeks's Fantasy of Flight in Florida, externally as complete as possible. Ownership of N974R will be transferred to the museum. |
Follow updates on Lufthansa´s website: |
Thanks to Michael Austermeier of Lufthansa for allowing me these visits! And good luck to Lufthansa on this gloriously inspiring project! |
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Photos © R.Leeuw
