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Storied American name behind the Constellation, the TriStar and the C-130 Hercules transport. Today part of Lockheed Martin and active mainly in the military sector.
Country: USA · 11 aircraft types
Dedicated freighters and converted passenger jets – from feeder aircraft to the An-124. Often flying at night or at off-peak times.
Transports, tankers, trainers and combat aircraft. Seen mainly at military airfields, at airshows and as visitors at civil airports.
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
C-130
High wing, four turboprops, a bulging fuselage with a rear ramp: the C-130 Hercules has flown since 1954 and is still being built. Here’s how to identify it, tell old versions from new and know where to see it.
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
C-5
The US Air Force’s largest transport: the C-5 Galaxy first flew in 1968, and modernized C-5M Super Galaxies serve today. Here’s how to identify it, tell it from the C-17 and An-124 and know where you have chances in Germany.
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
F-104
Needle nose, stub wings, T-tail: the Starfighter was the Bundeswehr’s first Mach 2 fighter and at the same time its greatest trauma. Here you’ll learn how to identify it, what lies behind the Starfighter crisis and where you can still see it today.
Lockheed P-3 Orion
P-3
Four turboprops, a short fuselage with few windows and a long stinger at the tail: the Lockheed P-3 Orion hunted submarines for decades, including for the German Navy at Nordholz. Here is how to recognize it, how to tell it from the Electra, Atlantique and P-8, and where you can still see it.
Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady
U-2
Huge, narrow wings, a single engine and landing gear like a bicycle: the U-2 has been flying in the stratosphere since 1955. Here is how to recognize the Dragon Lady, its history and why Fairford matters so much to spotters.
Retired types and vintage aircraft that are only seen on special flights, at air days or in museums.
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
L-1011
Three Rolls-Royce engines, one of them buried deep in the tail: the Lockheed TriStar was the elegant, technically ambitious rival of the DC-10 – and for decades the face of LTU in Düsseldorf.
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
Super Constellation
Three vertical fins, a fuselage like a dolphin and four roaring radial engines: the Lockheed Super Constellation is the epitome of the propeller era. With it Lufthansa launched long-haul service in 1955, and in Basel an association kept a Super Connie flying until 2016. Here you’ll learn how to identify it and where to find it today.
Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
L-1649A
The last and biggest Constellation: with the L-1649 Starliner, Lockheed pushed piston-engine long-haul flying to its limit. At Lufthansa it was the Super Star, and after a long restoration odyssey it now stands in Frankfurt.
Lockheed L-188 Electra
Electra
Four Allison turboprops, a strikingly short wing and an eventful history: the Lockheed L-188 Electra was America’s first large turboprop airliner, was quickly pushed aside by jets and then built a career as a freighter and firefighting aircraft. Here is how to recognize it and where to find the last examples.
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
SR-71
Titanium airframe, black heat-radiating paint, Mach 3: the SR-71 Blackbird has held the speed record for jet-powered aircraft since 1976. Here you learn how it worked, how to recognize it and where the museum examples stand.
Collect types and registrations in your hangar, post sightings with aircraft data and keep track of rare types with alerts. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.