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Lufthansa’s Legendary Lockheed Super Star Returns in Original Iconic Livery

Lufthansa’s former flagship, the Lockheed L-1649A Super Star, is once again shining in its former glory.  This iconic aircraft now sports the classic look of the 1950s, with a fully restored original livery design.


Lufthansa’s Former Flagship Lockheed L-1649A Super Star now Features the Classic Look of the 1950s, with a Fully Restored Original Livery Design – Courtesy Lufthansa
Lufthansa’s Former Flagship Lockheed L-1649A Super Star now Features the Classic Look of the 1950s, with a Fully Restored Original Livery Design – Courtesy Lufthansa

On Friday (August 8, 2025), Lufthansa announced that their former flagship Lockheed L-1649A Super Star will soon head to Frankfurt.  Over the past few weeks, the aircraft received a complete new paint job at Münster/Osnabrück Airport, restoring the aircraft’s look to its iconic 1950s glory. The work was carried out by Altitude Paint Services (APS), with Hamburg-based manufacturer Mankiewicz generously providing approximately 500 liters of special paint free of charge.  One of the major challenges was painting the legendary parabolas, which was a central element of Lufthansa’s historical design.  The repainting was based on historical documents from Lufthansa’s archives, and a detailed paint plan developed by the Graphics Solutions department at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg.


As early as this week, the legendary Super Star will be transported by heavy-duty vehicle to Frankfurt Airport.  Just in time for the 100th anniversary of the original Lufthansa's founding, it will become the main attraction of the Lufthansa Group’s new conference and visitor center, along with the legendary Junkers Ju 52, registration D-AQUI.  This facility is scheduled to open in spring 2026, and since the building will feature a glass façade, the aircraft will also be visible from outside.


An Inside Look at Lufthansa's Former Flagship Lockheed 1649-A Super Star's Fascinating Journey on the way to its Permanent Home at Lufthansa Group’s new Conference and Visitor Center in Frankfurt - Courtesy Lufthansa


The Lockheed Super Star joined the Lufthansa fleet in 1957, and was the first aircraft to feature the exclusive 'Senator Class' of travel.  Its main route was the nonstop transatlantic connection to New York International Airport, commonly known as Idlewild Airport at the time (now New York-JFK). Technologically, the aircraft was also a masterpiece, with its four piston engines marking the end of the era of classic propeller aircraft.  These flights, lasting up to 17 hours, departed from Hamburg, where Lufthansa's maintenance base was also located. The Lockheed L-1649A Super Star is 35.42 meters long, has a wingspan of 45.18 meters, and stands 7.12 meters tall.

 

 

Source: Lufthansa

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