Lockheed JetStar

The Lockheed JetStar, company designations L-329 and L-1329 and designated C-140 in United States military service, is a business jet designed and produced by Lockheed, one of the first dedicated private jets and the only one Lockheed developed. It began in the late 1950s as a private venture, with a swept wing, a cruciform tail, four engines mounted on the rear fuselage and large slipper fuel tanks on the wings. Design began on 6 January 1957 under Kelly Johnson and the first prototype flew on 4 September 1957, 241 days later. The second prototype was re-engined with four Pratt and Whitney JT12 turbojets, the layout of the production aircraft, and the type entered commercial service in 1961. It seated up to ten passengers with two crew. Buyers included Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Richard Nixon, and the USAF used it as the C-140, with VC-140B versions flying as VIP transports. The last operational JetStar retired in December 2019.