S/N 1012
Please pass on details on old 1012. Followed this aircraft while it was at Palmdale facory and at EAL where it was always something of a problem child due to being at a break point in the wiring where they introduced fully prefabbed looms. It was the first retired from fleet. Then when it went to the desert and and sold to investor group for first cargo conversion. My contract maintenance people got it in the air to Miami for cargo mod. After the Miami outfit stripped and gutted it they threw up their hands and it went over to Eastern contract maintenance where it was tied together enough to ferry to Pemco at Dothan. They did the conversion.
After completion, by then I was at Orion Air and reviewed the aircraft for possible purchase. It was too much of a niche aircraft for us, being a -1 with 22B engines. Conversion was quite competent however.
Still later I ended at Tradewinds where 1012 (N311EA) had ground away for years GSO to SJU to BDL. Quite a workhorse and except for the usual rear spar rebuild never gave any significant structural problems or main deck cargo door problems. Stripping out the cabin, mux, etc. and one pack helped a lot. The 22B engines of course were always a weak point and we survived the last years by buying desert bound L-1011 and stripping time remaining 22B engines and scrapping aircraft. Didn't overhaul any engines for years.
Impending N1 location bearing Airworthiness Directive caused its return to leasing company. Been following it since as best I can. One question is, did the engines ever get the bearing location failure detectors installed as required by AD and Rolls SB? I understand Rolls never sold any 22B kits so one has to wonder.