Glue Ball,
the Tristar failure was entirely due to the RR collapse.
They tried desparately to use alternative engines but there were two major problems.
The only suitable engines at that time were the other 2 big fan engines.
The GE CF-6 and the PW JT9.
First problem was the fact that the RR was a 3 spool engine and the other two were 2 spool engines. different trust line, diamter and CofG, hence major re-design
Second problem was there were NO engines available.
If you remember there were pictures at the time of lines of B747 sitting in Seattle with concrete blocks in place of engines. This was because PW had their share of problems with ovalation ( Not ovulation
) so none of those available.
GE were flat out producing for DC10 ( and I suspect Douglas would have put their oar in at GE supplying for the opposition
)
So Lockheed, being the new boys on the block had to wait it out.
There was always promises that RR would be bailed out but it was too long in coming.
