The legendary Lockheed Super Star L-1649A, once the flagship of the Lufthansa fleet, left the Lufthansa Technik hangar in Hamburg last week in pieces. The 23-meter-long wings were each transported on separate heavy-duty transporters to Münster/Osnabrück Airport, where the aircraft will be repainted. This step marks another milestone in the complex restoration of the historic long-haul aircraft.
After its repaint in Münster/Osnabrück, the Super Star is expected to arrive in Frankfurt in October of this year. Starting in spring 2026, it will be the main attraction of the Lufthansa Group's new conference and visitor center. To mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Lufthansa, the L-1649A will be exhibited alongside the equally iconic Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI. The new visitor center will be built in close proximity to the Lufthansa Aviation Center at Frankfurt Airport, and its glass facade will make the historical exhibits visible from the outside as well.
The Lockheed L-1649A, equipped with four piston engines, was Lufthansa's flagship aircraft in the late 1950s as the "Super Star." Its primary use was non-stop flights across the Atlantic to New York, a remarkable technical achievement at the time. Lufthansa put several of these aircraft into service in 1957, underscoring its commitment to modern long-haul flights. Even though the Super Star will never take off again, its static display serves as a testament to the golden era of aviation and the technological advancements of that era.
The restoration of the L-1649A has a long history. The original plan was to restore the aircraft to airworthiness, but this failed due to complex technical and financial hurdles. The aircraft spent years in the United States before being returned to Germany in 2019 in individual parts by ship. Since then, it has been comprehensively assembled at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg and prepared for its final presentation. The Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin Foundation is supporting this unique project as a cooperation partner. The Ju 52 D-AQUI, affectionately known as "Aunt Ju," also has a rich history and, until its retirement, was the last commercially certified Ju 52/3m.