Text & Photos: Dirk Grothe | digroaero.com
On January 17, 2025, a significant milestone was unveiled to the public. Lufthansa Technik had completed the extensive assembly of a Lockheed L-1649A Super Star, and the fully restored long-haul aircraft was rolled out of the hangar on its own landing gear—a moment that thrilled aviation enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
The airframe, formerly registered as N7316C (construction number 1018), was delivered to TWA in 1957 and last flown on November 9, 1983. Restoration began in 2008 in Auburn, Maine, with the ambitious goal of returning the Super Star to airworthy condition for future flights. However, after a decade of work and €150 million invested, the project was discontinued in 2018. In 2019, the aircraft was shipped to Bremen, moved to Paderborn in February 2021, and returned to Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg in October 2023.
Following its complete assembly and rollout in January, the 68-year-old Super Star was disassembled once again. Its fuselage, tail unit, and wings were removed for transport to Münster/Osnabrück Airport. By mid-July, the move was completed, and on August 8, 2025, Lufthansa Technik presented the fully painted aircraft inside the airport’s hangar.
The paintwork was carried out by Altitude Paint Services (APS), with Hamburg-based manufacturer Mankiewicz donating around 500 liters of special aviation paint. One of the biggest challenges was recreating the iconic Lufthansa “parabolas”—a signature design element from the airline’s 1950s livery. The work was completed in just three weeks, guided by historical documentation from Lufthansa’s archives and detailed paint plans from the Lufthansa Technik Graphics Solutions department.
The Super Star now bears the registration D-ALAN. The original Lufthansa Super Star D-ALAN was construction number 1040 and, as N974R, was acquired by the Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung for restoration in 2007—alongside airframe 1038 (ex-TWA N8083H)—as part of a group of three surviving Lockheed L-1649As.
In mid-August, D-ALAN will begin its final journey. By October, the aircraft will be reassembled in Frankfurt. Starting in spring 2026—just in time for Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary—it will take pride of place in the Lufthansa Group’s new conference and visitor center next to the Lufthansa Aviation Center at Frankfurt Airport, alongside the legendary Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI. Thanks to a large glass façade, both aircraft will be clearly visible from the outside. The Super Star’s cabin, restored in authentic 1950s style, will also be unveiled to the public for the first time—something not yet possible during its appearance in Münster.
Were the spars cut to move the airplane or could it still possibly fly again some time in the future?