Starting in 2026, the Lockheed L-1649A Super Star will be on display at the Lufthansa Group’s conference and visitor center in Frankfurt am Main. Gruber Logistics, a specialist in oversized and heavy transport, took on the prestigious project for the renowned airline this summer, overseeing the return of the former flagship aircraft to its home airport. Part of the Lockheed Constellation family, the aircraft was a marvel of engineering in the 1950s. In two precisely planned transfers, the experienced heavy transport company was responsible for moving the fuselage, tail unit, and both wings—first from Hamburg Airport to Münster/Osnabrück Airport in July, and then in August to Hesse. Using 3D computer models, Gruber Logistics calculated the routes and successfully delivered the 35-meter-long museum piece, which has a wingspan of 45 meters, to its future exhibition site.
Over a year and a half, Gruber Logistics’ oversized and heavy transport experts planned the individual transports of the Lockheed Super Star, which joined the airline’s fleet in 1957 and was recently restored in painstaking detail by Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg. In addition to 3D object scans and subsequent computer simulations of the project, on-site route inspections were part of the meticulous preparation.
“This project was a unique constellation for everyone involved—if you’ll allow me the wordplay on the Super Constellation,” said Michael Gruber, Managing Director of Gruber Logistics Germany and head of the oversized and heavy transport division. “The transports were exciting and challenging for planners, professional drivers, support staff, and all partners involved. As a large team, we succeeded in bringing a unique and therefore highly valuable piece of aviation history back to its home base, making it visible once again.” He emphasized the special nature of the transfers from Hamburg to Münsterland, where the aircraft received its classic special livery, and finally to Frankfurt.
Wolfgang von Richthofen, project manager for the Lufthansa Group’s new conference and visitor center, added from the client’s perspective: “The collaboration with Gruber Logistics is an excellent example of how highly motivated, close, and trusting the logistics provider worked with us as a customer. We were able to coordinate every detail, ensuring that the complex and challenging transport was carried out safely and on time, and that this nearly priceless cargo reached its
destination in Frankfurt. Together with the Junkers Ju 52, the Lockheed Super Star will be one of the main attractions at the new Lufthansa Group conference and visitor center at Frankfurt Airport.”
The transports in mid-July and late August were carried out at night, as is standard practice for oversized and heavy transport projects, to minimize disruptions on the highways and roads used. Depending on the aircraft component being transported, Gruber Logistics deployed low-bed trailers and so-called telescopic semi-trailers.
