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Before it became N275AY in the American Airlines fleet, this Airbus A330-300 carried passengers across the globe under the US Airways banner. Today, it's remembered not only for the journeys it made, but for the transformation it witnessed in U.S. aviation history. MotoArt is proud to honor this aircraft's legacy with the release of PlaneTags made from its authentic fuselage skin. 

Some aircraft are remembered for decades of service or commercial success. Others, like the Lockheed L-300, are remembered because there was only one.

Originally conceived as a civilian version of the military C-141A Starlifter, the L-300 was Lockheed’s bold attempt to break into the commercial cargo market. But what began as a promising prototype in the late 1960s took an unexpected turn. Instead of hauling freight for airlines, the lone L-300 would be transformed into one of NASA’s most groundbreaking scientific platforms: the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO).

This is the story of a unique aircraft that defied its original purpose and made history in the skies, not as a freighter, but as a flying observatory that expanded our understanding of the universe.

On May 27, we’re proud to honor this remarkable journey with the release of Lockheed L-300 PlaneTags, crafted from the very aircraft that carried infrared telescopes through the stratosphere. In the sections ahead, you’ll uncover how this one-of-a-kind plane helped shape aviation and astronomy, and how its legacy lives on today.