- 7 C ▁ended ▁up ▁s elling ▁more ▁air frames ▁than ▁the ▁Star lin er , ▁which ▁had ▁greater ▁range ▁than ▁its ▁rival ▁but ▁was ▁expensive ▁($ 3 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁US D ) ▁and ▁entered ▁service ▁a ▁year ▁later . ▁In ▁the ▁end , ▁only ▁ 4 4 ▁Star lin ers ▁were ▁built ▁( including ▁the ▁prototype ) ▁compared ▁to ▁ 1 2 1 ▁DC - 7 C s . ▁ ▁Al aska ▁Airlines ▁used ▁two ▁Star lin ers ▁for ▁M AT S ▁operations ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁O thers ▁operators ▁used ▁Star lin ers ▁for ▁char ter ▁fl ights . ▁A ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁Star lin ers ▁were ▁used ▁as ▁cargo ▁aircraft ▁in ▁Al aska ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁all ▁Star lin ers ▁ceased ▁commercial ▁operations . ▁ ▁Four ▁Star lin ers ▁still ▁exist ; ▁L uf th ans a ▁is ▁rest oring ▁one ▁to ▁flying ▁condition . ▁Another ▁was ▁sent ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁for ▁the ▁T WA ▁Hotel . ▁ ▁Vari ants ▁ ▁L - 1 6 4 9 A ▁Initial ▁production ▁version ▁power ed ▁by ▁four ▁Wright ▁R - 3 3 5 0 ▁ 9 8 8 ▁T C 1 8 - E A - 2 ▁engines . ▁ 4 4 ▁Bu ilt . ▁L - 1 6 4 9 B ▁Pro posed ▁tur b op rop ▁version . ▁None ▁built