![]() Large portions of the detailed design work, particularly that of the fuselage, was subcontracted to external companies, such as the American aerospace company Convair. The proposal was shelved in favor of a trijet single-deck wide-body airliner with a maximum seating capacity of 399 passengers, and similar in length to the DC-8 Super 60. Īn early DC-10 design proposal was for a four-engine double-deck wide-body jet airliner with a maximum seating capacity of 550 passengers and similar in length to a DC-8. It would become McDonnell Douglas's first commercial airliner after the merger between McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. In 1966, American Airlines offered a specification to manufacturers for a widebody aircraft that was smaller than the Boeing 747 yet capable of flying similar long-range routes from airports with shorter runways this specification would be highly influential in the design of what would become the DC-10. Fielder notes that the company was under competitive pressure to produce a widebody aircraft, having been somewhat slow in the previous decade to introduce its first jetliners. The 3-4-3 (left) and 2-5-2 (right) seating configurationįollowing an unsuccessful proposal for the United States Air Force's CX-HLS (Heavy Logistics System) in 1965, Douglas Aircraft began design studies based on its CX-HLS submission. ![]() ![]() Some DC-10s are on display, while other retired aircraft are in storage. A few DC-10s have been converted for aerial firefighting use. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a DC-10 adapted for eye surgery. Cargo airlines continue to operate a small number as freighters. In February 2014, the DC-10 made its last commercial passenger flight. It was succeeded by the lengthened, heavier McDonnell Douglas MD-11.Īfter merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, Boeing upgraded many in-service DC-10s as the MD-10 with a glass cockpit that eliminated the need for a flight engineer. The DC-10 had outsold the similar Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Production ended in 1989, with 386 delivered to airlines along with 60 KC-10 tankers. ![]() As design flaws were rectified and fleet hours increased, the DC-10 achieved a long-term safety record comparable to those of similar-era passenger jets. In August 1983, McDonnell Douglas announced that production would end due to a lack of orders, as it had a widespread public apprehension after the 1979 crash and a poor fuel economy reputation. Following the American Airlines Flight 191 crash (the deadliest aviation accident in US history), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily banned all DC-10s from U.S. The KC-10 Extender (based on the DC-10-30) is a tanker aircraft operated primarily by the United States Air Force.Įarly operations of the DC-10 were afflicted by its poor safety record, which was partially attributable to a design flaw in the original cargo doors that caused multiple incidents, including fatalities. The DC-10-30 and −40 models (with a third main landing gear leg to support higher weights) each had intercontinental ranges of up to 5,200 nmi (9,600 km). The DC-10-15 had more powerful engines for hot and high airports. The initial DC-10-10 had a 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) range for transcontinental flights. The twin-aisle layout has a typical seating for 270 in two classes. The trijet has two turbofans on underwing pylons and a third one at the base of the vertical stabilizer. It first flew on Augit was introduced on August 5, 1971, by American Airlines. The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long- range flights. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas.
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