Aircraft types: McDonnell Douglas

McDonnell Douglas is a US company that has manufactured aircraft since 1967. It's headquarters is in Lambert-St. Louis Airport in Missouri. The company was born after a merger of two major aircraft manufacturing companies, McDonnell and Douglas. The two founders of these companies, Smith McDonnell and Wills Douglas, were employees of L Martin Company which is an aircraft manufacturing company.
 

During the time after the merger McDonnell Douglas was manufacturing DC-8, DC-9 and DC-10 aircraft series. The first deliveries for these aircraft models were in the early 1970s. Around the mid 1980s, McDonnell Douglas acquired a helicopter manufacturing company called Hughes and it has been very successful in the production of Apache helicopters, which are very popular in military operations. In the late 1990s, McDonnell Douglas merged again with Boeing Company of Seattle, so all McDonnell Douglas planes are property of Boeing. However, there are distinct differences between Boeing's and McDonnell Douglas' aircraft.

McDonnell Douglas has delivered more than 45,000 aircraft since it was founded, making it one of the largest manufacturers of both commercial and military airplanes. McDonnell Douglas has several series of long distance aircraft. Examples of these aircraft are McDonnell Douglas MD-11, MD-80, MD-82, MD-83, MD-87, MD-88 and McDonnell Douglas MD-90.

In 1997, McDonnell Douglass ceased to exist following a merger with Boeing.

McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a long haul aircraft powered by three engines. This aircraft has a wide body, large wingspan and a smaller tail-plane. Two engines are mounted under the wings and a third one at the empennage. It has a “latest technology” flight deck controlled by two flight crews. MD-11 flew for the first time in 1986 with the capability of transporting more than 300 passengers. Mc Donnell MD-11 is an advancement of the DC-10 aircraft with a long fuselage and with a less sweptback tail-plane. MD-11 has been acquired by major airliners like EVA air, Lufthansa Cargo, World Airways, Ethiopia Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, KLM royal Dutch Airlines, and UPS Airlines among others.
 

McDonnell Douglas was launched in 1980 as mid-range airplane. This aircraft has been designed to replace DC-9. Its two engines are placed at the rear of the fuselage and its tail-plane is design like a T. MD-80 has a higher take-off weight as compared to DC-9. The aircraft was designed to fly short routes with a carrying capacity of between 130 and 170 passengers. To increase its performance the wings have been redesigned and increased. It's powered by JT8D-200 engines which are more quiet and efficient. It has a modern cockpit and avionic systems. Some of the Airlines that use this type of aircraft are Allegiant Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dutch Antilles Express, Spanair, Alitalia, American Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines, just to name a few.
 

MD-82 can accommodate 172 passengers and has a maximum takeoff weight of more than 149,000 pounds. It is 45 meters long and a long wingspan of 107 feet.
 

This aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight 160,000lbs and it was designed for longer ranger than MD-82. It has a carrying capacity of 172 passengers.
 

MD-87 has takeoff weight of 140,000lbs, and a wingspan of 107 feet. The carrying capacity for this aircraft is 139 passengers.
 

McDonnell Douglas was first launched in the 1980s as another series of MD-80s. It has two jet engines and a maximum passenger capacity of 172. This airplane has a cruising speed of 576mph and a payload of 140,000 lbs. It is mid-range aircraft used for short haul flights. It has a length of 147 meters and a height of 29 meters. Major airlines have bought this aircraft for their short haul routes. These airlines are Delta Airlines, US Airways, Dynamic Airways, Onur Air and many other airlines.
 

This is the latest mid-range aircraft and among the most silent commercial jets. It was launched in 1989 and it has proved to be economically viable due to its cost effective design. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 156,000lbs with a carry capacity of 155 passengers.