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McDonnell Douglas DC-10

1971 COLD WAR MODERN AIRCRAFT

History of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10

The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was one of several "three-engine" jetliners developed in the 1970s. The aircraft is the first commercial aircraft product from the merger of McDonnell and Douglas Aviation Group. Design work began in February 1968 in response to a request from American Airlines for a long-range wide-body aircraft. The design will rival the range of the Boeing 747 family with lower payloads, although initially a twin-engine airframe, it was later expanded to include a third engine to meet performance requirements. The DC-10 prototype first flew on August 28, 1970 (in Long Beach, California), and the route was officially launched on August 5, 1971 by American Airlines (USA) as the launch customer.

This type is used by Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Bangladesh), FedEx Express (United States), Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter (Canada), Transportes Aereos Bolivianos (Bolivia) and Turkish Airlines (Turkey). Production spanned from 1968 to 1988, by which time 446 airframes were completed - 60 of which were shipped to the United States Air Force (USAF) in its modified KC-10 "Extender" aerial tanker. Deliveries for all brands spanned from 1971 to 1989, with a peak year of 1973 with 57 aircraft delivered.

McDonnell Douglas now exists as a subsidiary of the mighty Boeing Company.

The MD-10 is designed as a long-range wide-body aircraft. Its body can accommodate typical three-level seats or cargo pallets, depending on customer preference. Its exterior design was conventional for its time, with a tubular fuselage, low-swept wings and a vertical tail. The most unique aspect of this configuration is the installation of three engines - two in down-slung nacelles on the leading edge of each wing and a third above the fuselage spine at the base of the vertical tail.

The cockpit flight deck is located at the very forward end of the aircraft, behind the short nose cone assembly. The horizontal plane cooperates with the fin at the stern, giving it a slight V shape.

The landing gear is fully retractable, with a pair of four-wheel main gear legs in the middle and a two-wheel front leg in the front.

There are four main "airframe" versions of the DC-10, starting with the DC-10-10, then the DC-10-15, DC-10-30, and DC-10-40. All earlier versions used three cockpit crew members, which could accommodate nearly 400 people depending on the interior cabin configuration, while the cargo plane could hold up to 22 pallets.

Overall length is 170.5 feet and height is 58 feet. The -10 and -15 models have a wingspan of 155.3 feet, while the -30 and -40 models have a wider wingspan of 165.3 feet. As expected, weights vary across the four production types, with the -10 and -15 versions hitting the market with an empty weight of 240,170 pounds, while the -30 and -40 brands weigh 266,200 and 270,200 pounds, respectively.

The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is the same for all four versions - 430,000 lbs, 455,000 lbs, 572,000 lbs and 555,000 lbs.

Each body is fitted with a different type of engine: - 10 GE CF6-6D turbofans, each with 40,000 lbs of thrust (3x). The -15 is powered by GE CF6-50C2F turbofan engines, each producing 46,500 pounds of thrust. -30 were fitted with GE CF6-50C turbofans, each rated at 51,000 lbs, and -40 were fitted with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-59A turbofans, each rated at 53,000 lbs.

All brands are capable of cruising at 610 mph, with typical speeds approaching 560 mph. The -10 has a range of 3,800 miles, the -15 has a range of 4,350 miles, the -30 has a range of 6,600 miles, and the -40 has a range of 5,750 miles.

In addition to the four main body shapes, several variants of the DC-10 were produced. Part of the original version is the DC-10-10, DC-10-10CF and DC-10-15. The -10 was an early base passenger version of which 122 were built. The -10CF was a passenger/cargo conversion, although only nine were produced.

The -15 represents seven "hot and high" variants with particularly powerful engines. The remote form started with DC-10-30 (bypassing the proposed DC-10-20). Its conversion (passenger/cargo carrier) is the DC-10-30CF. The DC-10-30ER is an "extended range" model with a different motor for longer range reels.

The DC-10-30AF/F is the group's dedicated cargo carrier. The military KC-10 extender was born out of the DC-10-30 series (DC-10-30CF), with 60 units delivered from 1981 to 1988. The DC-10 was selected by the U.S. Air Force in December 1977 through the Advanced Tanker Cargo Aircraft (ATCA) program.

The KFC-10 has similar form and function and is intended for use by the Royal Netherlands Air Force, although it is based on a modification of the civilian DC-10-30CF model rather than a new airframe. In 1995, RNAF received their aircraft.

The DC-10-40 was the first DC-10 to feature a Pratt & Whitney engine (previous models used GE engines). The DC-10-50 and DC-10 "Twin" were eventually scrapped.

The operation of the DC-10 line was not without problems. His type focuses on more than 50 situations that affect an aircraft's reputation. Despite this, the aircraft did not reach its end of life in Bangladesh until December 2013.

In contrast, the DC-10's durability is not much worse than other competing models that have had problems in heavy aviation operations. Some notable incidents include American Airlines Flight 96 and its "near crash", while Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashed, killing all 346 people on board. 271 people were killed when the first engine of American Airlines Flight 191 disengaged and severed hydraulic lines to the wings.

The tail power unit of United Airlines Flight 232 failed due to fan pulley separation, again breaking hydraulic control. The plane made a partially controlled forced landing (the pilot was forced to run the remaining engines to stabilize the plane) at an airport in Sioux City, Iowa, in July 1989, killing 111 people.

It was part of a DC-10 found on the runway when an Air France Concorde crashed shortly after takeoff in 2000, killing everyone, bringing an end to Air France Concorde flights.

Modifications eventually affected the series, modernization made it safer to fly. The MD-10 branding stands for the upgraded DC-10, seating only two people, with a more advanced dashboard (based on the MD-11 series). The MD-11 is a three-engine development of the MD-10, introduced by Finnair in 1990.

200 of this model were produced and are still in use.