Commercial

McDonnell Douglas MD-83

Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas

The McDonnell Douglas MD-83, certified as DC-9-83, is a longer-range development of the MD-81 and MD-82. It combines increased fuel capacity and operating weights with Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-83-md-83
Class
Commercial
Registry Count
50
Example Registration
N438AA

Specifications

Wingspan
32.873 m / 107.85 ft
Length
45.06 m / 147.83 ft
Range
4637.41 km / 2504 nmi
First Flight
1984-12-17

Aircraft Overview

History

The variant was announced in January 1983 and first flew on 17 December 1984. Alaska Airlines introduced the initial aircraft in 1985; the final MD-83 was delivered to TWA in December 1999.

Design

Two auxiliary fuel tanks increase capacity. Higher operating weights required changes including strengthened landing gear, wing structure and floor panels. The aircraft retains the long-body MD-80 fuselage.

Variants

The MD-83 belongs to the MD-80 family alongside the MD-81, MD-82, MD-87 and MD-88. The range shown is the variant section’s typical figure for 155 passengers.

Operations

Alaska Airlines and TWA were notable MD-83 users. Like other long-body MD-80 variants, MD-83 aircraft have been eligible for passenger-to-freighter conversion.

Notable Facts

  • Longer-range MD-80 variant.
  • Standard JT8D-219 engines.
  • Two auxiliary fuel tanks.
  • First flight on 17 December 1984.
  • Final delivery to TWA in December 1999.

Variants

  • DC-9-83(MD-83)- 50 registrations - Example N438AA

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources