Commercial

McDonnell Douglas MD-80

Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a family of five-abreast, single-aisle jet airliners developed from the DC-9. Originally marketed as the DC-9 Super 80, it combined a longer fuselage and larger wing with Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
mcdonnell-douglas-md-80
Class
Commercial
Registry Count
N/A

Specifications

Wingspan
32.873 m / 107.85 ft
Length
45.06 m / 147.83 ft
First Flight
1979-10-18
Production Start
1979
Production End
1999
Total Built
1191

Aircraft Overview

History

The programme was launched in October 1977. The first aircraft flew on 18 October 1979, and Swissair introduced it into service on 10 October 1980. Production continued until 1999, with 1,191 aircraft delivered.

Design

Two engines mounted at the rear of the fuselage and a T-tail retain the DC-9 layout. The aircraft has a two-pilot flight deck and a main cabin typically arranged with two seats on one side of the aisle and three on the other.

Variants

MD-81, MD-82, MD-83 and MD-88 are long-body variants with differences in engines, fuel capacity, weights and avionics. The MD-87 has a shorter fuselage. The MD-90 is a later development rather than an MD-80 variant.

Operations

Major users included American Airlines, Delta, Alaska Airlines, Alitalia, Allegiant and Continental. Some retired passenger aircraft have been converted for cargo service, while MD-87s have also been adapted for aerial firefighting.

Notable Facts

  • Originally known as the DC-9 Super 80.
  • First flight on 18 October 1979.
  • Swissair was the launch airline.
  • The family includes the shorter MD-87.
  • 1,191 MD-80-family aircraft delivered.

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources