Douglas DC-10
| DC-10/MD-10 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A DC-10-30 of Ariana Afghan Airlines in 1980. | |
| Role | Wide-body jet airliner |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas |
| First flight | August 29, 1970 |
| Introduction | August 5, 1971 with American Airlines |
| Status | In service as cargo aircraft |
| Primary users |
FedEx Express KF Cargo Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos United Airlines (historical) |
| Produced | 1968–1988 |
| Number built | DC-10: 386 KC-10: 60 |
| Variants |
McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender DC-10 Air Tanker |
| Developed into | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 |
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine wide-body jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum of 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. The model was a successor to McDonnell Douglas's DC-8 for long-range operations, and competed in the same markets as the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, which has a similar layout. In its early years the DC-10 had a poor safety record; however, this has greatly improved over time.
Production of the DC-10 ended in 1989 with 386 delivered to airlines and 60 to the U.S. Air Force as air-to-air refueling tankers, designated KC-10 Extender. The largest operator of the DC-10 is U.S. cargo airline FedEx Express. The DC-10 was succeeded by the related McDonnell Douglas MD-11. Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, conducted an upgrade program that equipped many in-service DC-10s with a glass cockpit that eliminated the flight engineer position; the upgraded aircraft were re-designated as MD-10s. The DC-10's last commercial passenger flight took place in February 2014, although freighter versions continue to operate. Despite the airliner's popularity, only a few DC-10s are on display, while other retired aircraft are in storage. DC-10s are also used for specialist services, such as the Orbis International Flying Eye Hospital, which has a compartment for performing eye surgery.
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