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McDonnell Douglas DC-10

DC-10/MD-10
Ariana Afghan Airlines DC-10 Fitzgerald.jpg
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. It features 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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