The Super 60 was to be an intercontinental aircraft incorporating many aerodynamic improvements in the wings, and a fuselage lengthened by 26 feet 8 inches (8.13 m) to allow for up to 350 passengers to be seated in a mixed-class layout, compared to 275 in the same configuration of the DC-10. While continuing their research for a new aircraft, McDonnell Douglas designated the program DC-10 Super 60, previously known for a short time as DC-10 Super 50. The DC-10 global would have incorporated more fuel tanks. Another version of the aircraft was also envisaged, the 'DC-10 global', aimed to counter the risks of loss of orders for the DC-10-30 that the Boeing 747SP and its range were causing.

At the same time, the manufacturer was seeking to reduce wing and engine drag on the trijet. The latter version would have been capable of transporting up to 340 passengers in a multi-class configuration, or 277 passengers and their luggage over 5,300 nautical miles (9,800 km). Two versions were considered then: a DC-10-10 with a fuselage stretch of 40 feet (12 m) and a DC-10-30 stretched by 30 feet (9.1 m). Origins Īlthough the MD-11 program was launched in 1986, McDonnell Douglas had started to search for a DC-10 derivative as early as 1976. Some MD-11 freighters were built, but many more are converted MD-11 passenger aircraft, many of which are still in service with cargo airlines.ĭevelopment The MD-11 on the left is 202 ft (61.6 m) long and has winglets and a smaller tailplane while the DC-10 on the right is 181.6 ft (55.35 m) long. The last of 200 aircraft was built in October 2000 after Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. The MD-11 failed to meet its range and fuel burn targets. It features a glass cockpit that eliminates the need for a flight engineer. Its fuselage is stretched by 11% to 202 ft (61.6 m) to accommodate 298 passengers in three classes over a range of up to 7,130 nmi (13,200 km). Its wingspan is slightly larger than the DC-10 and it has winglets. It retains the basic trijet configuration of the DC-10 with updated GE CF6-80C2 or PW4000 turbofan engines. The first delivery was to Finnair on December 7 and it entered service on December 20, 1990.

Its maiden flight occurred on January 10, and it achieved FAA certification on November 8, 1990.

Assembly of the first prototype began on March 9, 1988. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is an American tri-jet wide-body airliner manufactured by American manufacturer McDonnell Douglas (MDC) and later by Boeing.įollowing DC-10 development studies, the MD-11 program was launched on December 30, 1986.

Military jets with wing fuel tanks