In the mid-1960s, with the Long Beach production line busy turning out DC-8s and DC-9s, Douglas was keen to move into the wide-body market. Several projects were proposed but abandoned before, in 1966, American Airlines issued a specification for a 250-passenger airliner for use on its trunk routes. Douglas quickly settled on a three-engine design to provide redundancy at hot and high airports, but it was only after the 1967 merger with McDonnell Aircraft brought new capital to the company that it was able to begin development in earnest. The DC-10 was put into production on the back of launch orders from American (for 50 aircraft) and United (for 60).
Available in both domestic and intercontinental versions, and with a choice of powerplants, McDonnell Douglas was confident of high sales. However, the 1973 energy crisis, bad publicity following accidents and the advent of extended range operations by twin-engine aircraft restricted interest. Production numbers were boosted by the selection in 1977 of the DC-10 over the Boeing 747 to meet the USAF’s Advanced Tanker/Cargo Aircraft requirement, although the last of the resulting KC-10As is expected to be withdrawn from service this year.
A small number of DC-10s still operate commercially, with Panamanian carrier Cargo Three expecting to put three into service this year. The DC-10 also operates as fire bomber, and as a commercial air tanker platform. Around a third survive, with most to be found in the Southern California desert.
First flight: 29 Aug 70 (c/n 46500, N10DC)
Production: 446, at Long Beach, CA
First delivery: 29 Jul 71, to American Airlines (c/n 46503, N103AA) and United Airlines (c/n 46603, N1804U)
Last delivery: 27 Jul 89, to Nigeria Airways (c/n 48138, N3024W)
Variants: DC-10-10 – initial production version for use on domestic trunk routes, powered by General Electric CF6-6 series turbofans (122 built);
DC-10-10CF – convertible passenger/cargo version for Continental Airlines, with reinforced floor and upward-hinged cargo door (9 built);
DC-10-15 – DC-10-10 optimised for operations from Mexico City, powered by CF6-50C2F turbofans (7 built; first flight 08 Jun 81 (c/n 48258, N19B));
DC-10-20 – original designation for Pratt & Whitney JT9D-20-powered long range version, with increase gross weight and addition of a central undercarriage leg (see DC-10-40);
DC-10-30 – DC-10-20 equipped with CF6-50 series turbofans (166 built including some as extended range DC-10-30ERs; first flight 21 Jun 72 (c/n 46550, N1339U));
DC-10-30CF – convertible passenger/cargo version of DC-10-30, with reinforced floor and upward-hinged cargo door (30 built, plus several DC-10-30s converted);
DC-10-30F – pure-freighter version for Federal Express, powered by CDF6-50C2 turbofans (10 built);
DC-10-40 – re-designated from DC-10-20 (32 built, including 10 for Japan Airlines as DC-10-40I; first flight 28 Feb 72 (c/n 46750, N141US));
DC-10-40D – version for Japan Airlines optimised for domestic services, with lower gross weight and central undercarriage leg deleted (10 built);
DC-10-50 – proposed version for British Airways, powered by Rolls-Royce RB211-524; not built
KC-10A Extender – tanker/transport version for the United States Air Force, featuring reinforced main floor, USAF cargo-handling and tie-down system, and single point Advanced Aerial Refueling Boom (although some aircraft later fitted with Mk.32B hose drum pods beneath each wing) (60 built; first flight 12 Jul 80 (c/n 48200, N110KC)).
Conversions: DC-10-10(F) – all-cargo conversion of the DC-10-10 by Federal Express;
KDC-10-30CF – designation applied to two ex-Martinair DC-10-30CFs modified as tanker-transports for the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1994/95;
MD-10 – DC-10 retrofitted with the Advanced Common Flightdeck used in the MD-11, to allow deletion of the flight engineer position and operation of both aircraft with a common type-rating (first flight 14 Apr 99 (c/n 46620, N386FE));
DC-10 Very Large Air Tanker - DC-10 optimised for firefighting, equipped with five under-fuselage tanks with a total capacity of 9,400 US gallons of retardant (4 completed; first flight 2004).
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