McDonnell Douglas DC-10 performed its maiden flight on August 29th, 1970. This weekend marks 51 years since the widebody twinjet hit the skies for the first time. Let’s take a look at the plane’s highlights amid this anniversary.
A new generation
The DC-10 was designed and built in Long Beach, California. After going into production in January 1968, 386 commercial units were delivered, along with 60 KC-10 tanker/cargo models.
The plane was billed to succeed the Douglas DC-8 narrowbody airliner in the long-haul market. Altogether, airlines in the United States were looking for a widebody plane to take on transcontinental services.
Many of these operators were looking for something not as gargantuan as the Boeing 747. Therefore, the DC-10 would arrive smaller than the 360-seat Queen of the Skies. However, it would still be larger than the narrowbody jets of the time that were arriving with around 180 seats. Importantly, American Airlines put the word out that it was looking for a solution to take on similar operations to the 747, but from airports with shorter runways.
Initial proposals saw the idea of a four-engined double-decker floating about. However, this approach was scrapped in preference of a trijet single-decker.
Plenty of prospects
American Airlines introduced the DC-10-10 on August 5th, 1971, and became the largest operator of the type. It flew 55 DC-10-10s and 11 DC-10-30s over the years.
All in all, the initial DC-10-10 had a standard seating of up to 270 passengers. However, the Federal Aviation Administration exit limit was 380. Delta Air Lines, which ordered the type in March 1971, fitted its cabin with 46 first class seats and 204 coach seats.
In total, 122 -10s were built since the DC-10 program began. Along with these units, 163 -30s were made between 1972 and 1988, and 42 -40s were produced from 1973 to 1983. The wider family managed to serve several different market segments.
“The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was produced in three basic models, the Series 10 for domestic routes to 3,500 miles (5,632 kilometers) and the Series 30 and 40 for extended range and intercontinental travel. DC-10s were modified as passenger/cargo convertible versions and as the KC-10 aerial tanker for the U.S. Air Force,” Boeing, which McDonnell Douglas merged with, in 1977, shares on its website.
“In addition to the luxury and spaciousness inherent in its wide cabin, the three-engine DC-10 incorporated improvements in propulsion, aerodynamics, structure, avionics, flight control systems and environmental compatibility that advanced industry standards.”
The DC-10-10 has a length of 182 ft 3.1 in / 55.55 m, a height of 57 ft 6 in / 17.53 m, and a wingspan of 155 ft 4 in / 47.35 m. Three GE CF6-6D engines powered the plane to reach a range of 3,500 NM / 6,500 km and a cruise speed of 507 kn / 940 km/h.
Major accidents
The DC-10 had its fair share of problems following its introduction in the 1970s. On June 12th, 1972, American Airlines flight 96 had a cargo door failure leading to rapid decompression. As a result, two members of the crew and nine passengers were injured.
Following this, on March 3rd, 1974, Turkish Airlines flight 981 also had a cargo door failure. This led to explosive decompression and caused the deaths of all 346 people on board the flight.
Before the decade was over, there was one more major accident, which is the deadliest ever recorded in the US. American Airlines flight 191 was flying from Chicago to Los Angeles, but there was a loss of control due to engine detachment amid improper maintenance. Subsequently, all 273 people died onboard as the plane crashed near O’Hare International Airport on May 25th, 1979.
Following the 1979 accident, the DC-10 was grounded by the FAA between June 6th and July 13th of that year. Even though the type’s certificate was restored, the impact of the preceding accidents undoubtedly impacted the plane’s reputation and helped to inspire its decline.
The US recession between 1979 and 1982 also affected the plane order numbers, further contributing to the diminishing popularity.
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Still going
Today, the DC-10 is no longer in the air for commercial passenger services. However, it can still be spotted on cargo and air force operations around the world. Like Much like another McDonnell Douglas widebody trijet, the MD-11, the DC-10 stretched its career longer in the freighter market.
FedEx Express, 10 Tanker Air Carrier, Omega Aerial Refueling Services, Orbis International, Royal Netherlands Air Force, Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos, and United States Air Force are all operators of different variants today. The latter signed a $216 million contract with Boeing in June 2010 to upgrade the military’s sizeable KC-10 tanker fleet. The agreement saw new navigation, communication, surveillance, and air traffic management systems be introduced.
Nonetheless, the DC-10-10 no longer flies. Notably, FedEx retired the last active -10F just this summer.
Regardless, it might not be too long before the broader family is phased out. For instance, FedEx has shared that it is looking at retiring all its units by 2023. Overall, the likes of the Boeing 767 and the 777 and their freighters are proving far more popular amid their greater efficiency.
Even though it’s rare to see the DC-10 in the skies today, it’s still great to know that it still has a role in society. It’s been over five decades since the type first took flight, but it still holds a role in the global aviation industry.
What are your overall thoughts about the McDonnell Douglas DC-10? Have you ever flown on the trijet widebody aircraft over the years? Let us know what you think of the plane and its legacy in the comment section.
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