Aircraft / Douglas DC-8-63/73
Aircraft / Douglas DC-8-63/73
Two of seven variations of the Douglas DC-8 aircraft family, the Douglas DC-8-63 and Douglas DC-8-73 - also known as the Douglas Super DC-8-63/73 or the McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63/73 - are narrow-body, long range four-engine jet airliners manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which was originally headquartered in Santa Monica, California USA, then relocated to Long Beach, California USA. In 1967 the Douglas Aircraft Company merged with St Louis-based McDonnell Aircraft Corporation to become McDonnell Douglas Corporation.
Production of the DC-8-63 ended in 1972, when it was superseded in favor of the larger McDonnell Douglas DC-10 wide-body trijet airliner. After the DC-8-63 production run was concluded, Douglas Aircraft developed the DC-8-73 variant, which was a straightforward conversion of the DC-8-63 where the original Pratt & Whitney JT3D engines were upgraded to more fuel-efficient CFM International CFM56 high-bypass turbofan engines. While the type’s maximum takeoff weights remained the same, there was a slight reduction in payload because CFM engines were heavier than their JT3D predecessors.
The DC-8 made its final passenger flight in 2012, after which they were mostly working as freighters. A few DC-8s still operate in the 2020s, but only in very limited non-passenger service.
Reference: Wikipedia.
Stats
Stats displayed are for the Douglas DC-8-73 quadjet aircraft.
Name: Douglas DC-8-73
Origin: Long Beach, California USA
Role: Four Engine Narrow-body Jet Airliner
First Introduction: 18 September 1959
Status: Out of Production; In Limited Non-Passenger Service
Cockpit Crew: Three
Seating: 189-259
Engines: 4 x CFM International CFM56 (after-market retrofit)
Cruise Speed: 483 knots (895 km/h; 556 mph)
Range: 4500 nmi (8300 km; 5200 mi)