Aircraft / McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Series
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The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Series is a collection of American five-abreast, twin-engine narrow-body series of jet airliners that were produced from 1980 to 1999 by McDonnell Douglas, an aerospace company based in Long Beach, California that was the progeny of a merger between the Douglas Aircraft Company and the St Louis, Missouri-based McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series of jets are the 2nd generation of twin-engine T-tail airliners built by Douglas/McDonnell Douglas, descending from the previously successful Douglas DC-9 family of aircraft.
Five major variants of the MD-80 series were produced over its production lifespan:
The McDonnell Douglas MD-81, the base version of the type, which had a range of 1800 nautical miles (nmi) and a seating capacity of 143-155 passengers;
The McDonnell Douglas MD-82, the best selling variant, which had more powerful engines and was able to operate in hot-and-high environments, while also offering an increased range to 2,050 nmi when flown in normal operating environments;
The McDonnell Douglas MD-83, an extended range version of the MD-82 with still more powerful engines, a slightly higher MTOW (maximum takeoff weight) than the MD-82 but could fly up to 500 miles further than the -82 (2550 nmi);
The McDonnell Douglas MD-87, a shorter fuselage variant range seating 117-130 passengers that boasted a superior 2900 nmi range, featured several modifications to its tail, and a distinctive “beavertail” or “screwdriver” tail cone that provided better fuel economy; and
The McDonnell Douglas MD-88, the final “long body” variant, which retained the “screwdriver” tail cone and introduced a modernized EFIS digital cockpit in place of the traditional analog flight deck.
The “screwdriver” tail cone - so named because of its distinct vertical, flattened shape - was subsequently retrofitted onto existing MD-82s and MD-83s as part of scheduled major maintenance checks. Some older models also received cockpit upgrades to the EFIS based flight deck.
McDonnell Douglas ceased production of the MD-80 series of aircraft in 1999 after producing 1191 units. They were replaced by the third-generation McDonnell Douglas MD-90 and McDonnell Douglas MD-95; the latter of which became the Boeing 717 after McDonnell Douglas merged into Boeing in 1997.
Roughly 100 MD-80s remain in active service, mainly as freighters. However, several passenger MD-80s are still operating around Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
Reference: Wikipedia.
Stats
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 (Base Model)
Origin: Long Beach, California USA
Role: Two Engine Narrow-body Jet Airliner
First Introduction: 10 October 1980
Status: Out of Production; In Service
Cockpit Crew: Two
Seating: 143-155
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney JT8D-209
Cruise Speed: 448-472 knots (830-873 km/h; 516-543 mph)
Range: 2050 nmi (3800 km; 2360 mi)
# Aircraft Produced: 132
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 / MD-83 / MD-88 (Long Body Model)
Origin: Long Beach, California USA; Shanghai, China
Role: Two Engine Narrow-body Jet Airliner
First Introduction: 10 October 1980
Status: Out of Production; In Service
Cockpit Crew: Two
Seating: 143-155
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217 or JT8D-219
Cruise Speed: 448-472 knots (830-873 km/h; 516-543 mph)
Range: 2050 nmi (3800 km; 2360 mi)
# Aircraft Produced:
MD-82: 539
MD-83: 265
MD-88: 150
McDonnell Douglas MD-87 (Shrink Model)
Origin: Long Beach, California USA
Role: Two Engine Narrow-body Jet Airliner
First Introduction: 10 October 1980
Status: Out of Production; In Service
Cockpit Crew: Two
Seating: 143-155
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217C or JT8D-219
Cruise Speed: 448-472 knots (830-873 km/h; 516-543 mph)
Range: 2050 nmi (3800 km; 2360 mi)
# Aircraft Produced: 75