 MD90 |
| STANDARD DATA: MD-81 Seats 142-172. Gross wt. 140,000. Empty wt. 78,420. Fuel capacity 4,812. Engines two 18,550-lb. s.t. Pratt & Whitney JT8D turbofans. PERFORMANCE: Max cruise 500 kts. Long range cruise 440 kts. Ceiling 35,000+. Range 1,563-2,630 nm. Takeoff distance 7,250. Landing distance 4,860. STANDARD DATA: MD-90 Seats 141-187. Gross wt. 156,000. Empty wt. 88,000. Engines two 25,000- lb. International Aero V2525D5 turbofans. |
The MD-80 series of aircraft were a stretched improvement of the DC-9. The first version of the jet was literally a re-engined DC-9. After a fuselage stretch, the aircraft became the DC-9 Super 80. In 1993, McDonnell Douglas renamed the aircraft the MD-80. Over the years, a number of variants would arrive, starting with the MD-81 and ending with the MD-88. All were more capable than their predecessors, all except the MD-87 which was smaller. The largest of the line, the MD-90 came in 1993. Four and a half feet longer than the MD-88, it allowed for ten more passenger seats. The MD series of aircraft evolved into what is now the Boeing 717.
