#mcdonnelldougas

McDonnell Douglas advertisement from a 1991 issue of Flight International…….. #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek #MD80Sunset https://www.instagram.com/p/B1-LxYmh7G_/?igshid=3rmrnhzmhmvf

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 retains much of the hydraulic system architecture of the legacy DC-9 variants but with new and larger components as needed reflecting the fact that the MD-80 is nearly twice as heavy as the first DC-9 variants. ⁣ ⁣ The MD-80 has two separate and independent hydraulic systems- fluid from one system doesn’t mix with the other. They are designated “Left” and “Right”- the Left system is driven by a engine-driven variable displacement pump on the left engine and the Right system is driven by the same type of pump on the right engine. In addition, the right engine also drives an electric auxiliary pump based on that used on the DC-10. ⁣ ⁣ The engine hydraulic pumps have three settings- OFF, HIGH, and LOW. The HIGH pressurizes the hydraulic system to 3000 psi with all pumps including auxiliary pumps on. This is the setting used during takeoff and landing. The LOW setting is used during cruise with only the two engine pumps running at 1500 psi. Running at a lower pressure in cruise flight reduces wear and tear on the hydraulic components.⁣ ⁣ While the control surfaces like the elevators are cable driven for simplicity and reliability, stall recovery involves a hydraulic power boost to the tailplane control surfaces from the Left system. To prevent inadvertent activation of the stall recovery power boost, two different control valves in series have to be opened to allow hydraulic fluid to flow to the power boost actuators. ⁣ ⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KDFW #DFW #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #American #AmericanAirlines #N984TW #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek #MD80Sunset (at DFW Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3yHlvQhzN_/?igshid=1hg5rx5bjg2i

1985 McDonnell Douglas advertisement that ran in Aviation Week & Space Technology for the MD-80 series. ⁣ ⁣ So total number of MD-80s operated over time by each of the four airlines depicted in this ad: ⁣ ⁣ American Airlines: 383 (1983-2019)⁣ ⁣ Swissair: 29 (1981-1995)⁣ ⁣ Alaska Airlines: 48 (1985-2014)⁣ ⁣ Finnair: 26 (1983-2006)⁣ ⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KDFW #DFW #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #Alaska #AlaskaAirlines #Finnair #Swissair #American #AmericanAirlines #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek https://www.instagram.com/p/B2KMnOrBpSO/?igshid=1apxo2z04cg1g

Mad Dog BLAST OFF!⠀ ⠀ The Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series engines of the MD-80 family were developed specifically for the aircraft as a significant upgrade to the JT8D engine product line that had been in production since 1964 for the 727, DC-9, and 737-100/200 families. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Compared to the IAE V2500 engine of the MD-90 and the Rolls Royce BR715 of the MD-95/717, the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 of the MD-80 is one loud beast from a different era. ⠀ ⠀ Compared to the first generation of JT8D engines used on the 727, DC-9 and 737-100/200 variant families, the engine was upgraded significantly for the JT8D-200 series used on the MD-80, the most obvious change being an increase in the fan diameter from 1.01m to 1.27m which increased its bypass ratio and made it relatively quieter and more fuel efficient than the earlier versions but not as quiet as the current generation of commercial turbofan engines. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ There are three basic versions to the JT8D-200 family- the -209 powered the earliest MD-80s off the production line. The -209 was a bit of a pig and was quickly supplanted by the more powerful -217 and even more powerful -219. The -209 could be converted into a -217 and most were; this required a new air-cooled HP turbine and a modified LP turbine that has aerodynamic tweaks. There is a -217 subvariant, the -217C, that’s just a derated -219 but otherwise identical to the -219.⁣⠀ ⠀ I took this photo of N471AA back in 2015. She was retired to Roswell in April 2016. ⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KDFW #DFW #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #American #AmericanAirlines #N471AA #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek #MD80Sunset (at DFW Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5aPVctB-El/?igshid=qegycolz6pap

1985 McDonnell Douglas advertisement that ran in Aviation Week & Space Technology for the MD-83, the long range variant of the MD-80 family. ⁣ ⁣ There are four main variants of the MD-80 that are all externally indistinguishable- the MD-81 was the initial production model. ⁣ ⁣ The MD-82 is basically a heavy gross weight MD-81 with more powerful engines- same fuel, more powerful engines, higher payload. Sort of an MD-81IGW. ⁣ ⁣ The MD-83 is an MD-81/82 with engines of even more thrust but with additional fuel tanks- two of them, ahead and behind the wing center section as well as structural beef ups. So you can sort of think of the MD-83 as an MD-82ER. ⁣ ⁣ The MD-88 is an MD-83 with a glass cockpit. Theoretically any variant could be modified to the other, many MD-81 operators upgraded their aircraft to MD-82s, some MD-82 operators like American upgraded theirs to MD-83s. Delta had some of their MD-82s upgraded to MD-88s.⁣ ⁣ Alaska Airlines and Finnair were the launch customers for the MD-83.⁣ ⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KDFW #DFW #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #Alaska #AlaskaAirlines #Finnair #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek https://www.instagram.com/p/B2JxRjRB2se/?igshid=842swt3vqh1b

1980 McDonnell Douglas ad for what would later be marketed as the MD-80 but at the time was still called the DC-9 Super 80. This great ad features former NASA astronaut Pete Conrad. Conrad flew on Gemini 5 and Gemini 11, went the Moon on Apollo 12, and was the commander of Skylab 2. After he retired from NASA in 1973, he went to work in the cable TV industry but in 1976 accepted a job as a VP and consultant with McDonnell Douglas. In 1978, he became the VP for marketing and was in charge of both commercial and military sales for McDonnell Douglas. A After the tragic crash of American 191 in Chicago in 1979, Conrad led the efforts to save the DC-10’s reputation. Following his work in the wake of AA191, he became the head of marketing for McDonnell Douglas and would go on to hold a series of senior positions at the company into the early 1990s. Conrad was known as one of the more colorful astronauts at NASA. In the run up to Apollo 12, NASA was concerned about him as he had a habit of cussing whenever his mind wandered and that couldn’t happen on a televised landing. So they had Conrad work with a psychiatrist so that he would hum to himself instead of cussing. NASA never publicly acknowledged the identity of the astronaut, but in the mission tapes, you can hear Conrad humming to himself while walking on the lunar surface. ⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KDFW #DFW #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek https://www.instagram.com/p/B29eLHuBVIK/?igshid=13r0gljx4rql5

Everyone, from us avgeeks to passengers to American’s employees, knew this was a special day in the history of the airline if not in the history of the MD-80 program. Here’s a ramper getting a shot of the ship number of N984TW, “4YU” before its departure. ⁣ ⁣ I’ve always been fascinated with ship numbers, I suppose it’s a bit of a hold over in nautical traditions that crossed over into aviation, particularly in the days of the flying boats in the 1930s- just look at Pan American, they had a very nautical theme in their history, right down to their radio call sign “Clipper”. For airlines, ship numbers are an easier way to keep track of aircraft internally than using the tail number. Some airlines have systems where certain ship number groups can delineate certain aircraft subtypes or cabin configurations. For example, United Airlines years ago on its A320s, ship numbers in the 47xx block were overwater equipped, versus A320s in the 46xx block were not. Not sure if they still follow that system now, though. ⁣ ⁣ MD-80s at American Airlines with alphanumeric ship numbers 4xx, like this one being “4YU”, are ex-TWA. Legacy American MD-80s have a three digit ship number derived from the tail number (for the most part), like N501AA would be Ship 501. ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KDFW #DFW #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #American #AmericanAirlines #N984TW #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek #MD80Sunset (at Dallas/Fort Worth Intl Airport (DFW)) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2AzSmhhxcJ/?igshid=8ojx3l5v2qgd

N982TW, one of the last American MD-80s, gets ready to head out for retirement in the desert at Roswell, New Mexico, after pushback from Terminal C at DFW on the day of the MD-80’s last passenger services for American Airlines on 4 September 2019. Next to where N982TW was parked was N984TW that flew the actual last American MD-80 passenger services DFW-ORD that day. ⁣ ⁣ N982TW was part of the last delivery group to TWA in December 1999- those three aircraft were the MD-80s N982TW (the MD-80 I photographed here), N983TW, and the very last MD-80 built, N984TW. ⁣ ⁣ In its history, TWA operated a total of 104 MD-80s, all of them -82s and -83s, delivered between April 1983 to the very last MD-80 built, delivered to TWA in December 1999. TWA”s order for the MD-80 started with a lease of 15 aircraft on the heels of the landmark American Airlines order that literally saved the MD-80 production line. ⁣ ⁣ The TWA Board approved the deal in November 1982 and it and the American Airlines deal were innovative as “pay-as-you-go” utilization arrangements that are now commonplace in the airline industry. For TWA, the MD-80s were slated to replace the Boeing 707 and 727 on select domestic routes. Trans World would be 18th airline to operate the MD-80 which at the time of its deal in 1982, had been in service with airline fleets for two years and was still being marketed as the DC-9-80. ⁣ ⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KDFW #DFW #dfwavgeek #airport #planespotting #airlines #McDonnellDougas #MD80 #American #AmericanAirlines #N982TW #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek #MD80Sunset (at DFW Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3-6HtZBP2c/?igshid=7r5nyv7aqao1