McDonnell Douglas
MD-80/MD-90
Developed as an improved and
enlarged variant of the DC-9 the MD-80’s first designation was DC-9 Super 80.
Not only the fuselage had been stretched but also wings and tailplane were
enlarged. More powerful engines required bigger nacelles. When production
stopped in 1999 a total of 1191 had been built.
For the MD-90 more fuel-efficient
engines were used and the fuselage had been stretched again. 116 MD-90s have
been built between 1993 and 2000.
The fuselage in front of the wing is
very long so it’s easy to get the correct centre of gravity despite the weight
of the rear-mounted engines. Compared to the DC-9 the wing loading is lower for
the MD-80. Because of the vertical stabilizer’s small size directional control
is a problem in case of an engine failure. A gyro on rudder is therefore
recommended.
Powerplant:
Glow:
two 7.5 cc (.45 cu.in.) engines
Turbine: twice 30
N (7 lbs.) thrust
Ducted Fan: diameter up to 85 mm (3.3’’) (MD-80)
diameter up to 105 mm (4.1’’) (MD-90)
Specifications:
Span
Length
Wing Area
Weight
MD-81
(-82/-83/-88) 2.06
m (81’’) 2.82 m
(111’’) 46.4 dm˛ (719
sq.in.) 8 kg (18 lbs.)
MD-87
2.06 m
(81’’) 2.49 m
(98’’) 46.4 dm˛ (719
sq.in.) 7 kg (15 lbs.)
MD-90 2.06
m (81’’) 2.91 m
(115’’) 46.4 dm˛ (719 sq.in.) 8 kg
(18 lbs.)
Videos:
(1)
Pics:
(Hugo Gloor)
(Andreas Gfeller)