TRIP REPORT - Delta (717, MD-90), St. Louis to Norfolk

Описание: Those of you who have followed my channel for a while probably know that STL-ORF is a route I find myself on frequently. However, this trip had many elements that made it very much worth filming. These include my first ride in a Boeing 717, sunset at cruise, landing in a snowstorm in Detroit, my first time connecting at DTW, de-icing delays, a night flight on an MD-90, and landing/taxiing at ORF at night. Both aircraft featured in this video have a rich and unique history. If you're interested, I typed out a long-winded explanation below (I'm an airline nerd, I know):

The year is 1965. McDonnell Douglas, a venerable US aircraft manufacturer, produces it's first DC-9 aircraft. With 2 engines, no flight engineer, and a unique t-tail design, this small but efficient aircraft revolutionized short-haul domestic flying. Unbelievably, the DC-9 would continue to be produced for the next 41 years. It would be stretched, shrunk, and fitted with new engines and electronics multiple times--each time getting a new name. But the airframe and core design would remain virtually unchanged. It began with the DC-9-10, which was 114 ft long. Then the DC-9-20, -30, -40, and by 1975, the DC-9-50. The -50 was 135 ft long and seated around 135 passengers. As technology improved and air travel increased in popularity, McDonnell Douglas saw the need for a larger narrow body aircraft, and so in 1980 the revolutionary MD-80 was born. But it had a familiar design. In fact, the MD-80's official designation was DC-9-80. Yes, yet another stretch of the DC-9. This time to 147 ft and 155 passengers. While the MD-80 was a formidable competitor to products produced by other aircraft manufacturers at the time, the years moved on, and the competition started to get fierce. By the 1990's, Airbus's A320 series and Boeing's newly-redesigned 737 were making the MD-80 look quite obsolete by comparison. Rather than coming up with a new design of their own, McDonnell Douglas announced 2 rather familiar-looking aircraft: The MD-90, and the MD-95. The MD-90 was yet another stretch of the DC-9 airframe, this time with newer fuel efficient engines (in fact, the same engines the A320 family used at the time). The MD-90 was the largest DC-9 variant ever built at 152 ft, seating 153 passengers. It wasn't a great seller, and Delta is the only carrier in the world to operate them as of 2016. The MD-95 was in many ways a return to the DC-9-50, seating 134. It was essentially the same airframe produced in 1975, though fitted with new engines. However, facing increasing financial pressure and declining sales, McDonnell Douglas ultimately agreed to be bought out by Boeing in 1996. At this time, MD-90 production was ceased so not to cannibalize sales of Boeing's similarly-sized 737. However, Boeing saw value in the smaller MD-95's design. They renamed it to the Boeing 717 and produced over 150 of them before ending production in 2006. So, in 2006, the venerable DC-9 airframe finally met its end. With all variants combined, over 2400 aircraft were built. Perhaps a few too many, since McDonnell Douglas's demise was largely linked to their inability to innovate in their later years. Either way, The DC-9/MD-80/MD-90/717 are some of my favorite aircraft out there. The unique T-tail design (engines mounted in the back) will always be a favorite. They have loads of character that newer aircraft simply lack.

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