An MD-80 Tribute. Enjoy!

The MD-80 and DC-9 are the trailing edge of technology. The airplane is built "hell for stout". Back when US Airways operated both the 737-200 and the DC-90-30, I heard from a heavy maintenance mechanic that when you stripped the aircraft down in a "D" check they found that the DC-9 was about 10,000 lbs heavier than the B737-200.

Bad news for that was the a additional fuel burn on the DC-9 over its lifetime. The good news was that as a high time air-frame it looked great. Our old B737's were all covered with "scabs", large skin patches covering ground damage. The DC-9's had almost none. The joke was when you drove a tug into a DC-9, you broke the tug. The DC-9 slat extension speed is 280Kt. We used a company speed of 250. first flap extension was also 250. The airplane is built like the proverbial little house.

We had many DC-9 pilots transition from the 9 directly to the Bus. One old guy said, "now I know what it's like to be a dog watching television."
 
The MD-80 and DC-9 are the trailing edge of technology. The airplane is built "hell for stout". Back when US Airways operated both the 737-200 and the DC-90-30, I heard from a heavy maintenance mechanic that when you stripped the aircraft down in a "D" check they found that the DC-9 was about 10,000 lbs heavier than the B737-200.

Bad news for that was the a additional fuel burn on the DC-9 over its lifetime. The good news was that as a high time air-frame it looked great. Our old B737's were all covered with "scabs", large skin patches covering ground damage. The DC-9's had almost none. The joke was when you drove a tug into a DC-9, you broke the tug. The DC-9 slat extension speed is 280Kt. We used a company speed of 250. first flap extension was also 250. The airplane is built like the proverbial little house.

We had many DC-9 pilots transition from the 9 directly to the Bus. One old guy said, "now I know what it's like to be a dog watching television."

The real DC-9 didn't have slats.... But that was back in the day pilots were real pilots
 
When did the MD-80 switch from the DC9 type tail cone to the more aerodynamic one you see in the -88's 90 and 717?
I though it was the result of an airline initiative to save fuel?
 
When did the MD-80 switch from the DC9 type tail cone to the more aerodynamic one you see in the -88's 90 and 717?
I though it was the result of an airline initiative to save fuel?
The new tail cone showed up when the MD-87 was introduced in the late 80's. It was offered as a retrofit on older airplanes and became standard on later aircraft.
 
Why does AA call them super 80s? Are they different than other airlines?
The "Super 80" designation originally came from McDonnel Douglas. I believe the orginal name for the plane was the DC-9 Super 80, or something along those lines. They eventually changed it to the MD-80. There were actually a few airlines who called it the Super 80, although obviously AA is the most well known.
 
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