Three Cool Modified Versions Of The McDonnell Douglas DC

The DC-10 came in different variants, from military to freight.

Performing its maiden flight on August 29th, 1970, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 rapidly became an icon of commercial aviation. The logic behind the DC-10 was to replace the McDonnell Douglas DC-8 narrowbody aircraft, allowing carriers to expand capacity in long-haul markets. Smaller than the Boeing 747, the then-largest passenger jetliner, the DC-10 still offered the chance to perform transcontinental flights and to operate at airports whose runways were too short for the Queen of the Skies.

Airlines could choose from three different variants of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The -10 series was mainly used for domestic services, with a maximum range of 3,500 miles (5,632 kilometers), while the -30 and -40 series offered an extended range to operate intercontinental flights.

McDonnell Douglas designed and developed a passenger-cargo convertible version of the DC-10. The KC-10, on the other hand, served as an aerial tanker. Although the DC-10 and its variants are no longer used for commercial passenger services today, it is still operated for cargo and air force operations. So, why don't you test your knowledge of three of the coolest versions of this iconic aircraft?

The KC-10 was developed as the military variant of the MD-10 (more on that later) convertible freighter and made its first flight on July 12th, 1980.

The aim of this aircraft was to offer large cargo payloads over an extended range while also serving as an aerial refueling tanker. The additional fuel is carried in large bladder cells in the lower half of the fuselage, where cargo and luggage would typically be stored on a passenger DC-10. The front of the fuselage can seat up to 75 passengers and accommodate cargo on pallets or open cargo, for instance, jet engines.

The US Air Force received 60 KC-10s Extender refueling between 1980 to 1990, and they remain in service even today. However, they will be phased out in 2024 after over four decades of service, including in key combat missions.

The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Air Tanker is a modified version of the airliner used for aerial firefighting.

The aircraft features three water tanks offering a capacity of up to 12,000 gallons (45,424 liters) of fire retardant or water. It was March 2006 when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Supplemental Type Certificate, formally allowing to modify the DC-10 as an aerial dispersant of liquids.

It takes just about eight minutes to fill all three liquid tanks of the DC-10 Air Tanker, while eight seconds is the amount of time required to release the fire retardant or water. When released, the liquid covers an area of up to 91.44 meters wide and 1.6 kilometers long.

After McDonnell Douglas was acquired by Boeing, it rolled out the MD-10, giving the tri-engined aircraft another lease on life.

Indeed, the program allowed airlines to retrofit the DC-10 with a new, advanced-technology flight deck. The advanced common flight deck (ACF) brought about substantial cost savings by turning the cockpit from a three- to a two-person flight deck. The aircraft's weight was reduced by almost 500kg. At the same time, labor and maintenance savings were achieved thanks to the enhanced commonality with the MD-11, including same-type ratings for pilots flying both jets.

FedEx was the launch customer for the MD-10. The conversion program entailed converting passenger-configured DC-10s into the freighter version. The conversion program started in February 1997 and took approximately 120 days per aircraft. The program's second phase included installing the ACF, the liquid crystal display flight deck based on the integrated glass design in the MD-11.

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Journalist - Giacomo has almost three years of experience as an aviation journalist. At the University of Surrey, he pursued a master's in Air Transport Management. His main areas of expertise include network and fleet planning, airline partnerships, and airline strategy. Currently based in Italy.