McDonnell Douglas aircraft. McDonnell Douglas - brand history
McDonnell Douglas Corporation is an aircraft manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. In the second half of the 20th century, this corporation was a major manufacturer of military aircraft and one of the largest manufacturers of commercial airliners. In 1997, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing merged into a single company called the Boeing Company, the world's largest aerospace corporation.
McDonnell Douglas was founded in 1967 by the merger of McDonnell Company and Douglas Aircraft Company.
Douglas Aircraft was founded in 1920 by engineer Donald W. Douglas. The company produced a large number of well-established aircraft, including the legendary DC-3 (DC-3), which appeared on the airways in 1935 and first made passenger air transportation cost-effective. Before the outbreak of World War II, the world's commercial airliner fleet consisted of 80% DC-3s. In 1953, the DC-7 (DC-7) began commercial flights, it was one of the first airliners capable of flying non-stop flights throughout the United States, and only the DC-7 could fly from East Coast USA to the West, moving towards the prevailing winds. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Douglas could not stand the competition from Boeing, and by 1966 the company became unprofitable.
McDonnell Airlines, founded in 1939 by engineer James McDonnell, became one of the leading suppliers of combat aircraft to the US Army during World War II. It was this company that gave birth to such famous examples of aviation technology as one of the first jet fighters F2H Banshee (1947), jet fighter F-101 Voodoo (1954), and the phenomenally successful F-4 Phantom II (1958). McDonnell also built the Mercury and Gemini capsules, which housed the first American astronauts on spaceflight missions in the early 1960s.
After the merger of the two companies in 1967, a military-industrial giant was formed that supplied the armies of the whole world with combat aircraft. McDonnell Douglas developed and began to produce the famous F-15 - a fighter that became the main combat aircraft of the US Air Force.
In 1970, the company introduced the DC-10 airliner. McDonnell Douglas was also the main designer of the US space station Skylab, which was launched into orbit in 1973. In 1984, the company bought Hughes Helicopters, which made Apache combat helicopters.
In the 1980s, the share of commercial aircraft in the company's total turnover was only a quarter. With the end of the Cold War and the decline in military orders, McDonnell Douglas fell on hard times. From 1990 to 1994, the company's turnover fell by 25%. This forced her to hastily turn to the commercial aircraft market. At this point, the line of such machines were:
wide-body three-engine MD-11, capable of carrying up to 410 passengers over long distances;
MD-80 is a small aircraft designed for local lines, which entered service in 1980, and
MD-90, a medium-haul airliner, whose production began in 1995.
In addition, in 1995 the company began accepting orders for the MD-95, a small twin-engine aircraft designed to serve short and medium-haul lines, which began to be produced by Boeing as the Boeing 717.
In 1996, McDonnell Douglas announced that the company did not have the funds to continue work on a next-generation wide-body airliner, which drastically reduced the company's ability in the oversaturated commercial airliner market. The next devastating blow for the company was the decision of the Department of Defense to exclude McDonnell Douglas from the list of companies participating in the competition for the next generation fighter project for US Air Force, which promised to bring billions of dollars in profits. In this state, with no clear prospects for the future, the company began negotiations with Boeing. At the end of 1996, both companies announced their merger - the largest in the history of the aircraft industry. This deal was approved by the federal authorities in 1997.
aircraft industry, mechanical engineering
regional passenger planes, business jets, training aircraft
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63 thousand people
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McDonnell Douglas is an aircraft manufacturing company based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. In the second half of the 20th century, this corporation was a major manufacturer of military aircraft and one of the largest manufacturers of commercial airliners. McDonnell Douglas and Boeing have merged to form The Boeing Company, the world's largest aerospace corporation.
Story
In the 1980s, the share of commercial aircraft in the company's total turnover was only a quarter. With the end of the Cold War and declining military orders, McDonnell Douglas fell on hard times. From 1994 to 1994, the company's turnover fell by 25%. This forced her to hastily turn to the commercial aircraft market. At this point, the line of such machines were:
- wide-body three-engine MD-11, capable of carrying up to 410 passengers over long distances;
- The MD-80 is a small short-medium haul aircraft that entered service in 1980, and
- MD-90, a medium-haul liner, whose production began in.
Subdivisions
Corporation McDonnell Douglas consisted of several divisions:
- McDonnell Douglas Aerospace- a special unit for defense orders, from 1996 to 1996.
- McDonnell Douglas Hughes Helicopters- helicopter unit, from 1996 to 1996.
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An excerpt characterizing McDonnell Douglas
- Watch out!!! Stella suddenly screamed wildly.I was flattened on the ground like a big frog, and I just had time to feel as if a huge, terribly stinking one had fallen on me. mountain... Something was puffing, champing and snorting, radiating the disgusting smell of rot and rotten meat. My stomach almost turned out - it’s good that we “walked” here only as entities, without physical bodies. Otherwise, I would probably have had the most unpleasant troubles .....
- Get out! Well get out!!! squealed the frightened girl.
But, unfortunately, it was easier said than done ... The stinking carcass fell on me with all the terrible weight of its huge body and, apparently, was already ready to feast on my fresh life force... But, as if to evil, I couldn’t get rid of it, and panic was already treacherously squeaking in my soul, compressed by fear ...
- Come on! Stella shouted again. Then she suddenly hit the monster with some kind of bright beam and again shouted: “Run!!!
I felt that it became a little easier, and with all my might energetically pushed the carcass hanging over me. Stella ran around and fearlessly beat the already weakening horror from all sides. I somehow got out, gasping for air out of habit, and was truly horrified by what I saw! .. Directly in front of me lay a huge spiked carcass, all covered with some kind of sharply stinking mucus, with a huge, curved horn on a wide, warty head .
- Let's run! Stella screamed again. - He's still alive!
It was as if I was blown away by the wind ... I did not remember at all where I was carried ... But, I must say, it was carried very quickly.
“Well, you’re running around ...” the little girl squeezed out of breath, barely pronouncing the words.
– Oh, please forgive me! I exclaimed, ashamed. - You screamed so much that I rushed with fright wherever my eyes looked ...
“Well, nevermind, we’ll be more careful next time.” Stella calmed down.
My eyes popped out of my head at that statement!
- And what, will there be another “next” time ??? Hoping for a no, I cautiously asked.
- Well, of course! They do live here! - the brave girl “reassured” me in a friendly way.
“Then what are we doing here?”
“We're saving someone, haven't you forgotten? Stella was genuinely surprised.
And I, apparently, from all this horror, our "rescue expedition" completely flew out of my head. But I immediately tried to get myself together as quickly as possible so as not to show Stella that I was really, really scared.
- Don't think, after the first time, my braids stood on end all day! - the little girl said more cheerfully.
I just wanted to kiss her! Somehow, seeing that I was ashamed of my weakness, she managed to make me immediately feel good again.
“Do you really think that little Leah’s dad and brother can be here?..” I asked her again, surprised from the bottom of my heart.
- Of course! They could just be stolen. - Stella answered quite calmly.
How to steal? And who?..
But the baby did not have time to answer ... Something worse than our first "acquaintance" jumped out from behind the dense trees. It was something incredibly nimble and strong, with a small but very powerful body, every second throwing out a strange sticky "net" from its hairy belly. We didn’t even have time to utter a word when both of them got into it together ... Stella, with a fright, became like a small disheveled owlet - her big blue eyes looked like two huge saucers, with splashes of horror in the middle.
I had to urgently come up with something, but for some reason my head was completely empty, no matter how hard I tried to find something sensible there ... And the “spider” (we will continue to call it that, for lack of a better one) in the meantime is quite dragged us, apparently, to his nest, preparing to "supper" ...
– Where are the people? Almost suffocating, I asked.
- Oh, you saw - there are a lot of people here. More than anywhere... But they are, for the most part, worse than these beasts... And they won't help us.
- And what do we do now? - mentally "chattering my teeth," I asked.
“Remember when you showed me your first monsters, you hit them with a green beam? - already again with might and main mischievously sparkling eyes, (again, recovering faster than me!), Stella asked fervently. - Let `s together?..
I realized that, fortunately, she was still going to give up. And I decided to try, because we still had nothing to lose ...
But we didn’t have time to strike, because at that moment the spider stopped abruptly and we, feeling a strong push, flopped to the ground with all our might ... Apparently, he dragged us to his home much earlier than we expected ...
We found ourselves in a very strange room (if, of course, it could be called that). It was dark inside, and complete silence reigned ... There was a strong smell of mold, smoke and the bark of some unusual tree. And only from time to time some faint sounds were heard, similar to groans. As if the "suffering" had no strength left at all ...
- Can't you light it up somehow? – I quietly asked Stella.
The beginning of the 80s of the XX century was a new dawn for vertical take-off aircraft. The problems that these aircraft faced in the 60s and 70s were successfully solved by new technologies, such as the introduction of computer control, new alloys and many others. All this made it possible to hope that soon it would be possible to create full-fledged vertical take-off combat aircraft that would not be inferior in basic characteristics to their ordinary counterparts. In 1980, McDonnell Douglas finally managed to push its Harrier upgrade, the AV-8B Harrier II, into service. This success prompted the company to begin work on a complete new car- a supersonic vertical take-off aircraft in terms of its performance, not inferior to fourth-generation fighters. The program received the internal name Model 279 and was carried out proactively at the expense of McDonnell Douglas, however, its results were observed in the Navy and in the Marine Corps, although after the failure with the Rockwell XFV-12 they were in no hurry to invest their money.
Initially, work on the Model 279 was carried out jointly with British Aerospace, as in the Harrier II program - it was assumed that the created aircraft would be put into service with both the United States and Britain. It was then that the main appearance of the aircraft was formed - a duck scheme with an all-moving front horizontal tail. The aircraft was statically unstable due to the asymmetry of the empennage, therefore, in piloting, a fly-by-wire control system controlled by on-board computers was used. Almost unchanged from the Harrier, the vertical take-off system was borrowed, using a single turbofan engine with four rotary nozzles located under the center section and aft: the first create thrust with cold compressed air from the second engine circuit, the second with hot exhaust from the primary circuit. The plane was supposed to use a new Pratt & Whitney STF561-C2 engine with a static thrust of 15,500 kilograms, which is a further development of the Rolls-Royce Pegasus.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-1.
It was interesting to place a large rectangular air intake under the fuselage - this was due to the need to provide the engine with proper air flow at high speeds, and since it was planned to use the aircraft from aircraft carriers and landing ships, the possibility of debris getting into the air intake was neglected. As a result, the aircraft was expected to achieve a speed of Mach 2 at an altitude of three kilometers, a combat load of 4 tons (when taking off horizontally from a springboard) and a maximum combat radius of 300 kilometers (also when taking off horizontally from a springboard). When taking off vertically, the combat load was reduced to 900 kilograms, and the combat radius was up to 170 kilometers. The aircraft provided for four suspension points for missile weapons (two at the wingtips and two under the air intake) and four additional points for bombs, equipment or fuel tanks.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-1 projections.
The aircraft had to be made with a large use of composite materials, which would significantly reduce weight, while maintaining the necessary structural strength. One of the interesting design decisions was the active borrowing of structural elements not only from the Harrier but also from the F-15, so the wing design was almost completely taken from the Eagle. In addition to the usual version of the Model 279, work was also carried out on a two-seat training aircraft and on adapting the machine to take off from an aircraft carrier catapult. As a result, by mid-1981, the Model 279 project was initially worked out, and McDonnell Douglas was ready to try to sell it to the military. But at that moment there was a serious disagreement with British Aerospace, who wanted to get the right to produce the aircraft on their own and export it. The collaboration was broken off and both firms continued to work independently, while maintaining a partnership on the Harrier II.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-2.
McDonnell Douglas began designing a second variant of the Model 279 using exclusively American parts. In addition, a number of improvements were made to the design to increase the maneuverability and speed of the aircraft. Externally, the Model 279-2 was very similar to the first version - the main visible difference was the new shape of the air intake, more suitable for supersonic flight. The two swiveling hot-exhaust nozzles were replaced with one swiveling one, which also made it possible to increase the speed of the aircraft. The main "invisible" change was the new on-board computer, which uses not only the control planes for maneuvering, but also the rotation of the nozzles, which seriously increased the maneuverability of the aircraft. Work on the Model 279-2 did not last long, and in the fall of 1981 the project was presented to the Navy and the Marine Corps.
Air tube purge model McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.
The military did not express much interest in the project. The Marines were quite satisfied with the performance of the AV-8B, and they simply did not have extra funds for supersonic fighters, and although the Navy was interested in such a machine, it was not ready to go for direct funding. But still, naval experts issued McDonnell Douglas a number of comments on the project, after the elimination of which, the issue of financing the work could be reconsidered. Thus, the placement of air intakes under the fuselage, the small flight radius of the aircraft due to the small size of the internal tanks, and not the most successful placement of weapon suspension points were criticized. In addition, the Navy recommended that the developers ensure greater continuity of the project with the Harrier, in order to reduce the cost of creating an aircraft and simplify the retraining of pilots. As a result, McDonnell Douglas had to remake the aircraft practically from scratch, and this had to be done in an extremely short time, since the competitors did not doze off. Then it was decided to seek help from NASA and use their extensive experience and test benches to speed up the design.
Projections, placement of suspension points and tanks in the McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.
The third version of the Model 279 was much more reminiscent of the Harrier than the previous two. There were two air intakes, their shape and placement were directly borrowed from the Harrier and only slightly modified to meet the requirements of supersonic flight. The two-post bicycle chassis also migrated from there, the designs of the armament suspension points and rotary nozzles (of which there were four again) were directly taken. The aircraft itself became larger and heavier, but at the same time received a larger payload and combat radius. With a horizontal takeoff from a springboard, the combat load was 5 tons and a radius of 350 kilometers, with a vertical takeoff, a load of 1200 kilograms and a range of 190 kilometers. Also, the aircraft again received a new flight computer and a more powerful radar. Several new interesting solutions were also applied to the Model 279-3 - so the air intakes were equipped with a valve to release excess air, which made it possible to more accurately control engine power. In addition, the fuselage structure was reinforced with titanium, and the aircraft was able to withstand a belly landing.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3. The valve for air release in the air intake is visible.
The interior of a McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.
Tests conducted by NASA employees generally confirmed the possibility of achieving all of these characteristics, in addition, a number of improvements were made to the design. So it was proposed to replace the round rotary nozzles with more efficient rectangular ones developed by NASA. It was also based on the results of the tests that the layout of the suspension points was developed. The designers abandoned the original version, which came with the Model 279-1 - now only additional sighting systems or cannon containers could be placed on the ventral points. There were six underwing suspension points, and now they were universal, they could accommodate both guided missiles and bomb weapons or external fuel tanks. By the summer of 1982, the Model 279-3 project was completed and presented to the press. The construction date for the prototype was moved to 1986, but McDonnell Douglas considered the project promising both for their armed forces and for export sales.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3 with new swiveling nozzles.
Preparing to test the McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3 at NASA.
There was also work on additional variants of the aircraft. So, together with NASA, the Model 279-3JF project was created, in which jet flaps on the wing were used, including those used for vertical or short takeoff. Their use made it possible to increase the flight range of the machine with a maximum load and during vertical take-off up to 240 kilometers. In addition, the Model 279-3JF was supposed to test a single rotary nozzle, work on which has long been carried out at NASA. It was assumed that the Model 279-3JF would be built along with the first Model 279-3 prototypes and would be tested jointly with them.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3JF.
McDonnell Douglas also designed a weighted twin-engine two-seat version of the aircraft - Model 279-4. It used two Pratt & Whitney STF561-C2 engines, which compensated for the seriously increased weight of the aircraft. Due to the increase in flight speed to Mach 2.4, the shape of the air intakes was changed to similar to those of the F-15. This option was considered for placement on conventional aircraft carriers and could be launched from a catapult. In total, Model 279-4 could carry up to 7 tons of combat load with a radius of 420 kilometers. It was believed that this option is quite capable of combining the main advantages of two-seater carrier-based aircraft with the possibility of vertical takeoff. Also on the Model 279-4, it was supposed to test the replacement of four deflectable nozzles with two, simultaneously capable of creating thrust, both with cold air of the primary circuit and hot exhausts of the second circuit of the engine.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-4.
McDonnell Douglas Model 279-4 for testing engine thrust.
The final design of the Model 279-3 continued until 1984, in parallel the aircraft was presented at several aviation exhibitions in the form of a model, numerous interviews were given to the specialized press. McDonnell Douglas hoped that after the conclusion of the contract with the Fleet, the project would be able to be sold for export, the Italian Navy had already expressed preliminary interest. But these plans were not destined to come true. By 1984, the Model 279 project was already obsolete. The fleet sharply criticized the high radar visibility of the aircraft, insufficient flight range, while in conjunction with enough at a great cost project and a long development period (the prototype was supposed to be built already in 1987). In the fall of 1984, McDonnell Douglas was finally denied funding. Also, none of the possible foreign customers would be able to pull such a project, and finally, in the winter of 1985, the Model 279 project was closed.
Diagram of a McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.
It's funny to compare the fate of the Model 279 and its counterpart on the other side of the ocean - the British Aerospace P.1216. The development of the P.1216 began after the breakup of the joint program with McDonnell Douglas (although the development of options was carried out since 1976) and the aircraft went through almost the same stages as the Model 279, having also become obsolete during the design period.
Sources:
FLIGHT International, 04-1984.
FLIGHT International, 02-1982.
NASA Technical Memorandum 85938. V/STOL Concepts in the United States-Past, Present, and Future.
NASA CONTRACTOR REPORT 166269.
Hot Gas Ingestion Test Results of a Two Poster Vectored Thrust Concept With Flow Visualization.
THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A JET FLAP ON AN ADVANCED SUPERSONIC HARRIER.
secretprojects.co.uk.
The idea to spend one day with the last flying DC-10 came to me out of the blue.
The news that Biman Bangladesh Airlines will perform farewell flights on this legendary car at Birmingham Airport, UK, was read on the travel.ru website, for which special thanks to its correspondent Yuri Plokhotnichenko, who is responsible for all materials on aviation.
Then the technical preparation began - buying tickets for the farewell flight, obtaining a visa, buying a ticket to London and organizing events on the spot. Sasha Terleev rendered me invaluable help in all this. That is what friends and acquaintances call him, he has been in England for more than 3 years and advises on education in Britain for all ages and needs, quickly and efficiently solves the most unusual tasks, which I personally managed to verify. He loves not only work, but also unusual travel, nightly intellectual games and Britain. He writes about all this in his free seconds from work and hobbies in his blog.
Difficulties were in buying tickets for the DC-10, since Bangladeshi payment systems point-blank did not recognize Gazprombank cards.
But a solution was found and a ticket for 100 pounds was bought, a seat was chosen in the aisle in order to be able to move freely around the cabin.
By the way, when I arrived at the airport, representatives of the airline quickly remembered me there, as they saw all my attempts to buy tickets from Russia and thanked me for perseverance greeting me during check-in for the flight.
There were no problems with the visa and tickets, thanks to Terleev's consultation, by February 15, I had everything ready for the trip.
I already wrote about how I got to London, and I will tell about my feelings and impressions about England and London a little later. Today, my story will be only about this aircraft.
1. When we arrived at Birmingham Airport, the plane was already on its first flight that day and we had a wonderful opportunity to film its landing and movement along the platform.
2. We found a place to shoot his landing right away, turning to the police for help, who showed us where to go and where aviation enthusiasts have been gathering since the very morning. To our question “Won’t you drive?” we received a touchingly simple answer: “This is a holiday for you, do not disturb the order and everything will be fine!”
3. Having removed his landing, we went to the registration, where fans of this car from all over the world had already gathered. Terleev remained to observe our flight from the side, and I went towards the boarding gate, having gone through all the necessary pre-flight formalities.
4. Boarding the bus was quick, a short tour of the platform, and now we are in the parking lot.
I was pleasantly surprised that access to the plane was practically free! Take pictures and go wherever you want, the main thing - do not break the rules!
5. . Security was provided by several SAB employees, representatives of the airline and the airport. From conversations with them, I realized that such events and such free access to the aircraft on the apron are rare for them, but they are happy about it and welcome the passion for aviation among their guests.
6. In the eighties of the last century, the airline bought three McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s to replace the existing ones.
In those years, a new era of wide-body aviation began, and that is why the NEW ERA inscription flaunts on board this liner.
7. For farewell flights, Biman Bangladesh Airlines called on all active PICs flying this type.
They changed on each flight, in between which they willingly communicated with aviation enthusiasts.
8. Gradually, the passengers of our legendary flight (one of several that day) began to board, but, out of habit, I boarded the last one in order to film the process of preparing for the flight.
9. This is how it moves along the platform and the territory of the airfield aviation security Birmingham airport. Would you like to take a photo? - No problem!
10. And the passengers all climbed and climbed on board
11. Photo for memory. Usually I rarely do this, but this time I could not resist, because not every day there will be an opportunity to take a picture with the only flying machine in the world that has become a kind of legend. These will no longer be. Representatives of Boeing came from America for the last flights of this machine, since this type has not been flying with them for a very long time.
12. DC10-30, MSN 48317, S2-ACR, was produced in November 1988. The cabin is designed for 314 passengers in a single economy class layout.
13. General Electric CF6-50-C2 turbofan engines were installed on DC10-10, .
In takeoff mode, it has a thrust of more than 23835 kgf.
14. DC-10 is built according to the aerodynamic scheme of a cantilever low-wing aircraft. All-metal construction. Semi-monocoque fuselage of round section (diameter 6.01 m). The wing is swept (35 ° along the line of quarters of the chords). Chassis retractable, tricycle, with nose strut.
15. The management of the airline was also happy to take part in farewell flights with its aircraft:
“This plane is already history. We are very sorry to part with him, but what can we do - progress and the economy do not stand still.”
16. One more photo for memory and it's time for us to board
17. Some more details:
In April 1966, American Airlines announced a competition for a 250-seat aircraft with two turbofans. The firms "Douglas" and "Lockheed" presented their projects for the competition. The designers of both firms, after analyzing the situation on the market, came to the conclusion that the most popular will be a more spacious aircraft with three engines. We see one of them in this photo.
18. In Russia, the DC-10 was operated by airlines, and KrasAir. A further development of the DC-10 was the aircraft.
You can still fly on it on airline flights, but I recommend not to delay it - in the fall of 2014, these aircraft will be withdrawn
out of operation.
19. The engines were started using an air compressor, which was adjusted by ground services.
20. We attach the hoses and the plane is ready to start the engines.
21. In the cabin, everyone is also ready to fly. Understanding the excitement around the flight, the company sold seats only near the aisles so that no one would interfere with anyone.
22. The atmosphere is joyful, everyone smiled at each other, there were no problems with seats at all - you could change at any moment.
23. The cabin crew is preparing to close the doors and begin pre-flight work with passengers. Smoking is not allowed on board :)
24. Taking pictures of the crew is not prohibited, but even encouraged. Smiles and hospitality during the briefing show that the flight attendants are really happy to see us on board the aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines
25. Place of the flight attendant.
26. Take off! From the Birmingham porthole, the flight will continue for about an hour, at an altitude of about 10,000 feet.
27. Authentic kitchenette DC-10
28. The crew distributes welcome drinks to passengers and willingly takes pictures with them
29. With the permission of the senior flight attendant, I tried on the so-called jump-sit (folding chair) and, unexpectedly for myself, calmly fit in it.
30. Suddenly there was a revival on board and everyone clung to the windows. What happened?
31. It turns out that the love for this aircraft among some aviation enthusiasts and airline representatives is so great that they ordered a private jet with special training with the possibility of filming Air-to-Air (Air in the Air).
32. We were escorted by a small Beechcraft 99 Airliner, with the door removed for filming.
The DC-10 crew held a multi-ton colossus at low speed so that the guys from this baby could make unique shots.
33. I really want to look at the shots made by these guys! They promised to send them to me, and as soon as I have them, I will definitely show you.
34. Let's go back to the cabin and look at the plane from the inside. Toilet frame at the request of one of you :) Asked - done :)
35. In the salon, everyone is actively filming, helping each other, everyone has joy on their faces and it's wonderful :)
36. During the flight, I needed to check my Gopro camera, which I installed in the cockpit by agreement with the crew before departure.
37. Enter the cockpit during the flight? Yes, even during such a flight! You say fantastic!
38. No, my friends, this is not fantasy! One of the few was allowed and here is the footage. Workplace of a flight engineer.
39. We are going to land, everyone was asked to take their seats - the flight ends.
40. We remove the interior in detail.
41. Preferred seats for frequent flyers.
42. Flight completed!
43. Passengers say goodbye to the plane, and the plane with them.
44. View of the fuselage from the ladder.
45. Aviation lovers.
46. The crew looks into the 3D camera, which was filmed by representatives of the Boeing.
47. Take another look at the engine
48. Let's take a farewell glance at the first salon.
49. We will see the cabin crew communication panel with passengers and the control of the situation in the cabin.
50. We will say goodbye to the crew and pick up our camera, which captured all stages of the flight. I will definitely show them to you when they are mounted :)
51. One last look at the cockpit and it's time for me to leave!
52. Life at the airport does not stop for a moment, planes take off and land on schedule.
53. And we return to the terminal building to continue a little spotting at Birmingham Airport.
It was a wonderful trip.
A huge charge of positive emotions and positive mood. And now, together with me, you can enjoy flying on this legendary plane!
In 7 minutes of this video, we will drive along the platform of Birmingham Airport, take off into the sky, see the clouds and the sky through the eyes of the aircraft and its pilots, after which we will return to the ground, leaving these amazing shots as a keepsake!
McDonnell Douglas is an American aircraft manufacturer headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. This airline has become one of the largest in the world in the production of military aircraft, as well as in the production of commercial passenger aircraft. 25 years ago, it was one of the largest contractors that carried out space and defense orders.
According to 1988 data, 70% of the company's sales were represented by the fulfillment of government orders. At that time, sales were $15.1 billion, annual net income was $350 million, and the number of employees was about 121,000.
McDonnell Douglas Corporation is the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. The corporation's staff consists of more than 63,000 employees working in various divisions around the world.
In 1996, McDonnell Douglas merged with by Boeing under the common name Boeing Company, which is now the largest aerospace corporation in the world.
Story
The beginning of the existence of McDonnell Douglas dates back to 1967, when there was a merger of two companies that produced aviation equipment: Douglas Aircraft and McDonnell Aircraft.
Douglas Aircraft as a company was founded back in 1920 by engineer Donald Douglas. This enterprise brought to light great amount high-quality aircraft, in particular the legendary DC-3 airliner, which appeared on the air routes in 1935. Due to the peculiarities of its operation and acceptable fuel consumption, it made passenger air transportation profitable. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, the share of DC-3 in the world fleet of commercial airliners was about 80%.
In 1953, the Douglas DC-7 began commercial flights, one of the first aircraft capable of non-stop flights throughout virtually the entire United States. So, on it it was possible to fly across the whole country from the extreme western to the extreme eastern point, even moving in the direction against the wind air flow.
In the early 1960s, the Boeing aircraft manufacturing company, the main competitor of Douglas, began to seriously develop, which, thanks to its activities, selected profitable orders for the production of aircraft, which made its rival a loss-making enterprise.
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation is a corporation that was established in 1939. Its founder is engineer James McDonnell. During World War II, the company was one of the key suppliers of combat aircraft for the US Army. It was this company that produced such well-known aircraft as the F2H Banshee, F-101 and F-4 Phantom jet fighters. McDonnell also built the Gemini and Mercury capsules, which were intended to send the first American astronauts into space in the 1960s.
When both companies merged into a single one, a truly aviation giant arose, which supplied combat aircraft in the armies of many countries of the world. Within the walls of McDonnell Douglas, the F-15 Eagle fighter, the main combat aircraft of the US Air Force, was developed and began to be produced.
1970 - the company introduced the passenger version of the DC-10 to the public.
The space defense division of McDonnell-Douglas employs 11,200 people. Manufacturing facilities are located in California. The division manufactures space technology for the US Department of Defense, NASA, and international manufacturers of space orbiting satellites. The McDonnell Douglas laboratories developed a line of Delta II launch vehicles, the most important elements of the future international orbital station, components of thermal vision systems. The corporation also became the main developer of the American space station Skylab, which was launched into orbit in 1973.
In 1984, the company bought out the Hughes Helicopters division, which produced the AH-64 Apache combat helicopters. The helicopter division employs about 2,800 people and is based in Arizona. Helicopters for fire support AH-64D Longbow Apache, light helicopters MD 500, MD 600, twin-turbine prototype versions of helicopters equipped with the NOTAR system were developed here. Commercial helicopters produced at McDonnell-Douglas accounted for only a quarter of production capacity in the 1980s.
The C-17 unit in Long Beach, California employed 8,400 people. Here they were building a new transport version of the C-17 Globemaster III, the predecessors of which were the Globemaster II and Globemaster I.
With the end of the Cold War, the number of orders for military aircraft at McDonnell Douglas decreased significantly and hard times came for the company. Corporation turnover for the period from 1990 to 1994 decreased by 25%. Therefore, it was necessary to re-equip its production facilities for the production of commercial aircraft.
During this period, a number of such machines amounted to:
three-engine wide-body MD-11, capable of carrying up to 410 passengers over a long distance;
a small MD-80, a short and medium haul aircraft that has begun commercial passenger traffic in 1980;
MD-90 is a medium-haul airliner, which was released in 1995.
In addition to the above, McDonnell-Douglas in 1995 began to take orders for the production of a small twin-engine aircraft for servicing medium and short haul airlines, which was then produced by Boeing as the Boeing-717.
In 1996, McDonnell Douglas executives said the company did not have the funds to extend work on the widebody passenger liner next generation. This significantly reduced the company's opportunities in the commercial aircraft market with a fiercely competitive composition of manufacturing companies.
A crushing blow to the corporation was made by the US Department of Defense, which excluded it from the competition for the latest generation fighter project for the Air Force. Seeing no bright prospects, the owners of McDonnell Douglas began to negotiate with Boeing. At the end of 1996, the largest merger in the history of the aircraft industry took place. McDonnell Douglas was taken over by Boeing. Federal authorities approved the deal in 1997.
Subdivisions
As part of McDonnell Douglas at various times, the following divisions functioned:
- McDonnell Douglas Aerospace- a special defense unit that carried out defense orders. Working time - 1939-1996;
- McDonnell Douglas Hughes Helicopters- division that produced helicopters. Working time - 1984-1996
McDonnell Douglas (Douglas)
– Saint Louis, USA.
| Piston |
| Dolphin DC-1 DC-2 DC-3 DC-4E DC-4 DC-5 DC-6 DC-7 |
| jet |
| DC-8 DC-9 (MD-80 MD-90 MD-95) (MD-11) |
| Canceled |
| DC-7 (Globemaster) DC-7D DC-8 (piston) Model 2067 (DC-9) Model 2229 (SST) MD-91X/-92X/-94X MD-12/-XX DC-10-60 |
| Fighters |
| XP-67 FH-1 F2H XF-85 XF-88 F3H F-101 F-4/F-110 F-15 F-15E F-15 S/MTD F/A-18 CF-18/CF-188 F/ A-18E/F YF-23 |
| Stormtroopers |
| AV-8B A-12 |
| Educational |
| T-45 |
| Military transport |
| C-9 KC-10 YC-15 C-17 |
McDonnell Douglas contacts:
- Boeing Capital Corporation
P.O.Box 3707
Seattle, Washington 98124
206-655-2121 - Boeing Commercial Airplanes
P.O.Box 3707
Seattle, Washington 98124
206-655-1131
Boeing Defense, Space and Security - P.O.Box 516
St. Louis, Missouri 63166
314-232-0232
562-797-2020 (Seal Beach, California)
Employees/Retirees - Contact Total Access:
866-473-2016 - Shareholders
Registered Shareholders:
1-888-777-0923 - Boeing Phantom Works
P. O. Box 2515
Seal Beach, California 90740
562-797-2020 - Boeing Shared Services Group
P.O. Box 3707
Seattle, Washington 98124
425-865-2121 - Careers
866-473-2016
Ethics Line - Phone: 1-888-970-7171 (Caller ID disabled)
