WINGS From Portugal, joined May 2005, 2801 posts, RR: 75 Posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 7375 times:
McDonnell Douglas DC 8 -- A Tribute By Wings.
Well here you have it, my 7th Tribute and the first for the McDonnell Douglas family of aircraft. I decided to make the DC-8 my first Tribute form the Douglas family of aircraft as I believe that it is sometimes misunderstood. So I hope that with the following information everyone can get a better understanding into the history of this magnificent airplane.
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined jet airliner, manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, (McDonnell Douglas) between 1958 and 1972, of which 556 frames were delivered. The DC-8 would also mark Douglas first entry into the manufacturing of a jet powered airliner. The DC-8 along with it's main rival the B707 would represent a significant chapter in the evolution of commercial air transport design in it's era. So much so that it helped mold aviation transport as we know now.
During the 1950's, The Douglas Aircraft Company continued to be the most successful of the aircraft manufactures. This fact was attributed to the success of the piston engined DC-6 and it's successor the DC-7. Due to the various incidents involving the DeHavilland Comet, many airlines lost interest in jet powered aircraft, and so Douglas believed that they were heading into the right direction with the manufacturing of propeller aircraft.
With the USAF requirement for a tanker in the early 1950's, Douglas secretly began jet transport project definition studies in 1952, and by mid-1953 had decided on something very like the final form: an 80-seat, low-wing aircraft with four Pratt & Whitney JT3C turbojet engines. The Douglas Company were confident that the USAF would award the tanker project to two aircraft manufactures like it did on previous occasions involving transport contracts. In May 1954, the USAF circulated its requirement for 800 jet tankers to Boeing, Douglas, Convair, Fairchild, Lockheed, and Martin.
The USAF tanker evaluation would be completed in just four months, with an initial order for 29 KC-135, from Boeing. This initial order would become the first of a total of 808 tankers that was acquired by the USAF, of which all coming from Boeing. Douglas protested to Washington, due to the fact that the other competing companies didn't have enough time to complete their bids, but with no success.
Due to the loss of the USAF tanker contract to Boeing, Douglas had been left to fund the DC-8 program with it's own resources. With the program already having commenced Douglas decided that it was better to press on with the DC-8 program. After consulting with various airlines, The proposed DC-8 would suffer various alterations. The fuselage was widened by 15 inches (380 mm) to allow six-abreast seating and make it slightly wider than the 707. This led to larger wings and tail surfaces and a longer fuselage. The DC-8 program would become one of the most expensive ventures ever undertaken by a single company in that time, with Donald Douglas providing $450 million towards the program from his personal resources.
The DC-8 program was officially launched in July 1955. Initially the DC-8 wa offered with four versions, with all being based on the same fuselage, 150 ft 6 in (45.9 m) long airframe with a 141 ft 1 in (43 m) wingspan. The main differences between the versions would be in the type of power plant and fuel capacity. In October 1955 Pan American, became the launch customer for the DC-8, with an order for 25 frames. Other major's would also opt for the DC-8 early order from United,National, KLM, Eastern, JAL, SAS, Delta, Swissair, TAI, Trans-Canada and UAT.
In Early 1958 Douglas had sold 133 DC-8s as against Boeing's 150 707s, a substantial achievement under the circumstances. Despite this achievement the DC-8 would fall behind it's closet rival the B707 which would end up selling nearly twice as many frames.
In April 1958 the first DC-8 rolled out from the Douglas Long Beach factory. In August 1959 the FAA awarded certification the DC-8. The DC-8 entered revenue service with both Delta Air Lines and United in September 1959. By March of 1960, Douglas had reached their planned production rate of eight DC-8s a month.
DC-8 MODELS:
Douglas Philosophy into the DC-8 was to provide various versions with the same basic airframe differing only in engines, weights and details. In contrast, Boeing's rival 707 range offered several fuselage lengths: the original 44 m 707-120, a 41 m version that sacrificed space to gain longer range, and the stretched 707-320, which at 46.5 m overall had 3 m more cabin space than the DC-8.
DC-8 Series 10
Designed for U.S. domestic use and powered by 60.5 kN Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6 turbojets. DC-8 Series 20 Higher-powered 70.8 kN Pratt & Whitney JT4A-3 turbojets allowed a weight increase to 125 tonnes. DC-8 Series 30 Designed for intercontinental routes, the three Series 30 variants combined [img]JT4A engines with a one-third increase in fuel capacity and strengthened fuselage and landing gear. DC-8 Series 40 The first turbofan-powered airliner in the world, the -40 was essentially the same as the -30 but with 78.4 kN Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans for better efficiency, less noise and less smoke. DC-8 Series 50 The definitive short-fuselage DC-8 with the same engine that powered the vast majority of 707s, the JT3D. Many earlier DC-8s were converted to this standard. DC-8 Jet Trader Specialised freighter versions of the DC-8, based on the Series 50.
SUPER SIXTIES:
In April 1965, with Douglas having booked less then 300 frames, Douglas gave another breath of life into the DC-8 program by announced the launch of a longer fuselage DC-8, which would allow the ability to transport up to 269 passengers. Three new models were launched, which would be known as the Super Sixties. 262 stretched DC-8 were produced before production ceased in 1972.
DC-8 Series 61 Designed for high capacity and medium range. It had the same weights and engines as the -53, and sacrificed range to gain capacity. DC-8 Series 62 Long-range version. It had a much more modest stretch of just 2 m (with 1 m plugs fore and aft), the same JT8D-3B engines as the -53 and -61, and a number of modifications to provide greater range. DC-8 Series 63 was the final new build variant and entered service in June 1968. It combined the aerodynamic refinements and increased fuel capacity of the -62 with the very long fuselage of the -61, and added 85 kN JT3D-7 turbofans.
SUPER SEVENTIES:
The DC-8-71, DC-8-72, and DC-8-73 were modified conversions, replacing the JT3D engines with 98.5 kN CFM56-2 high-bypass turbofans. The Super Seventies were a great success: roughly 70% quieter than the 60-Series and, at the time of their introduction, the world's quietest four-engined airliner. As well as being quieter and more powerful, the CFM56 was roughly 20% more fuel efficient than the JT3D, which reduced operating costs and extended the range. All three models were certified in 1982 and a total of 110 60-Series DC-8s were converted by the time the programme ended in 1986.
Hull-loss Accidents: 74 with a total of 2257 fatalities Other occurrences (hull-loss): 6 with a total of 0 fatalities Criminal occurrences (hull-loss, excl. Hijackings): 2 with a total of 73 fatalities Hijackings: 46 with a total of 2 fatalities
INTERESTING FACTS:
-The DC-8 was easily the largest airliner in it's era and remained so until the Boeing 747 arrived in 1970.
-DC-8s is that the first airliner to exceed the speed of sound (albeit in a shallow dive) was actually a DC-8, on August 21, 1961 at Edwards Air Force Base. The aircraft in question was a DC-8-43 later delivered to Canadian Pacific Air Lines as CF-CPG.
In 1973, Braniff International commissioned the renowned artist Alexander Calder, to paint one its McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 jets. The project was named "Flying Colors" and was designed as a 157-foot flying work of art, created and publicized to focus attention on Braniff's South American destinations.
M404 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 2073 posts, RR: 6 Reply 2, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 7325 times:
Thanks for the memories. Standing under those great wings always gave a feeling of flight and power the 707 never quite did. Pure footage. My first International jet flight was on one of Northwests DC8s from Anchorage to Tokyo. Perhaps someone can tell me something about this flight I've wondered. I have a slide I took through those great wide windows (back when the rows matched the windows) showing a liquid that looked clear from the wingtip just before we got to the Aleutians. I'd later assumed this was water or a water/alchohol mixture that was no longer needed for take off and was dumped for weight savings. Can anyone verify that?
Another thing besides the windows I liked was the individual seat lamps just behind and over your shoulder instead of on the overhead. A boy my age barely reached a 707s.
Less sarcasm and more thought equal better understanding
LTBEWR From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 9542 posts, RR: 7 Reply 4, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 7142 times:
Thank you for your time and work on this tribute of this classic. McD sure made the DC-8 so good that they could be improved with stronger engines and still make money in their old age when many aircraft are long scrapped. That a significant number still fly as freighters everyday including by UPS in their simple and nice brown on white and DHL/Airborne in their eye catching red on yellow, is a fine living honor for this model of aircraft. One critical way the DC-8 as you note was better than the 707 was that it was a bit wider, important for use in long haul. I have been crammed into transatlantic 707's and to me the DC-8 was slightly better. Even today, the DC-8 still looks good.
Don't forget that a number of Charter pax airliners had these aircraft after they were sold off by their original owners. One example was Transamerica who operated them for many years including in the early to mid-1980's for scheduled charter service between the USA and Shannon, Ireland. I was on one of those DC-8's JFK-SNN-JFK in 1984.
RayChuang From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 7141 posts, RR: 8 Reply 5, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 7120 times:
Despite the fact that the DC-8 didn't sell as well as the 707 the plane did continue to be popular for many years, especially with foreign airlines with large DC-8 fleets like JL (which operated them well into the 1980's). I've flown the DC-8-50 series planes three times, all on JL (San Francisco-Honolulu, Honolulu-Tokyo, and Osaka-Taipei).
Today, the DC-8 Super Seventy freighters continue to do yeoman service for UPS, and will not likely be retired soon.
Scalebuilder From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 7063 times:
I know from the great tribute provided by WINGS that the tanker order for the USAF went to Boeing. However, does anyone know if the USAF still operated the DC-8 in any capacity? It was common "pork-barrel" politics to do so back in those days.
Thanks!
Scalebuilder
Last DC-8 Flight: KEF - ORD in 1988 with Icelandair.
TAN FLYR From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 1520 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 6895 times:
Quoting GDB (Reply 7): Another great, thoughtfully well illustrated, tribute.
Douglas built 'em extra strong.
Quoting WINGS (Thread starter): I hope that everyone has enjoyed taking stroll down memory lane of the DC-8.
Also my Thanks for a nice tribute. Yup, As we have discussed many times here , Douglas built them to last...and last they have and will continue to do so for years to come!
Lumberton From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 4249 posts, RR: 26 Reply 9, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 6887 times:
My last ride on the DC-8 in 2000. Same aircraft, same place as depicted in the photo. I'd love to know if this bird is still flying?
Irish251 From Ireland, joined Nov 2004, 707 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 6831 times:
Quoting Scalebuilder (Reply 6): I know from the great tribute provided by WINGS that the tanker order for the USAF went to Boeing. However, does anyone know if the USAF still operated the DC-8 in any capacity? It was common "pork-barrel" politics to do so back in those days.
The USAF never had a DC-8 but the Navy did use an ex-United DC-8-54AF, as an EC-24A.
Irobertson From Canada, joined Apr 2006, 563 posts, RR: 5 Reply 11, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 6818 times:
How many pax DC8s are left, including VIP? They're all DC-8-72s right? There's a Swiss one if I remember correctly, and the Aramco was sadly broken up recently. Shame there's no -73 paxs left. I would have liked to have seen one. Only DC8 I've ever seen at all was an Air Canada Cargo -73 when I was quite young in Halifax and that's it.
SSTsomeday From Canada, joined Oct 2006, 952 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 6776 times:
Thanks Wings! Great post!
Quoting WINGS (Thread starter): In Early 1958 Douglas had sold 133 DC-8s as against Boeing's 150 707s, a substantial achievement under the circumstances. Despite this achievement the DC-8 would fall behind it's closet rival the B707 which would end up selling nearly twice as many frames.
Can you speak to why this was? Was it because MD originally had not intended to offer stretched versions, so they lost out early on in the orders war? Because I heard it was superior to the 707 in a number of areas (though I cannot remember what they were.) I heard there was some issue with regard to timing or something, not inferiority, that led to this bird selling only half of what the 707 did? Any insight?
PennPal From United States of America, joined May 2004, 161 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 6760 times:
As I have said before...great work, Wings! I'm still, however, waiting for your tribute to the Convair jets!!!!
DIJKKIJK From French Southern and Antarctic Lands, joined Jul 2003, 1566 posts, RR: 6 Reply 15, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 6701 times:
Unfortunately, the first ever DC-8 built doesn't exist anymore. It lay rotting in the desert before being broken up. Such a sad end to such a great airplane.
OzarkD9S From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 3855 posts, RR: 29 Reply 16, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 6572 times:
I flew a DC-8 only once, an extra section UA rolled out for HNL-ORD. After the meal service we encountered MAJOR turbulence and people were puking all over the place. What a woozy bunch of pax we were when we disembarked at ORD. The F/A's were just as nauseus as we were but handled the situation with professional aplomb. Too bad my only DC-8 experience was that one, hardly the plane's fault tho, she got us home safe and sound!
Bps3458 From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 317 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 6162 times:
Love your tributes. Silly question but what are those openings in the nose section of the air craft ? Are they air intakes ? As far as I remember I never had the chance to fly on a DC-8
Aerialportvet From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 6 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 5831 times:
GECMD11 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 108 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 5649 times:
Good Job !! i have had the honory of flying a UA DC-8 from SEA-IAD in the early 90's...nice ride w/the new engines!
Traindriver From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 5264 times:
Wings, thanks for this thread.
I flew on the 8 numerous times. I flew them across the Atlantic from
JFK to LUX many times on Icelandic. Also did a round trip from JFK to
Shannon on Trans-America. Other flights were on EA from BDA to Newark,
Montreal (Mirabel) to Vancouver on CP and my favorite of all was from
Clark AFB in the Philippines to Travis AFB onboard Air Lift International.
N353SK From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 656 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 4962 times:
I just have to say that working the ramp the UPS DC-8's were by far the most beautiful aircraft to roll on by - The sleek, windowless fuselage, the huge, practically silent new engines, not to mention the 10PM departure meant my shift was almost over!
YVRLTN From Canada, joined Oct 2006, 970 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 4893 times:
Thanks again Wings - I love these threads!!
Quoting Lumberton (Reply 9): My last ride on the DC-8 in 2000. Same aircraft, same place as depicted in the photo. I'd love to know if this bird is still flying?
Still flying with ATI, but hauling cargo now as a CF - i could probably book you on this plane still, as long as you dont mind going in a carton (im a freight forwarder...)
Quoting Irobertson (Reply 11): How many pax DC8s are left, including VIP? They're all DC-8-72s right? There's a Swiss one if I remember correctly, and the Aramco was sadly broken up recently
Just 4 i think (Jet Avn, Brisair, Mia & Gabon Gov't) - there are quite a few 50 & 60 srs still flying as freighters. I was going to do a whole series of 'classic jets still flying' but it didnt seem to popular - operators I have of the DC8 with main bases as follows: (feel free to ask for any more info or update)
Heavylift Int'l SHJ (1), Cygnus Air MAD (3), Jet Aviation Business Jets ZRH (1), Tampa Cargo MDE (2), Arrow Panama PTY (2), Saudi Aramco Aviation DMM (1 ? broken up?), ABX Air (DHL) ILN (16), Arrow Cargo MIA (4), Astar Air Cargo CVG (9), ATI LIT (21 - 1 std ROW), Int'l Air Response IGM (2 - 1 std VCV), Murray Air YIP (3), NASA opb University of ND (1), UPS SDF (46 - 6 std ROW), BETA Cargo MEA (2), Skymaster A/L MNE (3), United Arabian A/L KRT (1), Bismallah A/L DAC (1), Republic of Gabon LBV (1), Brisair AGP (1), Aeropostal Cargo de Mexico TLC (1), Mia A/L OTP (1), African Int'l A/W MSE, OST & JNB (5), Expoair CMB (1), MK A/L MSE & OST (12 - 1 std MSE & 3 std FZO), Transair Cargo Service FIH (1) & Silverback Cargo Freighters KGL (2).
Last flight AC252 YVR/YEG E190 & AC247 YEG/YVR A319
Ordagent From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 823 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 4886 times:
As a kid I flew the FI DC-8 super 60's from ORD-KEF-LUX often. I really loved the big windows but often got one with a limited view due to the fact that the windows despite being very large were spaced pretty far apart and FI squeezed as many pax on those birds as possible! The last time I flew one was in '82. I could tell that FI bird needed to go to pasture but was still thrilled to fly it and walk across the ramp in LUX.
Tomascubero From Costa Rica, joined Jul 2005, 509 posts, RR: 13 Reply 24, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 4540 times:
Very nice tribute my friend! I really enjoyed reading this. I am so glad that here in SJO we still have had the pleasure of receiving DC-8's, and most importantly, 60 series still fitted with their original engines, from Arrow Air and AeroPostal Carga de Mexico. We also used to recieve 70 series from ATI but they have been replaced by boring 762's from ABX Air . Here are four photos of these birds and the Arrow Air did one of the most amazing takeoffs from SJO, rotating after the piano keys!! enroute to Managua (MGA):
25 Bohica: Thanks for the tribute. I flew the DC-8 quite a few times on UA and DL. My last flight on a DC-8 was on UA IAD-SFO in 1991. It was the last time I had
26 Andaman: I flew the Finnairs DC-8 (charter) Helsinki-Vancouver-Helsinki, back in 1978 when I was a little boy... that was so exiting. Lot of Nordic immigrants
27 B741: A great tribute to my favorite civilian airliner. Ahh, someday!
28 Tomascubero: Hmmm, an Arrow Air DC-8-63(F) in enroute to SJO, estimated time of arrival is 7:20am local, should I chase it? You bet I will! Expect some recent shot
29 Baroque: Thanks again Wings. I had few flights in DC8s but much preferred them to 707s.
30 DIJKKIJK: Ram air intakes for cooling the airconditioning packs, I think.
31 ImperialEagle: The DC-8 was certainly a major influence on those of us here at ATL in the early days of the jet era. Both DL and EA had fleets of them and we eventua
32 Madairdrie: Thanks Wings for another great post Kenneth
33 ChinaClipper40: A very nice tribute to a very nice passenger transport aircraft. I always found the DC-8 to be more comfortable than the Boeing 707, although that may
34 WINGS: Well first of all, let me start by thanking everyone for the kind comments. I'm glad to read that you all have enjoyed my latest tribute thread. I opt
35 Miamiair: Minor Errata: The -62 was type certificated with the -3Bs and the -7s, but the -7Bs were also introduced the stramlined nacelles. The wing of the -62
36 Alphafloor: Excellent and very interesting work WINGS ! Thanks for taking the time to make these tributes !
37 Keesje: Great tribute wings! Realize the Dc8 with a gorilla on the tail I saw at AMS a few months ago must be >33 yrs old. Some more interseting DC8 pics: DC8
38 OyKIE: Thank you for a very enjoyable reading WINGS. You ad something quite nice to www.airliners.net. I am a McDonnell Douglas fan, growing up with a father
39 DTW757: I have never flown on the DC8 although I see them flying or hear them flying over daily. I live on the approach course to 25 at TOL and BAX/ATI DC8's
40 Aaron747: Fantastic tribute as usual Wings. We've come to expect this from you now, so you're starting to set the bar at an impossibly high standard Always nice
41 Jacobin777: Great thread (yet again) Wings..thanks for taking the large amount of time to make the post and the photo links so we can learn and enjoy... Flying o
42 WINGS: No such thing as a silly question. Well you are correct they are infact air intake scoops. What's interesting and most people don't even know is that
43 Kamboi: Maybe Discovery Wings should take your tributes and make them into TV programs, so we can have Discovery Wings again. Great work. Thanks. That's one a
44 Legend11: Great tribute- my DC8 love affair was all cargo with 12 years at Bax Global in Ops Control. We opertated, at various time, up to 16 owned/leased diese
45 JBClark: Great tribute as always WINGS! Thanks for your excellent work on these.
46 Waterpolodan: I love the DC8, luckily it is relatively common in Miami, and when I'm at south beach lying in the sand I can always hear when one of the 60 series pl
47 WINGS: Once again thank you all for the excellent feedback. Well the best chance that you may have, flying on the DC-8 is inside a box. In regards to the A34
48 A300605R: I found this one (numbers for august 2006), but cannot say anything about the reliability of these numbers... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC
49 YVRLTN: Hi Wings - see my post 22 (was taken from the latest JP Fleet List).
50 RC135U: Wings, try this site. The guy's a model collector but also a HUGE DC-8 fan with lots of data. http://www.dc-8jet.com/index.htm
51 Tbear815: What a terrific tribute! I think I've flown every model (with the exception of the '70s series) of the 8 and have enjoyed all of them. As someone ment
52 WINGS: Thanks for the help folks. So it seems that at this current moment we have over 100 DC-8 still active. This number is indeed extraordinary. Douglas su
53 Pihero: Wings, Thanks for a very nice trip down the memory lane. She was the most elegant quad of her time and to me, she will be connected to Africa, as i on
54 RIXrat: Flew on the DC8-62 (I believe) from LED to HEL on Finnair with only four passengers aboard -- that is myself, my wife and two children. This was in 19
55 AADC10: I flew on I think a DL DC-8 in the 1970s. Little children often get confused about such things but I recall baggage cans being loaded from directly be
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. Here are four photos of these birds and the Arrow Air did one of the most amazing takeoffs from SJO, rotating after the piano keys!! enroute to Managua (MGA):
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