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MD-80 Question  
User currently offlineTWA902fly From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 3048 posts, RR: 4
Posted (12 years 6 months 3 weeks 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 875 times:



Both of these Airplanes are MD-80s. My question is why does the TWA one have a 'pointy' end and the CO one a 'smooth' end? Is this like the difference between and 82 and 83? By the way i took this pic at Chicago-O'Hare on October 17 2000.

-TWA902fly


life wasn't worth the balance, or the crumpled paper it was written on
5 replies: All unread, jump to last
 
User currently offlineAstrojet From Germany, joined Aug 2000, 565 posts, RR: 2
Reply 1, posted (12 years 6 months 3 weeks 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 849 times:

the pointy end is the older model, like it used to be the DC 9, but they figgered out the "smooth end" has better aerodinamic performances.
Notice the 777, it is the same case.
Some airlines modified the older DC 9 super 80 to the new end like Alitalia.

User currently offlineRaggi From Norway, joined Oct 2000, 958 posts, RR: 1
Reply 2, posted (12 years 6 months 3 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 820 times:

The same goes for the MD-11. The DC-10 has a
" smooth " end while the MD-11 has a " pointy " end. All MD-90s and 717s have the pointy end, as it is more aerodynamic.


Stick & Rudder
User currently offlineEWR757 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 360 posts, RR: 9
Reply 3, posted (12 years 6 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 769 times:



You're both correct. It added a 1% gain in fuel effciency.

Also, it was noted that after deployment in an emergency, it would not flop from side to side possiblly blocking the exit path after folks were outside the aircraft.

User currently offlineAA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5336 posts, RR: 11
Reply 4, posted (12 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 746 times:

That upgrade was made starting with the MD-87. The -80, -81, -82, and -83 all had "rounded" tail cones, -87, -88, -90, and the new 717 (MD-95) all have flat pointy ones. I didn't know that about it flopping around after deployment, that's scary.
R

User currently onlineSpacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2735 posts, RR: 1
Reply 5, posted (12 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 721 times:

This mod is not restricted to the MD87 series and above. More correctly, it was installed on all MD80's produced after a certain date, which is why we see it on this MD83. it can also be retrofitted to earlier MD80s, although i'm not sure it would fit on a DC-9.


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