Rikkus67 From Canada, joined Jun 2000, 1470 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 6719 times:
IIRC, from the DC-9-10 to the DC-9-50, McDonnell Douglas kept the "DC" (Douglas Commercial) designation. With the development of the DC-9-80, MD wanted to reflect that this was more than just another stretch, and also to finally reflect that this was a truly "MD" product. This is also why the MD-11 was named as such.
However, in early marketing, the aircaft was known simply as the "Super 80". AA liked the moniker, and kept it.
Does anyone know how many of the -80, -82, -83 series were built before they went on to develop the -87 (shorter fuselage)? Although long in the tooth now, the MD-80 series was a successful workhouse for numerous airlines, and continues to labour on today.
If she continues to be properly maintained, I am sure we will be here years from now speculating when the final -80's series will be retired (go Allegiant!! hehe), such as we have speculated about her smaller sibling...
Cessna 172; King Air 100; Twin Otter; SAAB 340; Dash 7; Dash 8-100,-200,-300,-400; CRJ-200,700,900; ERJ-170; F-28; DC 9-
Milesrich From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1859 posts, RR: 7 Reply 5, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 6656 times:
The reason that American started referrring to the DC-9-80 as a Super 80 goes back to the crash of AA 191, a DC-10 ORD-LAX on May 25, 1979. After the accident and the DC-10 grounding, American dropped DC-10 from their aircraft signage (formerly known as DC-10 LuxuryLiners). And when they introduced the DC-9-80's, they decided to not use the DC term.
MD-88, MD-90, MD-95 and MD-11 were launched as McDonnell Douglas products. The DC-9 and DC-10 were launched by Douglas before the acquisition/merger by/with St. Louis based McDonnell, although the first flight of the DC-10 was after the merger. However, although the DC-10 was considered a good airplane by most, it had a few spectacular accidents that gave it a bad name, and MD decided to abandon its Douglas heritage, in designating aircraft. The MD-82 and 83's all have DC-9-82/83 on the front door manufacturer's plates. The MD-88, 90 does not use the DC-9 id. And of course, the MD-95's were all delivered as Boeing 717's.
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21041 posts, RR: 60 Reply 6, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 6535 times:
Quoting Flyguy41 (Reply 2): AA still refers to the MD-80 as a Super 80. As a co-woker stated once - "it's because they were Super....in the 80s!"
And yet their type is simply DC-9-82/83/87
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5381 posts, RR: 11 Reply 7, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 6240 times:
Okay, let's set these things straight here.
MD-81, 82, and 83 are DC-9-8X series.
MD-87, 88, 90 are all MD-XX.
And, to the original poster, Alitalia also called theirs SUPER.
It has nothing to do with the DC-10 crash in O'hare.... the same way that Delta called their DC-8-63s "SUPER SIXTIES", to distiguish a new (yet undistinguishably familiar) aircraft type. An MD-80 is just a DC-9, to the casual observer. But when you call it Super, it establishes that the product is in some way "new and improved," so to speak.
Now, the trivia bit that DID have something to do with the AA DC-10 crash in O'hare is when AA removed "DC-10" from the noses of those airplanes. Remember when all AA jets had their types writtes on them? I.e., "Super 80 Luxury Jet" or "767 Luxury Liner"? Yeah, well, the DC-10s simply said, "Luxury Liner."
Longhornmaniac From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 3102 posts, RR: 47 Reply 8, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 6200 times:
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Alitalia still call them the Super 80?
DBQ From United States of America, joined Apr 2009, 51 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 5870 times:
I know the AA 80s are old sleds and are cumbersome to fly, but on a two- or three-hour flight, I love them. Especially if I am with a companion, if I am the two-seat side, it is almost like first class. In front of the wing, it is almost silent (except for folks on the ground). I will trade the two-seat aspect for TV screens on a 737 any day.
TrijetsRMissed From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2102 posts, RR: 6 Reply 10, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 5553 times:
AA did not coin the name "Super 80". This was what MDC used to market the aircraft when it was launched in the late 70s. The prototype even had the "DC-9 Super 80 Series" title on the house livery.
Following the bad press of AA 191, MDC adopted the "MD-80" moniker with the EIS of the MD-83. The idea was to distance the commercial line from anything "DC" related, to at least gain a fresh start in the eyes of the public. "DC-10" around this time, might as well have been profanity.
Quoting Rikkus67 (Reply 4): Does anyone know how many of the -80, -82, -83 series were built before they went on to develop the -87 (shorter fuselage)?
Don't quote me on this, but my educated guess would be somewhere just shy of 400 frames. If I'm not mistaken, the 1,000th frame was delivered to AS in 1992.
Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 7): Okay, let's set these things straight here.
MD-81, 82, and 83 are DC-9-8X series.
MD-87, 88, 90 are all MD-XX.
KRIC777 From United States of America, joined Jun 2002, 242 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 5347 times:
Although neither carrier is in existence anymore, I know that either AirCal or PSA referred to their planes as Super 80s....I specifically remember when I was a kid, growing up in Southern California in the '80s, seeing TV commercials for either PSA or AirCal (can't remember which one) that heralded the "New DC-9 Super 80 series."
I'm pretty sure both airlines operated the type. We lived just west of ONT from '82 to '89, and I seem to remember seeing MD-8Xs in both airlines' colors.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21679 posts, RR: 23 Reply 12, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 5295 times:
Quoting TrijetsRMissed (Reply 10): Quoting Rikkus67 (Reply 4):
Does anyone know how many of the -80, -82, -83 series were built before they went on to develop the -87 (shorter fuselage)?
Don't quote me on this, but my educated guess would be somewhere just shy of 400 frames. If I'm not mistaken, the 1,000th frame was delivered to AS in 1992.
According to Boeing orders/deliveries data, the first MD-87 was delivered March 15, 1988. By then, 458 other MD-80 models had been delivered, including 88 -81s, 308 -82s, 55 -83s, and 7 -88s.
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21041 posts, RR: 60 Reply 13, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 4903 times:
Alitalia744 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 4670 posts, RR: 45 Reply 14, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 4872 times:
Alitalia also referred to the MD80 as the "Super 80"
Stillageek From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 69 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 4279 times:
I fly on AA MD80's often (5-10X a month) The 2 seat side is nice, but there is a little less legroom on that side. Also the coach seats on the former TWA MD80s aren't as comfy. They don't have winged headrest and the seat backs are lower making it harder to stretch out.
MtnWest1979 From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 2141 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4109 times:
Quoting KRIC777 (Reply 11): Although neither carrier is in existence anymore, I know that either AirCal or PSA referred to their planes as Super 80s....I specifically remember when I was a kid, growing up in Southern California in the '80s, seeing TV commercials for either PSA or AirCal (can't remember which one) that heralded the "New DC-9 Super 80 series."
Yes, both PS and OC flew them. In my PSA timetables they are referred to as "DC-9 Super 80 Fanjets". They showed DC-9-80 flights in red print early on when they got them.
In the AirCal timetables, they called them DC-9 Super 80 and depicted them as D98 in the timetables.
TrijetsRMissed From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2102 posts, RR: 6 Reply 19, posted (4 years 2 months 1 day ago) and read 3761 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 12): Quoting TrijetsRMissed (Reply 10):
Quoting Rikkus67 (Reply 4):
Does anyone know how many of the -80, -82, -83 series were built before they went on to develop the -87 (shorter fuselage)?
Don't quote me on this, but my educated guess would be somewhere just shy of 400 frames. If I'm not mistaken, the 1,000th frame was delivered to AS in 1992.
According to Boeing orders/deliveries data, the first MD-87 was delivered March 15, 1988. By then, 458 other MD-80 models had been delivered, including 88 -81s, 308 -82s, 55 -83s, and 7 -88s.
Thanks Viscount. So at program launch, the number probably would have been in the 300-350 range.
Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 13): Which is why I included it and not the 90 and 95. But I forgot entirely about the 81 model
I understand. But I was responding to AA737-823.
Quoting Stillageek (Reply 17): Also the coach seats on the former TWA MD80s aren't as comfy. They don't have winged headrest and the seat backs are lower making it harder to stretch out.
That's true, they didn't receive the cabin mods that the originals did.
TWAtwaTWA From United States of America, joined May 2006, 141 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (4 years 2 months 16 hours ago) and read 2683 times:
Ozark Airlines merged with TWA in 1986, and they had many earlier DC-9 models, with many new MD-80s in their fleet upon merger. Doesn't the current AA fleet contain some of these classic MD-80 models?
We're your kind of airline. Uh, I mean, We *were* your kind of airline.
TrijetsRMissed From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2102 posts, RR: 6 Reply 23, posted (4 years 2 months 8 hours ago) and read 2095 times:
Quoting TWAtwaTWA (Reply 22): Ozark Airlines merged with TWA in 1986, and they had many earlier DC-9 models, with many new MD-80s in their fleet upon merger. Doesn't the current AA fleet contain some of these classic MD-80 models?
Only two aircraft were delivered to Ozark before the merger. These were WFU with AA in 2005. A good portion of the ex-TW older mad dogs also left in 2003.
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That's true, they didn't receive the cabin mods that the originals did.
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