McDonnell Douglas facts for kids
McDonnell Douglas was a very important American company that built airplanes. It was created in 1967 when two big companies, McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company, joined together. Later, in 1997, it became part of another huge company called Boeing.
McDonnell Douglas designed and built many famous airplanes. These included passenger planes like the DC-10 and powerful military jets like the F-15 Eagle, which was used to control the skies. The company's main offices were near St. Louis, Missouri.
Contents
How McDonnell Douglas Started
McDonnell Douglas was formed when two separate companies decided to combine their strengths.
- Douglas Aircraft Company: This company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. in 1921. They were famous for building many types of planes, especially their "DC" (Douglas Commercial) series, which were popular passenger planes.
- McDonnell Aircraft: This company was started by James Smith McDonnell in 1939. They were known for building military aircraft, especially fighter jets.
In 1967, these two companies merged to form McDonnell Douglas. This made them one of the biggest airplane manufacturers in the world.
Famous Airplanes They Built
McDonnell Douglas built a wide range of aircraft for both civilian travel and military use. Many of their planes became very well-known.
Passenger Planes
The company continued the "DC" series from Douglas Aircraft and introduced new models.
- Douglas DC-1
- Douglas DC-2
- Douglas DC-3: This was one of the most successful airplanes ever made. It was used for both passengers and cargo.
- Douglas DC-4
- Douglas DC-5
- Douglas DC-6
- Douglas DC-7
- McDonnell Douglas DC-8: An early jet airliner.
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9: A popular short-range jet.
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10: A large, three-engine passenger jet.
- McDonnell Douglas MD-11: An updated version of the DC-10, also a large passenger and cargo plane.
- McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series (including MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, MD-87, MD-88): These were modern versions of the DC-9.
- McDonnell Douglas MD-90: Another updated version of the DC-9.
Military Aircraft
McDonnell Douglas also built many important military planes for different countries around the world.
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II: A famous fighter-bomber jet used by many air forces.
- F-15 Eagle: A very powerful air-superiority fighter jet, designed to win dogfights in the sky.
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet: A versatile fighter and attack aircraft used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
- McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender: A military tanker aircraft, used for refueling other planes in the air.
- McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk: A training jet for pilots.
- McDonnell Douglas YC-15: An experimental transport aircraft that helped lead to the design of the C-17 Globemaster III.
The Merger with Boeing
In 1997, McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing, another giant in the aerospace industry. This merger created an even larger company, combining their long histories and many aircraft designs. Today, some of the planes originally designed by McDonnell Douglas are still being built or used by Boeing.
Images for kids
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Douglas F3D Skyknight
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Douglas DC-8
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Thor Able with Pioneer 1 at Cape Canaveral, Florida
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Assembly of the DC-9 and DC-10 at the Long Beach plant, 1974
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USAF F-15C during an Operation Noble Eagle patrol
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KC-10 Extender during refueling
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McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk assembly line, c. 1988
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McDonnell Douglas MD-12 aircraft concept
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The McDonnell Douglas YC-15 was used as the base for the C-17.
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Built from 1988–2000, the MD-11 was the last McDonnell Douglas widebody aircraft.
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F/A-18E Super Hornet
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MD 500 Helicopter.
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See also
In Spanish: McDonnell Douglas para niños
