McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Facts for Kids

class="infobox " style="float: right; clear: right; width: 315px; border-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;" ! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: large; padding-bottom: 0.3em;" | DC-9 |-

|- | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | |- |colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;text-align:center;" |A Northwest Airlines DC-9-41, 2006 |-

! Role | Narrow-body jet airliner |-

! Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company
McDonnell Douglas |-

! First flight | February 25, 1965 |- ! Introduction | December 8, 1965 with Delta Air Lines |-

! Unit cost | US$5.2M (-40, 1972) |-

! Variants | McDonnell Douglas C-9 |- ! Developed into | McDonnell Douglas MD-80
McDonnell Douglas MD-90
Boeing 717 |- |}

Scandinavian Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9

The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a famous twin-engine jet airplane. It was designed to fly shorter routes and carry many passengers. This aircraft first flew in 1965 and became very popular with airlines around the world.

The DC-9 was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and later by McDonnell Douglas. It was known for being reliable and efficient. Many different versions of the DC-9 were made over the years.

About the DC-9 Airplane
- First Flights and Use
- Key Features of the DC-9
Legacy of the DC-9
- Aircraft that Came From the DC-9
Images for kids
See also

About the DC-9 Airplane

The DC-9 is a "narrow-body" jet airliner. This means it has a single aisle inside the cabin. It was designed to carry about 90 to 135 passengers, depending on the version.

First Flights and Use

The very first DC-9 took to the skies on February 25, 1965. It began carrying passengers for Delta Air Lines on December 8, 1965. This marked the start of its long career in commercial aviation.

The DC-9 was built from 1965 to 1982. A total of 976 of these airplanes were made. It was a very successful aircraft for its time.

Key Features of the DC-9

The DC-9 has two jet engines mounted at the back of the plane. This design helps to make the cabin quieter for passengers. It also has a "T-tail" where the horizontal part of the tail is on top of the vertical fin.

The cockpit of the DC-9 is designed for two pilots. This made it more modern and efficient compared to older planes that needed more crew members.

Passenger Capacity

Different versions of the DC-9 could carry different numbers of people.

The smaller DC-9-15 could seat around 90 passengers.
The DC-9-32 could carry about 115 passengers.
The DC-9-41 could hold about 125 passengers.
The largest version, the DC-9-51, could seat up to 135 passengers.

Size and Speed

The length of the DC-9 varied by model. The shortest was about 31.8 meters (104 feet), and the longest was about 40.7 meters (133 feet). Its wingspan was generally around 28.4 meters (93 feet).

The DC-9 could fly at a maximum speed of about 0.84 Mach. This means it could fly at 84% of the speed of sound. Its maximum flying height was around 10,668 meters (35,000 feet).

Flight Range

The DC-9 was built for short to medium-range flights.

The DC-9-15 could fly about 1,300 nautical miles (2,400 kilometers).
The DC-9-32 had a range of about 1,500 nautical miles (2,778 kilometers).
Other versions like the DC-9-41 and DC-9-51 had ranges of about 1,200 to 1,300 nautical miles (2,222 to 2,400 kilometers).

Legacy of the DC-9

The DC-9 was a very important airplane in aviation history. It helped airlines connect more cities with direct flights. Its design led to newer and larger airplanes.

Aircraft that Came From the DC-9

The success of the DC-9 led to the creation of several other well-known aircraft. These include:

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series
The McDonnell Douglas MD-90 series
The Boeing 717

Some DC-9s are still in limited service today, mainly for cargo or special flights.

Images for kids

The DC-9 entered service with Delta Air Lines on December 8, 1965.
A DC-9's two-person flight deck
Republic Airlines DC-9-14
Scandinavian Airlines DC-9-21
USAir DC-9-31
Northwest Airlines DC-9-40
DC-9-51 of Swissair
DC-9-33F, USA Jet Airlines
Itavia DC-9 (I-TIGI) was destroyed in an accident at Ustica. Shown in the "Museo della Memoria" opened in Bologna in 2007.
President of Italy Sandro Pertini and members of the Italian national soccer team aboard MM62012 after their win at the 1982 World Cup
Preserved front section at Elder Museum, Canary Islands