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How McDonnell Douglas missed the Big Twin and disappeared
Never in the history of commercial aircraft manufacturing has a company squandered so many opportunities to launch a compelling design that the airlines wanted as McDonnell Douglas did over the concept of a wide-body twin-engine aircraft. There is little doubt if it had launched such an aircraft, back in 1973, it would still be in business today and be a dominant force. (www.airlineratings.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
We still flying the MDs a lot on cargo flights and they have proven their heritage as good workhorses, is very sat that they went out of making aircrafts, the global aircraft business will be very differnt with them around.
Apparently The DC10 Trijet was quite capable at operating on two engines. The third engine was used for takeoffs and climbing to cruising altitude. I am gobsmacked at how Douglas threw away such a revolutionary idea. After all The french proved that with their A300 and A330 designs.
The French were not alone in developing Airbus. To this day all Airbus products fly on wings built in Wales at Hawarden airfield/factory (part of the United Kingdom) under a programme established by Hawker Siddeley back in the 1970s.
This was an early example of continued inter-nation collaboration (which really tweaked the tails of certain protectionist nations).
This was an early example of continued inter-nation collaboration (which really tweaked the tails of certain protectionist nations).
Smells like Boeing
You can lead a horse to water...
Very interesting article. Thanks for posting.