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FedEx Express retires world's last MD-10-10 freighter jet
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE — FedEx Express retired its last, and also the world's last, MD-10-10F on June 4, 2021. The 43.6-year-old aircraft with registration N562FE (MSN 46496) operated in a passenger configuration by American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines before being converted into a freighter for FedEx in 2004. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I flew one of the sister aircraft to 562 (N550FE) in late April. A mechanic after I landed told me that 550 was slated to leave the fleet shortly. I had the FO take a photo of me by the aircraft before departing. It turned out that it flew only two more revenue flights before heading to Victorville in CA. A Google search of this aircraft seemed to imply it was the oldest flying DC-10/MD-10 flying. Delivered to AA in August of 1972. Almost 50 years of service, between Fedex and AA. It has paid for itself a couple times over!
I'm already reaching for my copy of "The L1011 Tristar and The Lockheed Story" (circa 1973) on my bookshelf...
Douglas J Ingells, 256 pages, 300 collector photos, took 15 years to finish!
My freshman year of college was at Antelope Valley College (Lancaster,CA next to Plant 42, Lockheed’s L-1011 factory) and I was a 18 year old kid in an aircraft systems class with the professor a Douglas guy and my class mates all Lockheed Aircraft (pre Lockheed Martin) engineers and factory workers on the L-1011. The entire semester was a comparison between the DC10 and the L-1011. The last day of class the professor smiled as he conceded that the L-1011 is a superior aircraft. The entire class erupted in applause! I was blessed to go on and spend 31 years as a FedEx Pilot flying the DC-8, Boeing 727 and Airbus A300 & 310’s. I rode on the MD10 jumpseat commuting to Memphis from my home of Jacksonville, FL and have total respect for both both the MD10 and L-1011. But ... I would have really liked to have flown the L-1011!
Remember the FedEx MD-11F that crashed in Narita, Japan on March 23, 2009 while attempting to land on Runway 34L in gusty winds? Had that airplane not had its tail feathers reduced in size - as a weight saving measure - so FedEx could pack on more cargo, both the airplane and crew would still be with us. Because of the reduced elevator authority, the pilots couldn't overcome the gusty conditions and correct the first bounce.
McDonnell Douglas reduced the size of the horizontal stabilizer of the DC10. This was before the MD11 was even on the drawing board. There have been zero accidents attributed to a bad design of the stabilizer on an MD11. The FO caused the crash by coming in too hot. Tragic but true. RIP.