| MD-90 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) An MD-90 ofDelta Air Lines, both its launch customer and final operator, in 2008 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Narrow-bodyjet airliner |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas Boeing Commercial Airplanes (from Aug. 1997) Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company (under license) |
| Status | Retired from commercial use[citation needed] |
| Primary users | Delta Air Lines (historical) |
| Number built | 116 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1993–2000 |
| Introduction date | 1995 withDelta Air Lines |
| First flight | February 22, 1993 |
| Retired | June 2, 2020 (commercially) |
| Developed from | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 |
| Variants | McDonnell Douglas MD-94X Boeing 717 (MD-95) |
| Developed into | Boeing X-66 |
TheMcDonnell Douglas (laterBoeing)MD-90 is a retired American five-abreastsingle-aisle airliner developed byMcDonnell Douglas from the earlierMD-80. The airliner was produced by the developer company until 1997 and then byBoeing Commercial Airplanes. It was a stretched derivative of the MD-80 and thus part of theDC-9 family.After the more fuel-efficientIAE V2500 high-bypass turbofan was selected,Delta Air Lines became the launch customer on November 14, 1989.The MD-90 first flew on February 22, 1993, and the first delivery was in February 1995 to Delta.
The MD-90 competed with theAirbus A320ceo family and theBoeing 737 Next Generation.Its 5 ft (1.4 m) longer fuselageseats 153 passengers in a mixed configuration over up to 2,455nautical miles [nmi] (4,547 km; 2,825 mi), making it the largest member of the DC-9 family. It kept the MD-88'selectronic flight instrument system (EFIS).
The shrunken derivative of MD-80 or shorter variant of MD-90, originally marketed as MD-95, was later renamed theBoeing 717 following McDonnell Douglas' merger with Boeing in 1997.
Production ended in 2000 after 116 deliveries. Delta Air Lines flew the final MD-90 passenger flight on June 2, 2020. It was briefly retired before being put into testing withBoeing Commercial Airplanes for the NASAX-66 program. It was involved in three hull-loss accidents with only one fatality being a fire related ornon-aeronautical accident.
TheDC-9 series, the first generation of the DC-9 family with five members or variants (DC-9-10 / DC-9 Series 10, Series 20, Series 30, Series 40, and Series 50) and ten production versions (Series 11, Series 12, Series 14, Series 15, Series 21, Series 31, Series 32, Series 33, Series 34, Series 41, and Series 51), was a commercial success with 976 units built when production ended in 1982.[1][2] The aircraft series was an all-new design, using two rear fuselage-mounted turbofan engines, a T-tail configuration,[3] and anarrow-body fuselage design with five-abreast seating for 80 to 135 passengers.[4] The success prompted the manufacturer to further develop the first generation DC-9 family into its second generation.
TheMD-80 series, the first derivative or the second generation of the DC-9 family, entered service in 1980. The aircraft series was originally designated as Series 80 or stylized as theSuper 80,[5] which was a 14 ft 3 in (4.34 m) lengthened Series 50 with a highermaximum take-off weight (MTOW) and higher fuel capacity, as well as next-generation Pratt and Whitney JT8D-200 series engines and an improved wing design.[6] The MD-80 series has five variants or production versions, which are designated with a non-zero second digit similar to the DC-9 series, the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, MD-87, and the MD-88. A total of 1,191 MD-80 airliners were delivered from 1980 to 1999, making it the company's most successful airliner model.[7]In 1983, McDonnell Douglas began studies on derivatives of the MD-80 series or the third generation of the DC-9 family, which later became known as the MD-90 series.
The MD-90, the stretched derivative of the MD-80 and thus the third generation of the DC-9 family,[citation needed] was launched on November 14, 1989 whenDelta Air Lines placed an order for 50 MD-90s, with options to purchase a further 110 aircraft.[8][9] The type was 57-inch-longer (1.4 m) longer than MD-80 and featured aglass cockpit (electronic instrumentation) and more powerful, quieter, fuel-efficientIAE V2525-D5 engines, with the option of upgrading to anIAE V2528 engine.[10]
Starting in late 1986, McDonnell Douglas began offering the MD-90X, a 25 ft (7.6 m) stretch of the MD-80. Unlike the MD-91 and MD-92 derivatives and the clean-sheetMD-94X proposal, the MD-90X would still use turbofan engines. The MD-90X would carry 180 passengers.[11] Powered by the 26,500 lbf thrust (118 kN)CFM56-5 orV2500, the MD-90X replaced the MD-89 as McDonnell Douglas's proposed new turbofan offering, and it was designed to compete with theBoeing 757.[12]
_McDonnell_Douglas_demonstrator%2c_Farnborough_UK_-_England%2c_September_1988_(5589380211)_(cropped).jpg)
For several years, McDonnell Douglas proposed powering the MD-90 with twounducted fan (UDF) or propfan engines,[13] designated theMD-94X. Previously, an MD-81 was used as a testbed for propfan engines, such as theGeneral Electric GE36 and thePratt & Whitney/Allison 578-DX.[14]
By mid-1989, it was clear that there was insufficient interest in propfan-powered aircraft, so the company reworked its proposals to instead feature theIAE V2500turbofan,[8][15] which was estimated to be $1 million cheaper than the GE36 and had already been certified for theAirbus A320.[16] Within six weeks of eliminating the propfan option, the MD-90 secured a large launch order.[17]
When the United States Navy wanted to replace its 125Lockheed P-3 Orionanti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft, McDonnell Douglas offered the P-9D, which would be apropfan-powered version of the MD-91. The 25,000 lbf (110 kN) thrust engine would be either theGeneral Electric GE36 or thePratt & Whitney/Allison 578-DX.[18] Lockheed won the competition with its P-3 derivative, theLockheed P-7, but the replacement program was later canceled.
In 1991, McDonnell Douglas revealed that it was again considering developing a specialized 100-seat version of the MD-80, to be some 8 ft (2.4 m) shorter than the MD-87, powered with engines in the 16,000–17,000 lbf (71–76 kN) thrust class.[19][page needed] At the Paris Airshow, McDonnell Douglas announced the development of a 105-seat version of the MD-80, designatedMD-95.[19] In early 1994, the MD-95 re-emerged as similar to the DC-9-30, its specified weight, dimensions, and fuel capacity being almost identical. Major changes included a fuselage "shrink" back to 124 ft 0 in (37.80 m) length (slightly longer than the DC-9-30), and the reversion to the original DC-9 wingspan of 93 ft 5 in (28.47 m). At this time, McDonnell Douglas said that it expected the MD-95 to become a family of aircraft with the capability of increased range and seating capacity.[19]
The MD-95 was developed to satisfy the market need to replace early DC-9s, then approaching 30 years old. The MD-95 was a complete overhaul, going back to the originalDC-9-30 design and applying new engines, cockpit and other more modern systems.[3] McDonnell Douglas first offered the MD-95 for sale in 1994.[3][20] The airliner was later renamed theBoeing 717-200 after McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997.[21]
The type first flew on February 22, 1993, and the first MD-90 was delivered to Delta in February 1995.[22]No MD-90 orders were received afterBoeing and McDonnell Douglas merged in 1997 due to internal competition with Boeing's737.[23] Delta Air Lines had initially placed a large order for the MD-90 to replace some agingBoeing 727s. After the Boeing-McDonnell Douglas merger, Delta canceled their remaining 19 MD-90 orders in favor of theBoeing 737–800.[23][24]
The MD-90 was produced adjacent to the Long Beach Airport inLong Beach,California, USA. A total of 40 MD-90s (later 20) were to be assembled under contract in Shanghai, People's Republic of China under the Trunkliner program,[25][26] but Boeing's decision to phase out the MD-90 resulted in only two built byShanghai Aircraft.[27] MD-90 production at Long Beach, California ended in 2000 with the last airplane being delivered to Saudi Arabian Airlines,[23] and MD-90T production at Shanghai ended in 2000.[28] With 116 MD-90 aircraft produced, the MD-90 production run was the smallest among the DC-9 family.[29] Two aircraft were also produced at Jiangwan Airfield in Shanghai, People's Republic of China.[30]
The main competitors of the MD-90 included theAirbus A320ceo and theBoeing 737-800. Aeronautical Engineers Inc (AEI) planned to begin an MD-90 freighter conversion program in 2016/2017 when the 737-400SF conversions were expected to be phased out, but canceled it in 2015. A converted MD-90 freighter would be longer than a 12-pallet capacity MD-80SF and would have one more pallet position, or 13 pallets total. However, as with the MD-80SF, the narrow fuselage cross-section only allows for non-standard 88" x 108" pallets or containers, which is the main disadvantage in cargo operations and limits its potential market. The main reason for AEI's decision not to continue the 13-pallet freighter program was the limited availability of MD-90 in the market. At the time, fewer than 100 aircraft were still active, most of which were inDelta Air Lines fleet.[31] On June 2, 2020, Delta operated its last MD-90 on the type's final commercial flights,[32][33] and so the MD-90 was retired without a freighter conversion to extend its service life.
The MD-90 is a mid-size, medium-range airliner that was developed from the MD-80 series. Resembling the preliminary version of the MD-88 from March 1984,[34] the MD-90 is a 57-inch-longer (1.4 m), updated version of the base MD-80 with similarelectronic flight instrument system (EFIS) and more powerful, quieter and fuel efficientIAE V2500 engines instead of theJT8D engines, which power the MD-80 series.[35] This made the MD-90 the first derivative variant of the DC-9 to use ahigh-bypass turbofan engine. Due to the heavier engines, the engine pylons feature flaps that deflect 30° downward to assist in pitching down for stall recovery. The system activates automatically when the control column is pushed fully forward.[36]
Typical seating for the MD-90 ranges from 153 to 172 passengers, depending on the cabin configuration and interior layout.[37] The MD-90 was produced in two versions: -30 and −30ER. The −30 has a range of 2,045 nmi (3,787 km; 2,353 mi). The −30ER has a higher gross weight and range up to 2,455 nmi (4,547 km; 2,825 mi) with an extra 565 US gal (2,140 L) auxiliary fuel tank.[38] An even longer-range version, the −50, was offered but was never ordered.[citation needed]
The initial MD-90s feature an EFIS cockpit similar to the MD-88's cockpit.[39] The 29 MD-90s delivered toSaudi Arabian Airlines feature a full glass cockpit withavionics and an overhead display panel similar to theMD-11's cockpit for easy transition for the airline's pilots of the MD-11, also operated by the airline.[39][40]
There are no longer any MD-90 aircraft in service asDelta Air Lines was the last remaining operator in 2020.[citation needed] They began phasing out its MD-90s in 2017,[50] before retiring its remaining MD-90s after their final flights on June 2, 2020.[51]
| Type | Total | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD-90-30 | 113 | 3 | 13 | 34 | 25 | 25 | 13 |
| MD-90-30ER | 1 | 1 | |||||
| MD-90-30T | 2 | 2 | |||||
| MD-90 series | 116 | 5 | 13 | 34 | 26 | 25 | 13 |
During its service life, the MD-90 was involved in threehull-loss accidents, resulting in one fatality.[53][54]
 | This sectionmay contain an excessive amount of intricatedetail that may only interest a particular audience.Specifically, perWP:AIRMOS, this section should cover the specifications of only a single variant. Please help by removing excessive detail that may be againstWikipedia's inclusion policy.(June 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Cockpit crew | Two |
|---|---|
| Seating, 2–class | 153–158: 12J@36" + 141/146Y@31-33" |
| Seating, 1–class | 163-172Y@29–33" |
| Cargo | 1,300 cu ft (36.8 m3) |
| Length | 152.6 ft (46.51 m) |
| Fuselage | 131.6×142 in (334.3×360.7 cm) width × height[60] |
| Wingspan | 107.8 ft (32.86 m) |
| Height | 30.6 ft (9.33 m) |
| MTOW | 156,000 lb (70,760 kg) |
| Empty weight | 88,200 lb (40,007 kg) |
| Max.payload | 41,800 lb (18,960 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 39,128 lb (17,748 kg)[a] |
| Turbofanengines (2×) | IAE V2525-D5 or V2528-D5 |
| Unit thrust | 25,000–28,000 lbf (111.21–124.55 kN) |
| VMO | Mach 0.84 (506 kn; 937 km/h; 582 mph) at 27,240 ft (8,303 m)[61] |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.76 (438 kn; 812 km/h; 504 mph) at 34,777 ft (10,600 m)[62][63] |
| Ceiling | 37,000 ft (11,278 m)[61] |
| Range, 153 pax | 2,045 nmi (3,787 km; 2,353 mi) |
| Takeoff runway | 7,000 ft (2,134 m) at 156,000 lb, ISA, SL[64] |
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