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116-533: It retains the basic trijet configuration of the DC-10 with updated GE CF6 -80C2 or PW4000 turbofan engines. Its wingspan is slightly larger than the DC-10 and it has winglets . Its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is increased by 14% to 630,500 lb (286 t). Its fuselage is stretched by 11% to 202 ft (61.6 m) to accommodate 298 passengers in three classes over a range of up to 7,130 nautical miles [nmi] (13,200 km; 8,210 mi). It features

232-616: A Continental Airlines DC-10-10 (registration number N68048) was leased to conduct more research, particularly on the effects the newly designed winglets would have on aircraft performance. Different types of winglets were tested during that time in conjunction with NASA at the McDonnell Douglas flight test facility in Yuma, Arizona and Edwards Air Force Base . McDonnell Douglas was again planning new DC-10 versions that could incorporate winglets and more efficient engines developed at

348-454: A T-tail configuration. The larger widebody Lockheed TriStar and DC-10/MD-11 mount an engine underneath each wing. Preliminary studies were done on the TriStar to reuse the fuselage and wing for a twinjet design though these never materialized due to Lockheed's lack of funds. Additionally in the late-1990s Boeing, which had taken over McDonnell Douglas, considered removing the tail engine from

464-570: A VIP configuration, one by Saudia Royal Flight for members of the Royal family, and one by Mid East Jet for ASACO Aviation; both are now stored. Lufthansa Cargo retired their last MD-11 on October 17, 2021. As of March 2024, the MD-11 has been involved in 49 aviation incidents , including ten hull-loss accidents with 244 fatalities. The MD-11 had problems with its flight control systems that have resulted in multiple accidents and incidents since

580-545: A glass cockpit that eliminates the need for a flight engineer . The MD-11 failed to meet its range and fuel burn targets, which resulted in the aircraft selling poorly, with only 200 examples built, of which roughly a quarter were freight aircraft . After retirement from passenger service (last flight being by KLM in November 2014), many of the MD-11 passenger fleet were converted into freighter specification, many of which are still in service today. The last of 200 aircraft

696-465: A maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 580,000 pounds (260,000 kg) and would have used CF6-80C2 or PW4000 engines. The MD-11X-20 was to have a longer fuselage, accommodating up to 331 passengers in a mixed-class layout, and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi). As more orders for the DC-10 were received, McDonnell Douglas used the time gained before the end of DC-10 production to consult with potential customers and to refine

812-440: A dozen Formula One races in 1971. Pratt & Whitney now markets its Ecopower pressure-washing service, which uses a high-pressure water spray run through several nozzles to clean grime and contaminants from jet engine parts, most notably turbine blades, to prevent overheating, improve engine operating efficiency and reduce fuel burn. The system collects the runoff from the washing process for appropriate disposal. The washing

928-487: A full payload. In 1990, McDonnell Douglas, along with Pratt & Whitney and General Electric began a modification program known as the Performance Improvement Program (PIP) to improve the aircraft's weight, fuel capacity, engine performance, and aerodynamics. McDonnell Douglas worked with NASA's Langley Research Center to study aerodynamic improvements. The PIP lasted until 1995 and recovered

1044-478: A gross weight of 500,000 pounds (230,000 kg) and transport up to 337 passengers, while the second would carry 331 passengers over 6,900 nautical miles (12,800 km; 7,900 mi). A year later, as several airlines had committed to the MD-11, the situation was looking optimistic. The aircraft was now a 320-seater baseline and defined as an 18 ft 7 in (5.66 m) stretch over the DC-10-30 powered by

1160-631: A lack of sales, resulting from internal competition from the Boeing 767 and 777 , as well as external competition from the Airbus A330 / A340 . McDonnell Douglas originally had projected that it would sell more than 300 MD-11 aircraft, but only 200 were built. The MD-11 assembly plant in Long Beach, California later became Boeing's facility. The MD-11 is a medium- to long-range widebody airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and

1276-458: A large range of products, including turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines targeted for the regional, business, utility and military aircraft and helicopter markets. The company also designs and manufactures engines for auxiliary power units and industrial applications. Its headquarters are located in Longueuil , Quebec (just outside Montreal ). Speaking to Reuters June 16, 2013, ahead of

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1392-608: A mixed-class configuration; and the Series 20, incorporating a fuselage stretch of 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) over the DC-10 and able to seat up to 333 passengers in the same kind of configuration as the Series 10. Both versions could be powered by the same engine families as the actual MD-11 plus the RB.211-600. However, the situation for the manufacturer, and the airline industry in general, did not look bright. No new DC-10 orders were received, and many observers and customers doubted that

1508-497: A multi-class configuration, or 277 passengers and their luggage over 5,300 nautical miles (9,800 km; 6,100 mi). At the same time, the manufacturer was seeking to reduce wing and engine drag on the trijet. Another version of the aircraft was also envisaged, the "DC-10 global", aimed to counter the risks of loss of orders for the DC-10-30 that the Boeing 747SP and its range were causing. The DC-10 global would have incorporated more fuel tanks. While continuing their research for

1624-470: A new aircraft engine being developed by Rentschler, George J. Mead , and colleagues, all formerly of Wright Aeronautical . Conceived and designed by Mead, the new engine would be a large, air-cooled , radial design. Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool was going through a period of self-revision at the time to prepare itself for the post-World War I era, discontinuing old product lines and incubating new ones. World War I had been profitable to P&WMT, but

1740-422: A new aircraft, McDonnell Douglas designated the program DC-10 Super 60, previously known for a short time as DC-10 Super 50. The Super 60 was to be an intercontinental aircraft incorporating many aerodynamic improvements in the wings, and a fuselage lengthened by 26 feet 8 inches (8.13 m) to allow for up to 350 passengers to be seated in a mixed-class layout, compared to 275 in the same configuration of

1856-525: A new trijet called the MD-XX, which were lengthened versions of the MD-11 . The MD-XX Long Range aircraft would have been capable of traveling distances up to 8,320 nautical miles (15,410 km) and had a wingspan of 65 metres (213 ft). The project was canceled in 1996, one year before McDonnell Douglas was acquired by Boeing. Boeing ended production of the MD-11 after filling remaining customer orders since

1972-672: A new wing design and entered serial production from 1984 as the Tu-154M . With the exceptions of the Dassault Falcon 7X , Falcon 8x , and Falcon 900 business jets, no manufacturer currently produces three-engine airliners. Modern engines have extremely low failure rates and can generate much higher shaft power and thrust than early types. This makes twinjets more suitable than they were before for long-haul trans-oceanic operations, resulting in eased ETOPS restrictions; modern wide-body twin-engine jets usually have an ETOPS 180 or (in

2088-564: A new, twin-tail trijet design, whose tail engine appears to use a "straight" layout similar to the MD-11, but it is unknown if and when this will be developed or produced. However, the proposed Boeing X-48 blended wing body design, Lockheed's N+2 design study, and Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet were also supposed to have three engines. The AS2 programme was cancelled in May 2021 when Aerion Corporation shut down. Boom Technology 's planned Overture supersonic transport (SST) airliner

2204-399: A third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer , which has a two-segment rudder for directional control. It is based on the DC-10 but features a stretched fuselage, increased wingspan winglets, refined airfoils on the wing and tailplane resulting in a reduced wetted area and form drag , new engines, and increased use of composites. The most significant change in the tail section is

2320-547: A transmission bearing failed four laps from the finish. STP entered four Lotus 56s in the 1968 Indianapolis 500 . One car crashed during qualifying. Two of the remaining cars qualified fastest and second fastest, but all three retired from the race. Turbine cars were deemed illegal before the following year's race, so Lotus chief Colin Chapman developed the car for use in Formula One and an updated 56B competed in half

2436-707: A trijet aircraft) and Boeing worked on new widebody twinjet designs that would become the A330 and 777, respectively. The MD-11's long-range advantage was brief as it soon was threatened by the A330's four-engine derivative, the A340 , and the 777. The only other notable trijet development during the 1980s was in the Soviet Union , where the Tupolev Tu-154 was re-engined with the Soloviev D-30 engine as well as

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2552-448: Is a jet aircraft powered by three jet engines . In general, passenger airline trijets are considered to be second-generation jet airliners , due to their innovative engine locations, in addition to the advancement of turbofan technology. Trijets are more efficient than quadjets , but not as efficient as twinjets , which replaced trijets as larger and more reliable turbofan engines became available. The Dassault Falcon 7X /8X and

2668-601: Is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines ) and military aviation . Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut . The company is the world's second largest commercial aircraft engine manufacturer, with a 35% market share as of 2020 . In addition to aircraft engines, Pratt & Whitney manufactures gas turbine engines for industrial use, marine propulsion, and power generation . In 2017,

2784-627: Is a business unit of aerospace conglomerate RTX Corporation , making it a sister company to Collins Aerospace and Raytheon . It is also involved in two major joint ventures, the Engine Alliance with GE which manufactures engines for the Airbus A380, and International Aero Engines company with Rolls-Royce , MTU Aero Engines , and the Japanese Aero Engines Corporation which manufactures engines for

2900-561: Is a joint venture that develops, builds and services the V2500 aero engine family, which powers the Airbus A320 family and McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft. The four founding engine manufacturers that make up IAE each contribute an individual module to the V2500 engine. Pratt & Whitney produces the combustor and high-pressure turbine, Rolls-Royce the high-pressure compressor, JAEC

3016-431: Is called Advanced Common Flightdeck (ACF) and is shared with the Boeing 717 . Flight deck features include an Electronic Instrument System , a dual Flight Management System , a Central Fault Display System, and a Global Positioning System . Category IIIB automatic landing capability for bad-weather operations and Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) are available. The MD-11 had a neutral stability design and one of

3132-416: Is often less important than for scheduled-route operating airlines, trijets may still be of interest due to their immunity from ETOPS and the ability to take off from shorter runways and therefore have access to more airports. As a result, a sizeable number of trijets, such as the newly built Dassault Falcons , are in use by private operators and corporate flight departments. Airbus filed a patent in 2008 for

3248-612: The 727 , Tu-154 , DC-10, and MD-11, have found second careers as cargo aircraft, as well as in limited charter, governmental, and military service. However, because of the average age of trijets and the COVID-19 pandemic , most non-private operators have chosen to retire quadjets and trijets and replace them with more efficient and cost-saving twinjets. Today, the only widely used trijet is the MD-11, mostly operated by UPS Airlines and FedEx Express in cargo service. For smaller private and corporate operators, where maximum fuel efficiency

3364-459: The 777 's General Electric GE90 . During the 1980s, McDonnell Douglas was the only Western manufacturer to continue development of the trijet design with an update to the DC-10 , the MD-11 , which initially held a range and payload advantage over its closest medium wide-body competitors which were twinjets, the in-production Boeing 767 and upcoming Airbus A330 . McDonnell Douglas had planned

3480-655: The CFM56 engine thus giving customers an alternative in new CFM56 engine materials. In addition to engine parts, GMS provides customers with fleet management and customized maintenance service programs. United Airlines was the GMS launch customer. GMS received its first part certification in July 2007, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA) certification for

3596-540: The DC-8 , the series 62 was proposed for long-range routes. It would feature a more modest fuselage stretch of 26 ft 7 in (8.10 m), along with an increased wingspan and fuel capacity. It would be capable of carrying up to 350 passengers (mixed class) or 440 passengers (all-economy), similar to the later Boeing 777-200 or the Airbus A330-300 / A340-300/500 . Finally, the series 63 would have incorporated

McDonnell Douglas MD-11 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3712-399: The Dassault Falcon 7X . The S-duct has low drag, and since the third engine is mounted closer to the centerline, the aircraft will normally be easy to handle in the event of an engine failure. However, S-duct designs are more complex and costlier, particularly for an airliner. Furthermore, the central engine bay would require structural changes in the event of a major re-engining (remodeling of

3828-573: The Dassault Falcon 900 are the only trijets still in production. One consideration with trijets is positioning the central engine. This is usually accomplished by placing the engine along the centerline, but still poses difficulties. The most common configuration is having the central engine located in the rear fuselage and supplied with air by an S-shaped duct ; this is used on the Hawker Siddeley Trident , Boeing 727 , Tupolev Tu-154 , Lockheed L-1011 TriStar , and, more recently,

3944-1248: The F119 for the F-22 Raptor , the F100 family that powers the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon , the F117 for the C-17 Globemaster III , the J52 for the EA-6B Prowler , the TF33 powering E-3 AWACS , E-8 Joint STARS , B-52 , and KC-135 aircraft, and the TF30 for the F-111 and F-14A . In addition, Pratt & Whitney offers a global network of maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities and military aviation service centers focused on maintaining engine readiness for their customers. Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC), originally Canadian Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company, and later United Aircraft of Canada, provides

4060-597: The General Electric CF6 , and the additional power from the third engine gave the DC-10/MD-11 advantages in longer range and/or heavier payload over the A300/A310/A330 twinjet. Since the 1990s, with further advancements in high-bypass turbofan technology, large twinjets have been equipped with purpose-designed engines such as the Boeing 777 's General Electric GE90 , allowing twinjets to perform

4176-528: The Hawker Siddeley Trident (1962) and the Boeing 727 (1963). Both were compromises to meet airline requirements; in the case of the Trident, it was to meet BEA's changing needs, while the 727 had to be acceptable for three different airlines. Although collaboration between the manufacturers was considered, it did not come about. Early American twinjet designs were limited by the FAA 's 60-minute rule , whereby

4292-589: The Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan engine since its inception in 2016 has been the central issue. In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney issued a product recall that would affect hundreds of jet engines. The recall was issued due to a concern of metal parts being contaminated that could lead to cracking over time. In August 2023, airlines in the US, Europe and Asia announced that they would be temporarily reducing some flights so they could inspect aircraft affected by

4408-699: The RD-180 booster engine, offered by RD Amross , a partnership between Pratt & Whitney and NPO Energomash of Russia, for the Atlas III and V programs. The West Palm Beach site consisted of an engineering division and manufacturing division which designed and manufactured the high-pressure turbopumps (fuel and LOX) for the Space Shuttle's Main Engines (SSME) which were manufactured by the former Rocketdyne Corporation. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR)

4524-555: The Rolls-Royce Trent 900 , the launch engine for the aircraft. The first GP7200-powered Airbus A380 entered service with Emirates on August 1, 2008, on a non-stop flight from Dubai to New York City. Between 1967 and 1971, Pratt & Whitney turbine engines were used in American Championship Car Racing and Formula One . The STP-Paxton Turbocar dominated the 1967 Indianapolis 500 until

4640-520: The U.S. Navy qualification test in March 1926; by October 1926, the U.S. Navy had ordered 200. The Wasp exhibited performance and reliability that revolutionized American aviation. The R-1340 powered the aircraft of Wiley Post , Amelia Earhart , and many other record flights. The R-1340 was followed by another very successful engine, the R-985 Wasp Junior . Eventually a whole Wasp series

4756-739: The United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC). His agreement allowed him to carry the Pratt & Whitney name with him to his new corporation. Only five years later, in 1934, the federal government of U.S. banned common ownership of airplane manufacturers and airlines. Pratt & Whitney was merged with UATC's other manufacturing interests east of the Mississippi River as United Aircraft Corporation , with Rentschler as president. In 1975, United Aircraft Corporation became United Technologies . In October 2014, Pratt & Whitney

McDonnell Douglas MD-11 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4872-648: The Z-10 . This violated U.S. export laws and resulted in a multimillion-dollar fine. Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion consisted of liquid space propulsion at the Liquid Space Propulsion Division (West Palm Beach, Florida) and solid rocket propulsion at the Chemical Systems Division (San Jose, California), as well as refurbishment and integration of the non-motor elements of the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters at

4988-503: The naming rights for the home stadium for the University of Connecticut Huskies football team , Rentschler Field , which is located adjacent to Pratt & Whitney's East Hartford, Connecticut , campus, on Pratt's company-owned former airfield of the same name . In 2015, the stadium was renamed to Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in time for the 2015–2016 University of Connecticut football season. Pratt & Whitney

5104-530: The 727, as its central engine bay would require an extremely expensive redesign to accommodate quieter high-bypass turbofans, and it was soon supplanted by Airbus with their A320 and Boeing with their 737 and 757 . Further advancements in high-bypass turbofan technology and subsequent relaxation in airline safety rules made the trijet and even the quadjet nearly obsolete for passenger services, as their range and payload could be covered more efficiently with large twinjets powered with purpose-designed engines such as

5220-525: The A300 and 767 twinjets. Thus trijet designs such as the DC-10 and L-1011 TriStar represented the best compromise with medium- to long-range and medium size that US airlines sought for their domestic and transatlantic routes. As a result of these trijet wide-bodies, as well as the popularity of the Boeing 727, in their heyday of the 1980s trijets made up a majority of all such US jet airliners. From 1985 to 2003

5336-754: The Airbus A320 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney's large commercial engines power more than 25 percent of the world's passenger aircraft fleet and serve more than 800 customers in 160 countries. With more than 16,000 large commercial engines installed today, Pratt & Whitney provides power to hundreds of airlines and operators, from narrow-bodied airplanes to wide-bodied jumbo jetliners. In June 2007, Pratt & Whitney's fleet of large commercial engines surpassed 1 billion flight hours of service. Pratt & Whitney's Global Material Solutions (GMS) makes parts for

5452-484: The Airbus A330/A340 and Boeing 777. As a trijet, the MD-11 was less fuel-efficient but had a greater range than its mid-size widebody contemporaries which were twinjets (the existing Boeing 767 and the upcoming Airbus A330 and Boeing 777). Aerospace consultant Scott Hamilton, in a 2014 article, said that the MD-11 was "classically ill-timed" as "it came at the end of the three- or four-engine era, just ahead of

5568-493: The DC-10 was needed, as shown by the second-hand market for their Series 30 and the heavier DC-10-30ER version. Thus, in 1984 a new derivative aircraft version of the DC-10 was designated MD-11. From the very beginning, the MD-11X was conceived in two different versions. The MD-11X-10, based on a DC-10-30 airframe, offered a range of 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) with passengers. That first version would have had

5684-466: The DC-10, despite a smaller tailplane to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. The MD-11 incorporates hydraulic fuses not included in the initial DC-10 design, to prevent catastrophic loss of control in the event of a hydraulic failure such as that which occurred on United Airlines Flight 232 . The MD-11 was manufactured in five variants. Note: Some or all the features of the MD-11ER, including

5800-554: The DC-10. Following more refinements, in 1979 the DC-10 Super 60 was proposed in three distinct versions like the DC-8. The DC-10-61 was designed to be a high-capacity medium-range aircraft. It would have a fuselage stretch of 40 feet (12 m) over the earlier DC-10 models, enabling it to carry 390 passengers in a mixed class or 550 passengers in an all-economy layout, similar to Boeing 's later 777-300 and Airbus A340-600 . Like

5916-509: The ETOPS 330 standard), where the most direct route for some flights is over Antarctica . Since 2000, both narrow-body and wide-body trijet production has ceased for almost all commercial aircraft, being replaced by twinjets . As of 2016, the Falcon 7X, 8X, and 900 business jets, all of which use S-ducts , are the only trijets in production. Trijets that are no longer in production, such as

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6032-1061: The GMS high-pressure turbine (HPT) shroud for the CFM56-3 engine. In March 2008, the FAA certified the GMS fan and booster with a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) with FAA Chapter 5 life limits equal to the original type certificate holder. The STC was the first FAA certification ever granted for alternative life-limited engine parts. In May 2008, Global Material Solutions received FAA STCs for its remaining life limited parts for CFM56-3 engines. Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners (GSP) offers overhaul, maintenance and repair services for Pratt & Whitney, International Aero Engines, General Electric, Rolls-Royce, and CFMI engines. In addition to engine overhaul and repair services, GSP provides services including line maintenance, engine monitoring and diagnostics, environmentally friendly on-wing water washes, leased engines, custom engine service programs and new and repaired parts. Pratt & Whitney maintains one of

6148-558: The MD-11 could not operate on the airline's long-haul routes. Pre-flight estimates indicated that the P&;W-powered MD-11 was to have a 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) range with 61,000 pounds (28 t) of payload. With the Phase 1 drag reduction in place, the aircraft could only achieve its full range with 48,500 pounds (22.0 t) of payload, or a reduced range of 6,493 nautical miles (12,025 km; 7,472 mi) with

6264-424: The MD-11 to make it a twinjet but instead cancelled MD-11 production altogether. Trijets are more efficient and cheaper than four-engine aircraft, as the engines are the most expensive part of the plane and having more engines consumes more fuel, particularly if quadjets and trijets share engines of similar power. For widebody aircraft this makes the trijet configuration more suited to a mid-size airliner compared to

6380-418: The MD-11 would have competed with the 767 and 777. A study to remove the MD-11's tail-mounted engine (which would have made it a twinjet) never came to fruition as it would have been very expensive, and the MD-11 had very little in common in terms of design or type rating with other Boeing airliners. In contrast to McDonnell Douglas sticking with their existing trijet configuration, Airbus (which never produced

6496-459: The MD-11's center of gravity to be much farther aft than that of other commercial aircraft. There was also a fuel-ballast tank in the MD-11's horizontal stabilizer since its tailplane was smaller than the DC-10's to improve fuel efficiency, but this was found to inhibit the MD-11's crosswind performance. These design features, coupled with standard landing speeds 20–30 knots (35–55 km/h) faster than those of comparable aircraft, significantly reduce

6612-564: The MD-11's horizontal tail being 30% smaller than that of the DC-10-30. The horizontal tail area on the DC-10 is 1,338 square feet (120 square meters), while on the MD-11, it's reduced to 920 square feet (82.8 square meters). The MD11's winglets are credited with improving fuel efficiency by about 2.5%. The MD-11 has a smaller empennage than the DC-10 it is based upon. The MD-11 features a two-crew cockpit that incorporates six 8-inch interchangeable cathode-ray tube (CRT) display units and advanced Honeywell VIA 2000 computers. The cockpit design

6728-455: The MD-11's margin for error during the takeoff and landing phases, making it more difficult to handle than the smaller DC-10. Several operators have introduced special training to assist crews in safely handling the MD-11's critical phases of flight . McDonnell Douglas MD-11 deliveries (by year):   Deliveries Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Trijet A trijet

6844-486: The MD-11, and previously for DC-10, KC-10 were built by General Dynamics' Convair Division in San Diego, which were transported by barge to Long Beach Harbor and then by truck to the assembly plant. The following months of 1989 were used to prepare the prototype for its maiden flight, which finally happened on January 10, 1990. The first two aircraft manufactured were intended for FedEx and thus, were already fitted with

6960-690: The McDonnell Douglas Corporation, with the nose subassembly produced in St. Louis, Missouri , control surface assembly in Tulsa, Oklahoma , and structural rings fabricated in Torrance, California . The wings were manufactured by McDonnell Douglas Canada in Malton, Ontario , near Toronto's Lester B Pearson International Airport , before being shipped to Long Beach. Main fuselage sections for

7076-775: The Paris Airshow 2013, Pratt & Whitney President David Hess said he was confident that Canada would decide to stick with the F-35 program despite its recent discussions about having a new competition. If the orders did shift to another company, Pratt & Whitney could decide to move some of the industrial base work it is currently doing in Canada, Hess said. "We might reallocate the work elsewhere", he said, adding that reduced order volumes would likely trigger changes in Canada. The division admitted in July 2012 to providing engines and engine software for China's first attack helicopter,

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7192-405: The S-duct. Also, as the engine is located much higher up than the wing-mounted engines, engine failure will produce a greater pitching moment, making it more difficult to control. The placement of the remaining two engines varies. Most smaller aircraft, such as the Hawker Siddeley Trident and the Boeing 727 , as well as the intermediate-sized Tupolev Tu-154 , have two side-mount engine pylons in

7308-406: The USBI Co. Division (NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida). Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion provided advanced technology solutions to commercial, government and military customers for more than four decades. Products included the RL10 , the upper stage rocket engine used on the Boeing Delta and Lockheed Martin Atlas rockets, high-pressure turbopumps for the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) and

7424-514: The aircraft was also foreseen, such as the MD-11 Advanced. The lack of innovation from McDonnell Douglas during the MD-11's design had been attributed to the company's declining cash flow, as it struggled with problems with its military contracts and declining orders for its commercial jets. Limited company resources resulted in the MD-11 being developed as a refinement of the existing DC-10, in contrast to rivals Airbus and Boeing who during this period developed all-new aircraft designs that would become

7540-410: The aircraft's introduction. The initial design of the slat/flap lever in the cockpit left it prone to being accidentally dislodged by a crew in flight. The defect has been corrected since 1992. In the early 2000s, Boeing improved the flight control software at the urging of the FAA to reduce the possibility of violent unintentional pitch movements. To improve fuel efficiency, McDonnell Douglas designed

7656-403: The board of Niles Bement Pond, then one of the largest machine tool corporations in the world. Frederick Rentschler approached these men as he sought capital and assets for his new venture. Deeds and G. Rentschler persuaded the board of Niles Bement Pond that their Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool (P&WMT) subsidiary of Hartford, Connecticut , should provide the funding and location to build

7772-441: The case of the Boeing 777 and 787 ) ETOPS 330 rating, and even ETOPS 370 for the Airbus A350 . As such, having more than two engines is no longer considered necessary, except for very large or heavy aircraft such as the Boeing 747 , Airbus A380 (over 400 seats in a mixed-class configuration), Antonov An-124 , and An-225 , or for flights through the Southern Hemisphere, primarily to and from Australia (which has not yet adopted

7888-440: The company reported that it supported more than 11,000 customers in 180 countries around the world. In April 1925, Frederick Rentschler , an Ohio native and former executive at Wright Aeronautical , was determined to start an aviation-related business of his own. His social network included Edward Deeds , another prominent Ohioan of the early aviation industry, and Frederick's brother Gordon Rentschler , both of whom were on

8004-415: The engine). For example, the 727's central bay was only wide enough to fit a low-bypass turbofan and not the newer high-bypass turbofans which were quieter and more powerful. Boeing decided that a redesign was too expensive and ended its production instead of pursuing further development. The Lockheed Tristar's tail section was too short to fit an existing two-spool engine as it was designed only to accommodate

8120-424: The fan and low-pressure compressor and MTU the low-pressure turbine. Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, and support a family of modern technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft . The main application is the GP7200 , which has been designed for use on the Airbus A380 . It competes with

8236-664: The financial investment was too large for the company. As of September 2024, 82 of the 200 aircraft built are operational, serving three different cargo operators worldwide. Most of the airlines that ordered the MD-11 for their long-haul passenger flights had replaced it with Airbus A330, A340, and Boeing 777 aircraft by the end of 2004. Some carriers converted their MD-11s to freighters such as China Eastern Airlines and Korean Air . Korean Air announced as early as December 1994 its intention to convert its five passenger MD-11s to freighters for medium-range cargo routes. In 1995, American Airlines agreed to sell its 19 aircraft to FedEx, with

8352-508: The first MD-11 being transferred in 1996. Japan Airlines (JAL) announced the replacement of its 10 MD-11s in 2000; these aircraft were being converted into freighters and sold to UPS in 2004. In February 2007, TAM Linhas Aéreas began operating the first of three leased passenger MD-11s, in a deal arranged by Boeing as an interim solution for TAM to quickly be able to operate newly granted intercontinental routes while waiting for four Boeing 777-300ERs to be delivered from late 2008. The last MD-11

8468-399: The first commercial designs to employ a computer-assisted pitch/longitudinal stability augmentation system (LSAS) that featured a fuel ballast tank in the tailplane, and a partly computer-driven horizontal stabilizer, to compensate for the comparatively short horizontal stabilizer. Updates to the software package made the airplane's handling characteristics in manual flight similar to those of

8584-547: The first customer of the MD-11. Three aircraft were manufactured but were never delivered due to the Yugoslav Wars. The first MD-11 was delivered to Finnair on December 7, 1990, and it accomplished the first revenue service by an MD-11 on December 20, 1990, carrying passengers from Helsinki to Tenerife in the Canary Islands . MD-11 service in the U.S. was inaugurated by Delta Air Lines the following year. It

8700-429: The flight path of twin-engine jetliners was restricted to within 60 minutes' flying time from a suitable airport, in case of engine failure. In 1964, this rule was lifted for trijet designs, as they had a greater safety margin. For second-generation jet airliners, with the innovations of the high-bypass turbofan for greater efficiency and reduced noise, and the wide-body (twin-aisle) for greater passenger/cargo capacity,

8816-528: The forward side cargo door. They remained with the manufacturer as test aircraft until 1991 before being completely converted to freighters and delivered to their customer. FAA certification was achieved on November 8, 1990, while the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certified the MD-11 on October 17, 1991, after approximately 200 separate issues were resolved. Yugoslav Airlines , already flying several DC-10s, became

8932-522: The freighter variant. In 1998, Boeing announced it would end MD-11 production after filling orders on hand due to lack of sufficient market demand. The last passenger MD-11 built was delivered to Sabena in April 1998. Assembly of the last two MD-11s were completed in August and October 2000; they were delivered to Lufthansa Cargo on February 22 and January 25, 2001, respectively. Production ended because of

9048-431: The greatest growth and development potential available anywhere for the next few decades. It lent Rentschler US$ 250,000, the use of the Pratt & Whitney name, and space in their building. This was the beginning of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company . Pratt & Whitney Aircraft's first engine, the 425-horsepower (317 kW) R-1340 Wasp , was completed on Christmas Eve 1925. On its third test run it easily passed

9164-416: The ground with one engine inoperative, approval can be granted to perform two-engine ferry flights. Prior to the introduction of ETOPS , only trijets and quadjets were able to perform long international flights over areas without any diversion airports. However, this advantage has largely disappeared in recent years as ETOPS-certified twin-engined aircraft are able to do so as well. Another major advantage of

9280-539: The higher MTOW of 630,500 pounds (286.0 t), part or all of the PIPs aerodynamic improvements packages and composite panels were fitted to later-built MD-11s (except the extra fuel tank), and could be retrofitted to any of the variants, except for the PIP Phase IIIB larger aft-engine intake. Some airlines, such as Finnair, Martinair, and FedEx have made the structural changes required to allow their aircraft to have

9396-650: The higher MTOW. Swissair's 16 newest aircraft were retrofitted with all the features except for the extra fuel tank and were so-designated MD-11AH for Advanced Heavy. After McDonnell Douglas did the KDC-10 conversion for the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1992, they proposed a tanker/transport version of the MD-11CF which had the in-house designation KMD-11. McDD offered either conversion of second-hand aircraft (KMD-11) or new built aircraft (KC-10B),

9512-433: The largest service center networks in the world, with more than 40 engine overhaul and maintenance centers located around the globe. The Global Service Partners includes Japan Turbine Technologies (JTT). JTT started in 2000 as a joint venture between Pratt and Japan Airlines , with Japan Airlines owning 33.4 percent of the venture, and Pratt & Whitney owning the rest. In July 2011 Pratt bought out Japan Airlines' share in

9628-402: The manufacturer would stay in business much longer. Thus, the board of directors decided in November 1983 to once again cease all work on the projected new trijet. The following year no new orders for the DC-10 were received. The production line was kept active thanks to earlier orders from the U.S. Air Force for 60 KC-10A tankers. McDonnell Douglas was still convinced that a new derivative for

9744-524: The mating of the fuselage with wings occurred in October of that year. The first flight was originally planned to occur in March 1989, but numerous problems with the manufacturing, delays with suppliers producing essential components, and labor industrial actions delayed the ceremonial rollout of the prototype until September of that year. Parts for the MD-11 were sourced from a global network of subcontractors and suppliers. Subassembly tasks were spread across

9860-473: The merger with Boeing, a presentation was made pitching an MD-11 twin with a new Boeing wing to fill the gap between the 767 and the 777, but again the proposal came to nothing. After ending the MD-12 program, McDonnell Douglas focused on 300–400-seat MD-11 derivatives. At the 1996 Farnborough International Air Show , the company presented plans for a new tri-jet with high seating and long range named "MD-XX". It

9976-432: The new advanced turbofans offered by the major engine manufacturers giving it a range of 6,800 nautical miles (12,600 km; 7,800 mi). Other versions, such as a shortened ER with a range of 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km; 8,600 mi), an all-cargo offering a maximum payload of 200,970 pounds (91,160 kg), and a Combi with a provision for ten freight pallets on the main deck, were proposed. Further growth of

10092-552: The new corporation's four main subsidiaries. In November 2022, Pratt & Whitney was awarded a contract for nearly $ 4.4 billion by the US DoD to build 100 jet engines for the U.S. military's Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps branches. As of May 2023, Pratt & Whitney was "struggling to support its fleet of passenger jets with enough spare parts and engines" which had consequences for airlines worldwide who had to ground their Airbus A320 Neo and Airbus A220 . The durability of

10208-512: The new three-spool Rolls-Royce RB211 engine, and delays in the RB211's development, in turn, pushed back the TriStar's entry into service which affected sales. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and related MD-11 use an alternative "straight-through" central engine layout, which allows for easier installation, modification, and access. It also has the additional benefit of being much easier to re-engine. However, this sacrifices aerodynamics compared to

10324-518: The number of such planes in service had sunk from 1488 to 602. The number of twinjets, on the other hand, had more than quadrupled in the same period. Both Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas were financially weakened competing in the widebody market, which led to Lockheed ending production of the L-1011 in 1984 after producing only half the units needed to break even, while a number of fatal DC-10 crashes also slowed its sales. In 1984 Boeing ended production of

10440-543: The original models of the Airbus A300 twinjet were limited to short- to medium-range distances. During this period, different jet airliners shared engines of similar output, such as when the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 , Airbus A300 , and Boeing 767 were powered by the General Electric CF6 , the additional power from the third engine gave the DC-10 advantages in longer range and/or heavier payload over

10556-483: The peace brought a predictable glut to the machine tool market, as contracts with governments were canceled and the market in used, recently built tools competed against new ones. P&WMT's future growth would depend on innovation. Having idle factory space and capital available at this historical moment, to be invested wherever good return seemed available, P&WMT saw the post-war aviation industry, both military and civil (commercial, private) , as one with some of

10672-539: The plane slightly less stable and more complex to handle during takeoff and landing. (The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 twinjet and its derivatives, whose engines are mounted on pylons near the rear empennage , have similar advantages/disadvantages of the trijet design, such as the wings located further aft and a more rearward center of gravity.) The first trijet design to fly was the Tupolev Tu-73 bomber prototype, first flown in 1947. The first commercial trijets were

10788-403: The program life, MDC took a pre-tax charge of $ 1.838 billion (~$ 3.36 billion in 2023) for deferred production costs and for reduced support and tooling value. In 1999, the unit cost was $ 132-$ 147.5 million (equivalent to $ 227-$ 253.7 million in 2023 dollars). Assembly of the first MD-11 began on March 9, 1988 at McDonnell Douglas's Douglas Products Division in Long Beach, California , and

10904-433: The program was to cost $ 1.5 billion (equivalent to $ 3.45 billion in 2023) with $ 500 million for development and almost $ 1 billion for tooling and inventory . The first 52 firm orders totaled $ 5 billion, or $ 95 million each, while the A340 sold for $ 67 million. At certification in 1990, $ 2.5 billion were invested in initial production inventory, and $ 700 million for engineering , tools, and flight testing . While it

11020-630: The proposed KMD-11 offered 35,000 lbs more cargo capacity and 8,400 lbs more transferable fuel than the KC-10A. It was offered to the RNAF and Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) in the 1990s and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the early 2000s. In 1993, 1995, and again in 1996, McDonnell Douglas performed studies on the feasibility of a twin-engine jet using MD-11 components, but nothing came of any of them. In August 1997, just after

11136-506: The proposed new trijet. In July 1985, the board of directors authorized the Long Beach plant to offer the MD-11 to potential customers. At the time, the aircraft was still proposed in two versions, both with the same fuselage length, a stretch of 22 ft 3 in (6.78 m) over the DC-10 airframe, as well as the same engine choice as the MD-11X. One version would have a range of 4,780 nautical miles (8,850 km; 5,500 mi) with

11252-455: The quadjet layout for jumbo jets (i.e. the DC-10 versus the quadjet Boeing 747 ). However the difficulty and complexity of mounting the third engine through the tail will somewhat negate the cost/efficiency advantage. Nonetheless, this was worth the trade-off in the 1960s to the 1990s when widebody trijets and twinjets shared engines of similar output, such as when the DC-10, MD-11, Boeing's 767, and Airbus's A300, A310, and A330 were all powered by

11368-518: The range for the aircraft. However, by this point, sales of the MD-11 had already been significantly impacted. In 1995, American Airlines sold its 19 MD-11s to FedEx, as the PIP program was not sufficient for the aircraft to fly the Dallas–Fort Worth - Hong Kong route. After McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997, the unified company decided that MD-11 production would continue exclusively with

11484-782: The real move to ETOPS with the 777". McDonnell Douglas's initiative to "outsource everything but design, final assembly, and flight testing and sales of the MD-11" was also seen as contributing to the end of their commercial airline business. On December 30, 1986, McDonnell Douglas launched the MD-11 with commitments for 52 firm orders and 40 options in three different versions (passenger, combi and freighter) from ten airlines ( Alitalia , British Caledonian , Dragonair , Federal Express , Finnair , Korean Air , Scandinavian Airlines , Swissair , Thai Airways International , and VARIG ) and two leasing companies ( Guinness Peat Aviation and Mitsui ). Orders from Dragonair, Scandinavian, and UTA , an undisclosed customer, were canceled by 1988. In 1987,

11600-603: The recall. As of September 2023 , it was estimated that around 3,000 engines might have been manufactured with flawed components. Pratt & Whitney is headquartered in East Hartford, Connecticut , and also has plants in Londonderry, New Hampshire ; Springdale, Arkansas ; Columbus, Georgia ; Middletown, Connecticut ; Middletown, Pennsylvania ; Dallas, Texas ; Palm Beach County, Florida ; North Berwick, Maine ; Aguadilla, Puerto Rico ; Asheville, North Carolina and Bridgeport, West Virginia . Pratt & Whitney holds

11716-419: The runway is an issue. Unlike twinjets, trijets are not required to land immediately at the nearest suitable airport if one engine fails. (This advantage is also shared with quadjets.) This is advantageous if the aircraft is not near one of the operator's maintenance bases, as the pilots may then continue the flight and land at an airport where it is more suitable to perform repairs. Additionally, for trijets on

11832-511: The same fuselage as the DC-10-61 as well as the larger wing of the -62. After high-profile accidents in the 1970s, such as Turkish Airlines Flight 981 and American Airlines Flight 191 , the trijet's reputation was seriously damaged by doubts regarding its structural integrity. For these reasons, and due to a downturn in the airline industry, all work on the Super 60 was stopped. In August 1981,

11948-436: The same tasks as most trijets and even many quadjets but more efficiently. Due to their added thrust, trijets will have slightly improved takeoff performance compared to twinjets if an engine fails. Because takeoff performance for aircraft is usually calculated to include an extra margin to account for a possible engine failure, trijets are better able to take off from hot and high airports or those where terrain clearance near

12064-547: The time by Pratt & Whitney ( PW2037 ) and Rolls-Royce ( RB.211-535F4 ). The manufacturer finally rationalized all these studies under the MD-EEE (Ecology-Economy-Efficiency) designation, which was later modified to the MD-100 following some more changes. The MD-100 was proposed in two versions: the Series 10, having an airframe shorter by 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) compared to the DC-10 and seating up to 270 passengers in

12180-433: The trijet design is that the wings can be located further aft on the fuselage, compared to twinjets and quadjets with all wing-mounted engines, allowing main cabin exit and entry doors to be more centrally located for quicker boarding and deplaning, ensuring shorter turnaround times. The rear-mounted engine and wings shift the aircraft's center of gravity rearwards, improving fuel efficiency , although this will also make

12296-424: The trijet design was seen as the optimal configuration for the medium wide-body jet airliner, sitting in terms of size, range, and cost between quadjets (four-engine aircraft) and twinjets, and this led to a flurry of trijet designs. The four-engine Boeing 747 was popular for transoceanic flights due to its long-range and large size, but it was expensive and not all routes were able to fill its seating capacity, while

12412-596: The venture. The facility is located in the town of Taiei near the city of Narita in the Chiba Prefecture and it primarily repairs V2500 , JT8D engine parts. Pratt & Whitney's Military Engines power 27 air forces around the globe, with nearly 11,000 military engines in service with 23 customers in 22 nations. Pratt & Whitney military engines include the F135 for the F-35 Lightning II ,

12528-614: Was awarded a $ 592 million contract with Department of Defense (DoD) to supply 36 F135 engines for the F-35 fighter. In January 2017, ten employees, including the head of the F135 engine program, reportedly left the company after expenses incurred to transport South Korean officials to the company's West Palm Beach, Florida facility in 2012 were deemed unethical. In 2020, United Technologies merged with Raytheon Company to form Raytheon Technologies , with Pratt & Whitney becoming one of

12644-435: Was built in October 2000 after Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Although the MD-11 program was launched in 1986, McDonnell Douglas had started to search for a DC-10 derivative as early as 1976. Two versions were considered then: a DC-10-10 with a fuselage stretch of 40 feet (12 m) and a DC-10-30 stretched by 30 feet (9.1 m). The latter version would have been capable of transporting up to 340 passengers in

12760-591: Was developed. Both engines are still in use in agricultural aircraft around the world and produce more power than their original design criteria. George Mead soon led the next step in the field of large, state-of-the-art, air-cooled, radial aircraft engines (which the Wasp dominated) when Pratt & Whitney released its R-1690 Hornet . It was basically "a bigger Wasp". In 1929, Rentschler ended his association with Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool and merged Pratt & Whitney Aircraft with Boeing and other companies to form

12876-449: Was during this period that flaws in the MD-11's performance became apparent. It failed to meet its targets for range and fuel burn. American Airlines in particular was unimpressed with the 19 MD-11s that it received, as was Singapore Airlines who canceled their order for 20 MD-11s and instead ordered 20 Airbus A340 -300s. American Airlines cited problems with the performance of the engines and airframe, while Singapore Airlines stated that

12992-1313: Was formed in 2005 when Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion and Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power were merged following the latter's acquisition from Boeing . P&W Rocketdyne engines powered the Space Shuttle , and the company also supplies booster engines for Delta II rockets and boosters and upper stage engines for Atlas III and V and Delta IV rockets. In 2013, PWR was sold to GenCorp , which merged it with Aerojet to become Aerojet Rocketdyne . Pratt & Whitney Power Systems (PWPS) designs, builds, furnishes and supports aero-derivative gas turbine and geothermal power systems for customers worldwide. These industrial gas turbines power everything from small businesses to small cities. PWPS’ industrial turbines not only generate electrical power, but provide variable speed mechanical drive for marine propulsion, gas compression, and liquid pumping. PWPS has over 2,000 industrial gas turbines installed in more than 40 countries worldwide. PWPS also provides parts and repairs for heavy-duty frame gas turbines as an OEM alternative. In May 2013, United Technologies Corporation (UTC) sold its Pratt & Whitney Power Systems unit to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). International Aero Engines

13108-512: Was offered in the MD-XX Stretch and MD-XX LR versions. The MD-XX Stretch version was to have a longer fuselage than the MD-11 and seat 375 in a typical three-class arrangement. The MD-XX LR was to have a longer range and be the same length as the MD-11; it was to have typical three-class seating for 309. However, the MDC board of directors decided to end the MD-XX program in October 1996, because

13224-481: Was originally planned to use three engines, with the third engine installed in the tail with a Y-shaped duct and air intakes on both sides of the rear. However, a revised design with four engines located under a delta wing was unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow on July 19, 2022. Pratt %26 Whitney Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It

13340-623: Was retired from TAM's fleet in July 2009, which ended its use by Brazilian airlines ( Varig , VASP , and TAM). In May 2007, Finnair announced the sale of their last two MD-11s to Aeroflot-Cargo to become part of the Russian airline cargo fleet in 2008 and 2009. KLM was the last airline to operate scheduled passenger flights with the passenger version of the MD-11. The final scheduled flight took place on October 26, 2014, from Montréal to Amsterdam , followed by three special roundtrip flights on November 11, 2014. Two MD-11s were also operated in

13456-453: Was selling for $ 100 million, the initial MD-11 jets cost $ 120 to $ 150 million to produce but this was to reduce to $ 90 million with manufacturing experience over the program life for an 11% gross profit margin , less than the 15% to 20% Boeing obtains. In 1992, the $ 1.7 billion development cost was to be spread over the first 301 aircraft produced for $ 100 million each. In 1995, because costs and revenues could not be reasonably estimated over

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