McDonnell Douglas
MD-80/MD-90
Developed as an
improved and enlarged variant of the DC-9 the MD-80’s first designation was
DC-9 Super 80. Not only the fuselage had been stretched but also wings and tailplane were enlarged. More powerful engines required
bigger nacelles. When production stopped in 1999 a total of 1191 had been
built.
For the MD-90 more fuel-efficient
engines were used and the fuselage had been stretched again. 116 MD-90s have
been built between 1993 and 2000.
The fuselage in front of the wing is
very long so it’s easy to get the correct centre of gravity despite the weight
of the rear-mounted engines. Compared to the DC-9 the wing loading is lower for
the MD-80. Because of the vertical stabilizer’s small size directional control
is a problem in case of an engine failure. A gyro on rudder is therefore
recommended.
Powerplant:
Glow:
two 7.5 cc (.45 cu.in.)
engines
Turbine: twice 30 N (7 lbs.) thrust
Ducted Fan: diameter up to 85
mm (3.3’’) (MD-80)
diameter up to 105 mm (4.1’’) (MD-90)
Specifications:
Fiberglass
parts: Norbert Rauch
Span
Length
Wing Area Weight
Foam cores: Manfred Köster
MD-81
(-82/-83/-88) 2.06
m (81’’) 2.82 m
(111’’) 46.4 dm˛ (719 sq.in.)
8 kg (18 lbs.)
Retracts: Hawe Modellbau
MD-87
2.06 m
(81’’) 2.49 m
(98’’) 46.4 dm˛ (719 sq.in.) 7 kg (15 lbs.)
MD-90 2.06 m (81’’) 2.91 m
(115’’) 46.4 dm˛ (719 sq.in.) 8 kg
(18 lbs.)
Videos:
(1)
Pics:
(Hugo Gloor)
(Andreas Gfeller)