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The idea to spend one day with the last flying DC-10 came to me out of the blue.

The news that Biman Bangladesh Airlines will perform farewell flights on this legendary car at Birmingham Airport, UK, was read on travel.ru, for which special thanks to its correspondent Yuri Plokhotnichenko, who is responsible for all materials on aviation.

Then the technical preparation began - buying tickets for the farewell flight, obtaining a visa, buying a ticket to London and organizing events on the spot. Sasha Terleev rendered me invaluable help in all this. That is what friends and acquaintances call him, he has been in England for more than 3 years and advises on education in Britain for all ages and needs, quickly and efficiently solves the most unusual tasks, which I personally managed to verify. He loves not only work, but also unusual trips, nightly intellectual games and Britain. He writes about all this in his free seconds from work and hobbies in his blog.

Difficulties were in buying tickets for the DC-10, since Bangladeshi payment systems point-blank did not recognize Gazprombank cards.

But a solution was found and a ticket for 100 pounds was bought, a seat was chosen in the aisle in order to be able to move freely around the cabin.

By the way, when I arrived at the airport, representatives of the airline quickly remembered me there, as they saw all my attempts to buy tickets from Russia and thanked me for perseverance greeting me during check-in for the flight.

There were no problems with the visa and tickets, thanks to Terleev's consultation, by February 15, I had everything ready for the trip.

I already wrote about how I got to London, and I will tell about my feelings and impressions about England and London a little later. Today, my story will be only about this aircraft.

1. When we arrived at Birmingham Airport, the plane was already on its first flight that day and we had a great opportunity to film its landing and movement along the platform.

2. We found a place to shoot his landing right away, turning to the police for help, who showed us where to go and where aviation enthusiasts have been gathering since the very morning. To our question “Won’t you drive?” we received a touchingly simple answer: “This is a holiday for you, do not disturb the order and everything will be fine!”

3. Having removed his landing, we went to the registration, where fans of this car from all over the world had already gathered. Terleev remained to observe our flight from the side, and I went towards the boarding gate, having gone through all the necessary pre-flight formalities.

4. Boarding the bus was quick, a short tour of the platform, and now we are in the parking lot.

I was pleasantly surprised that access to the plane was practically free! Take pictures and go wherever you want, the main thing - do not break the rules!

5. . Security was provided by several SAB employees, representatives of the airline and the airport. From conversations with them, I realized that such events and such free access to the aircraft on the apron are rare for them, but they are happy about it and welcome the passion for aviation among their guests.

6. In the eighties of the last century, the airline bought three McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s to replace the existing ones.

In those years, a new era of wide-body aviation began, and that is why the NEW ERA inscription flaunts on board this liner.

7. For farewell flights, Biman Bangladesh Airlines called on all active PICs flying this type.

They changed on each flight, in between which they willingly communicated with aviation enthusiasts.

8. Gradually, the passengers of our legendary flight (one of several that day) began to board, but, out of habit, I boarded the last one in order to film the process of preparing for the flight.

9. This is how the aviation security of Birmingham Airport moves along the apron and the territory of the airfield. Would you like to take a photo? - No problem!

10. And the passengers all climbed and climbed on board

11. Photo for memory. Usually I rarely do this, but this time I could not resist, because not every day there will be an opportunity to take a picture with the only flying machine in the world that has become a kind of legend. These will no longer be. Representatives of Boeing came from America for the last flights of this machine, since this type has not been flying with them for a very long time.

12. DC10-30, MSN 48317, S2-ACR, was produced in November 1988. The cabin is designed for 314 passengers in a single economy class layout.

13. General Electric CF6-50-C2 turbofan engines were installed on DC10-10, .

In takeoff mode, it has a thrust of more than 23835 kgf.

14. DC-10 is built according to the aerodynamic scheme of a cantilever low-wing aircraft. All-metal construction. Semi-monocoque fuselage of round section (diameter 6.01 m). The wing is swept (35 ° along the line of quarters of the chords). Chassis retractable, tricycle, with nose strut.

15. The management of the airline was also happy to take part in farewell flights with its aircraft:

“This plane is already history. We are very sorry to part with him, but what can we do - progress and the economy do not stand still.”

16. One more photo for memory and it's time for us to board

17. Some more details:

In April 1966, American Airlines announced a competition for a 250-seat aircraft with two turbofans. The firms "Douglas" and "Lockheed" presented their projects for the competition. The designers of both firms, having analyzed the situation on the market, came to the conclusion that a more spacious aircraft with three engines would be the most in demand. We see one of them in this photo.

18. In Russia, the DC-10 was operated by airlines, and KrasAir. A further development of the DC-10 was the aircraft.

You can still fly on it on airline flights, but I recommend not to delay it - in the fall of 2014, these aircraft will be withdrawn
out of operation.

19. The engines were started using an air compressor, which was adjusted by ground services.

20. We attach the hoses and the plane is ready to start the engines.

21. In the cabin, everyone is also ready to fly. Understanding the excitement around the flight, the company sold seats only near the aisles so that no one would interfere with anyone.

22. The atmosphere is joyful, everyone smiled at each other, there were no problems with seats at all - you could change at any moment.

23. The cabin crew is preparing to close the doors and begin pre-flight work with passengers. Smoking is not allowed on board :)

24. Taking pictures of the crew is not prohibited, but even encouraged. Smiles and hospitality during the briefing show that the flight attendants are really happy to see us on board the aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines

25. Place of the flight attendant.

26. Take off! From the Birmingham porthole, the flight will continue for about an hour, at an altitude of about 10,000 feet.

27. Authentic kitchenette DC-10

28. The crew distributes welcome drinks to passengers and willingly takes pictures with them

29. With the permission of the senior flight attendant, I tried on the so-called jump-sit (reclining seat) and, unexpectedly for myself, calmly fit in it.

30. Suddenly there was a revival on board and everyone clung to the windows. What happened?

31. It turns out that the love for this aircraft among some aviation enthusiasts and airline representatives is so great that they ordered a private jet with special training with the possibility of filming Air-to-Air (Air in the Air).

32. We were escorted by a small Beechcraft 99 Airliner, with the door removed for filming.

The DC-10 crew held a multi-ton colossus at low speed so that the guys from this baby could make unique shots.

33. I really want to see the shots made by these guys! They promised to send them to me, and as soon as I have them, I will definitely show you.

34. Let's go back to the cabin and look at the plane from the inside. Toilet frame at the request of one of you :) Asked - done :)

35. In the salon, everyone is actively filming, helping each other, everyone has joy on their faces and it's wonderful :)

36. During the flight, I needed to check my Gopro camera, which I installed in the cockpit by agreement with the crew before departure.

37. Enter the cockpit during the flight? Yes, even during such a flight! You say fantastic!

38. No, my friends, this is not fantasy! One of the few was allowed and here is the footage. Workplace of a flight engineer.

39. We are going to land, everyone was asked to take their seats - the flight ends.

40. We remove the interior in detail.

41. Preferred seats for frequent flyers.

42. Flight completed!

43. Passengers say goodbye to the plane, and the plane with them.

44. View of the fuselage from the ladder.

45. Aviation lovers.

46. ​​The crew looks into the 3D camera, which was filmed by representatives of the Boeing.

47. Take another look at the engine

48. Let's take a farewell glance at the first salon.

49. We will see the cabin crew communication panel with passengers and the control of the situation in the cabin.

50. We will say goodbye to the crew and pick up our camera, which captured all stages of the flight. I will definitely show them to you when they are mounted :)

51. One last look at the cockpit and it's time for me to leave!

52. Life at the airport does not stop for a moment, planes take off and land on schedule.

53. And we return to the terminal building to continue a little spotting at Birmingham Airport.

It was a wonderful trip.

A huge charge of positive emotions and positive mood. And now, together with me, you can enjoy flying on this legendary plane!

In 7 minutes of this video, we will drive along the platform of Birmingham Airport, take off into the sky, see the clouds and the sky through the eyes of the aircraft and its pilots, after which we will return to the ground, leaving these amazing shots as a keepsake!

McDonnell Douglas Corporation is an aircraft manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. In the second half of the 20th century, this corporation was a major manufacturer of military aircraft and one of the largest manufacturers of commercial airliners. In 1997, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing merged into a single company called the Boeing Company, the world's largest aerospace corporation.

McDonnell Douglas was founded in 1967 as a result of a merger between McDonnell Company and Douglas Aircraft Company.

Douglas Aircraft was founded in 1920 by engineer Donald W. Douglas. The company produced a large number of well-established aircraft, including the legendary DC-3 (DC-3), which appeared on the airways in 1935 and made passenger air transportation profitable for the first time. Before the outbreak of World War II, the world's commercial airliner fleet consisted of 80% DC-3s. In 1953, the DC-7 (DC-7) began commercial flights, it was one of the first airliners capable of making non-stop flights throughout the United States, and only the DC-7 at that time could fly from the East Coast of the USA to the West, moving towards prevailing winds. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Douglas could not stand the competition from Boeing, and by 1966 the company became unprofitable.

McDonnell Airlines, founded in 1939 by engineer James McDonnell, became one of the leading suppliers of combat aircraft to the US Army during World War II. It was this company that gave birth to such famous examples of aviation technology as one of the first jet fighters F2H Banshee (1947), jet fighter F-101 Voodoo (1954), and the phenomenally successful F-4 Phantom II (1958). McDonnell also built the Mercury and Gemini capsules, which housed the first American astronauts during spaceflights in the early 1960s.

After the merger of the two companies in 1967, a military-industrial giant was formed that supplied the armies of the whole world with combat aircraft. McDonnell Douglas developed and began to produce the famous F-15 - a fighter that became the main combat aircraft of the US Air Force.

In 1970, the company introduced the DC-10 airliner. McDonnell Douglas was also the main designer of the US space station Skylab, which was launched into orbit in 1973. In 1984, the company bought Hughes Helicopters, which made Apache attack helicopters.

In the 1980s, the share of commercial aircraft in the company's total turnover was only a quarter. With the end of the Cold War and the decline in military orders, McDonnell Douglas fell on hard times. From 1990 to 1994, the company's turnover fell by 25%. This forced her to hastily turn to the commercial aircraft market. At this point, the line of such machines were:

wide-body three-engine MD-11, capable of carrying up to 410 passengers over long distances;
MD-80 is a small aircraft designed for local lines, which entered service in 1980, and
MD-90, a medium-haul airliner, whose production began in 1995.
In addition, in 1995 the company began accepting orders for the MD-95, a small twin-engine aircraft designed to serve short and medium-haul lines, which began to be produced by Boeing as the Boeing 717.

In 1996, McDonnell Douglas announced that the company did not have the funds to continue work on a next-generation wide-body airliner, which drastically reduced the company's ability in the oversaturated commercial airliner market. The next devastating blow to the company was the Department of Defense's decision to remove McDonnell Douglas from the list of companies taking part in the competition for the next generation fighter jet for the US Air Force, which promised to bring billions of dollars in profit. In this state, with no clear prospects for the future, the company began negotiations with Boeing. At the end of 1996, both companies announced their merger - the largest in the history of the aircraft industry. This deal was approved by the federal authorities in 1997.

regional passenger aircraft, business aircraft, training aircraft

In the 1980s, the share of commercial aircraft in the company's total turnover was only a quarter. With the end of the Cold War and the decline in military orders, McDonnell Douglas fell on hard times. From 1994 to 1994, the company's turnover fell by 25%. This forced her to hastily turn to the commercial aircraft market. At this point, the line of such machines were:

• wide-body three-engine MD-11, capable of carrying up to 410 passengers over long distances;
• The MD-80 is a small short-medium haul aircraft that entered service in 1980, and
• MD-90, a medium-haul liner, whose production began in.

Subdivisions

Corporation McDonnell Douglas consisted of several divisions:

• McDonnell Douglas Aerospace- a special unit for defense orders, from 1996 to 1996.
• McDonnell Douglas Hughes Helicopters- helicopter unit, from 1996 to 1996.

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An excerpt characterizing McDonnell Douglas

The beginning of the 80s of the XX century was a new dawn for vertical take-off aircraft. The problems that these aircraft faced in the 60s and 70s were successfully solved by new technologies, such as the introduction of computer control, new alloys and many others. All this made it possible to hope that soon it would be possible to create full-fledged vertical take-off combat aircraft, not inferior in basic characteristics to their ordinary counterparts. In 1980, McDonnell Douglas finally managed to push its Harrier upgrade, the AV-8B Harrier II, into service. This success prompted the company to start work on a completely new machine - a supersonic vertical take-off aircraft in terms of performance that is not inferior to fourth-generation fighters. The program received the internal name Model 279 and was carried out proactively at the expense of McDonnell Douglas, however, its results were observed in the Navy and in the Marine Corps, although after the failure with the Rockwell XFV-12 they were in no hurry to invest their money.

Initially, work on the Model 279 was carried out jointly with British Aerospace, as in the Harrier II program - it was assumed that the created aircraft would be put into service with both the United States and Britain. It was then that the main appearance of the aircraft was formed - a duck scheme with an all-moving front horizontal tail. The aircraft was statically unstable due to the asymmetry of the empennage, therefore, in piloting, a fly-by-wire control system controlled by on-board computers was used. Almost unchanged from the Harrier, the vertical take-off system was borrowed, using a single turbofan engine with four rotary nozzles located under the center section and in the aft part: the first create thrust with cold compressed air from the second engine circuit, the second with hot exhaust from the primary circuit. The aircraft was supposed to use a new Pratt & Whitney STF561-C2 engine with a static thrust of 15,500 kilograms, which is a further development of the Rolls-Royce Pegasus.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-1.

It was interesting to place a large rectangular air intake under the fuselage - this was due to the need to provide the engine with proper air flow at high speeds, and since it was planned to use the aircraft from aircraft carriers and landing ships, the possibility of debris getting into the air intake was neglected. As a result, the aircraft was expected to achieve a speed of Mach 2 at an altitude of three kilometers, a combat load of 4 tons (when taking off horizontally from a springboard) and a maximum combat radius of 300 kilometers (also when taking off horizontally from a springboard). When taking off vertically, the combat load was reduced to 900 kilograms, and the combat radius was up to 170 kilometers. The aircraft provided for four suspension points for missile weapons (two at the wingtips and two under the air intake) and four additional points for bombs, equipment or fuel tanks.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-1 projections.

The aircraft had to be made with a large use of composite materials, which would significantly reduce weight, while maintaining the necessary structural strength. One of the interesting design decisions was the active borrowing of structural elements not only from the Harrier but also from the F-15, so the wing design was almost completely taken from the Eagle. In addition to the usual version of the Model 279, work was also carried out on a two-seat training aircraft and on adapting the machine to take off from an aircraft carrier catapult. As a result, by the middle of 1981, the Model 279 project was initially worked out, and McDonnell Douglas was ready to try to sell it to the military. But at that moment there was a serious disagreement with British Aerospace, who wanted to get the right to produce the aircraft on their own and export it. The collaboration was broken off and both firms continued to work independently, while maintaining a partnership on the Harrier II.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-2.

McDonnell Douglas began designing a second variant of the Model 279 using exclusively American parts. In addition, a number of improvements were made to the design to increase the maneuverability and speed of the aircraft. Externally, the Model 279-2 was very similar to the first version - the main visible difference was the new shape of the air intake, more suitable for supersonic flight. The two swiveling hot-exhaust nozzles were replaced with one swiveling one, which also made it possible to increase the speed of the aircraft. The main "invisible" change was the new on-board computer, which uses not only the control planes for maneuvering, but also the rotation of the nozzles, which seriously increased the maneuverability of the aircraft. Work on the Model 279-2 did not last long, and in the fall of 1981 the project was presented to the Navy and the Marine Corps.

Air tube purge model McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.

The military did not express much interest in the project. The Marines were quite satisfied with the performance of the AV-8B, and simply did not have extra funds for supersonic fighters, and although the Navy was interested in such a machine, it was not ready to go for direct funding. But still, naval experts issued McDonnell Douglas a number of comments on the project, after the elimination of which, the issue of financing the work could be reconsidered. Thus, the placement of air intakes under the fuselage, the small radius of the aircraft due to the small size of the internal tanks, and not the most successful placement of weapon hardpoints were criticized. In addition, the Navy recommended that the developers ensure greater continuity of the project with the Harrier, in order to reduce the cost of creating an aircraft and simplify the retraining of pilots. As a result, McDonnell Douglas had to remake the aircraft practically from scratch, and this had to be done in an extremely short time, since the competitors did not doze off. Then it was decided to seek help from NASA and use their extensive developments and test benches to speed up the design.

Projections, placement of suspension points and tanks in the McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.

The third version of the Model 279 was much more reminiscent of the Harrier than the previous two. There were two air intakes, their shape and placement were directly borrowed from the Harrier and only slightly modified to meet the requirements of supersonic flight. The two-post bicycle chassis also migrated from there, the designs of the armament suspension points and rotary nozzles (of which there were four again) were directly taken. The aircraft itself became larger and heavier, but at the same time received a larger payload and combat radius. With a horizontal takeoff from a springboard, the combat load was 5 tons and a radius of 350 kilometers, with a vertical takeoff, a load of 1200 kilograms and a range of 190 kilometers. Also, the aircraft again received a new flight computer and a more powerful radar. Several new interesting solutions were also applied to the Model 279-3 - so the air intakes were equipped with a valve to release excess air, which made it possible to more accurately control engine power. In addition, the fuselage structure was reinforced with titanium, and the aircraft was able to withstand a belly landing.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3. The valve for air release in the air intake is visible.

The interior of a McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.

Tests conducted by NASA staff generally confirmed the possibility of achieving all of these characteristics, in addition, a number of improvements were made to the design. So it was proposed to replace the round rotary nozzles with more efficient rectangular ones developed by NASA. It was also based on the results of the tests that the layout of the suspension points was developed. The designers abandoned the original version, which came with the Model 279-1 - now only additional sighting systems or cannon containers could be placed on the ventral points. There were six underwing suspension points, and now they were universal, they could accommodate both guided missiles and bomb weapons or external fuel tanks. By the summer of 1982, the Model 279-3 project was completed and presented to the press. The construction date for the prototype was moved to 1986, but McDonnell Douglas considered the project promising both for their armed forces and for export sales.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3 with new swiveling nozzles.

Preparing to test the McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3 at NASA.

There was also work on additional variants of the aircraft. So, together with NASA, the Model 279-3JF project was created, in which jet flaps on the wing were used, including those used for vertical or short takeoff. Their use made it possible to increase the flight range of the machine with a maximum load and during vertical take-off up to 240 kilometers. In addition, the Model 279-3JF was supposed to test a single rotary nozzle, work on which has long been carried out at NASA. It was assumed that the Model 279-3JF would be built along with the first Model 279-3 prototypes and would be tested jointly with them.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3JF.

McDonnell Douglas also designed a weighted twin-engine two-seat version of the aircraft - Model 279-4. It used two Pratt & Whitney STF561-C2 engines, which compensated for the seriously increased weight of the aircraft. Due to the increase in flight speed to Mach 2.4, the shape of the air intakes was changed to similar to those of the F-15. This option was considered for placement on conventional aircraft carriers and could be launched from a catapult. In total, Model 279-4 could carry up to 7 tons of combat load with a radius of 420 kilometers. It was believed that this option is quite capable of combining the main advantages of two-seater carrier-based aircraft with the possibility of vertical takeoff. Also on the Model 279-4, it was supposed to test the replacement of four deflectable nozzles with two, simultaneously capable of creating thrust, both with cold air of the primary circuit and hot exhausts of the second circuit of the engine.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-4.

McDonnell Douglas Model 279-4 for testing engine thrust.

The final design of the Model 279-3 continued until 1984, in parallel the aircraft was presented at several aviation exhibitions in the form of a model, numerous interviews were given to the specialized press. McDonnell Douglas hoped that after the conclusion of the contract with the Fleet, the project would be able to be sold for export, the Italian Navy had already expressed preliminary interest. But these plans were not destined to come true. By 1984, the Model 279 project was already obsolete. The fleet sharply criticized the high radar visibility of the aircraft, the insufficient flight range, while in conjunction with the rather high price of the project and the long development time (the prototype was supposed to be built already in 1987). In the fall of 1984, McDonnell Douglas was finally denied funding. Also, none of the possible foreign customers would be able to pull such a project, and finally, in the winter of 1985, the Model 279 project was closed.

Diagram of a McDonnell Douglas Model 279-3.

It's funny to compare the fate of the Model 279 and its counterpart on the other side of the ocean - the British Aerospace P.1216. The development of the P.1216 began after the break of the joint program with McDonnell Douglas (although the development of options was carried out since 1976) and the aircraft went through almost the same stages as the Model 279, having also become obsolete during the design period.

Sources:
FLIGHT International, 04-1984.
FLIGHT International, 02-1982.
NASA Technical Memorandum 85938. V/STOL Concepts in the United States-Past, Present, and Future.
NASA CONTRACTOR REPORT 166269.
Hot Gas Ingestion Test Results of a Two Poster Vectored Thrust Concept With Flow Visualization.
THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A JET FLAP ON AN ADVANCED SUPERSONIC HARRIER.
secretprojects.co.uk.