Douglas DC-8

The Douglas DC-8  is an American four-engine mid to long-range narrow-body monoplane jet airliner. It first flew on May 30, 1958, entering service on September 18, 1959, with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. On August 21, 1961, a Douglas DC-8 became the first commercial aircraft of any type to break the sound barrier while in a controlled dive.

Early models used the same airframe and differed only in engines and capability. The Super 60 series, stretched developments, first flew on March 14 1966. The  Super 63 was the final production variant, with the last airframe delivered in May 1972. The Super 70s are Super 60s re-engined with CFM56 high bypass turbofans and first flew in August 1981. Production of the DC-8 ended in 1972 with 556 airframes completed. Douglas and McDonnell Aircraft Corporation merged in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas.

Airframe construction is mainly of aluminium alloy with a semi-monocoque fuselage, low mounted cantilever sweep back wings. The tail unit is a single fin, cantilevered swept-back design. The retractable undercarriage is a tricycle type with the primary units mounted in the wing, retracting inwards into the fuselage, nose wheel retracts forward into the fuselage. The flight crew of three consists of two pilots, a flight engineer, the passenger cabin seats 117 to 259 passengers, six-abreast depending on variant.

The DC-8-50 series uses four Pratt & Whitney JT3D low-bypass turbofan engines, pylon mounted, two under each wing. The DC-8-50 has a maximum cruise speed of 895 km/h (556 mph), a service ceiling of 10,670 m (35,000 ft) and range of 10,843 km (6,737 mi).