Douglas DC-8 Super 61
Douglas · United States · first flew 1966 · airliner
The DC-8 Super 61 is the high-capacity domestic stretched variant of the DC-8 family, using two fuselage plugs to extend the -50 series fuselage to 57.1m while retaining the original wing.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage stretched to 57.1m by two plugs (6.1m forward, 4.1m aft of wing) — by far the longest DC-8 at entry into service, noticeably longer than any earlier series |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fuselage stretched to 57.1m by two plugs (6.1m forward, 4.1m aft of wing) — by far the longest DC-8 at entry into service, noticeably longer than any earlier series
- Same unmodified wing as the DC-8-50/55 series; four JT3D turbofan engines in individual under-wing pods; no winglets
- High-density seating for up to 259 passengers — visibly more window bays along the fuselage than the DC-8-50 it was stretched from
Distinguished from earlier DC-8 series by its dramatically longer fuselage (57.1m vs 45.9m for the DC-8-50); distinguished from the Super 62 by having the original wing rather than a redesigned long-span wing; identical fuselage length to the Super 63.
Specifications
- The Douglas DC-8 Super 61 has a length of 57.1 m (187 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 43.4 m (142 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 945 km/h (587 mph).
- Typical crew: 3 flight crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Super 61 first flew in March 1966 and entered service with United Airlines in February 1967. Douglas developed three Super Sixty variants simultaneously to address different market needs. The Super 61 was optimised for high-density short-to-medium routes and became popular with US trunk carriers.
Variants
The Super 61 is one of three Super Sixty series: the -61 (domestic stretch), -62 (long-range with modest stretch) and -63 (the combination variant). Many Super 61s were later re-engined with CFM56 turbofans to become DC-8-71 aircraft.
Where you'll see it
Operated extensively by United, Eastern and Delta in the US; many were converted to freighters after passenger retirement and continued operating for decades with cargo carriers.
Related aircraft
- Douglas DC-8 Super 63
- Douglas DC-9-30
- Douglas AC-47 Spooky
- Douglas DC-9-20
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- Yakovlev Yak-40
- BAC One-Eleven 500
- Boeing 727-200
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