Douglas DC-9-50
Douglas · United States · first flew 1974 · airliner
The DC-9-50 is the longest variant of the original DC-9 family, stretching the -30's fuselage by a further 4.3m to accommodate up to 139 passengers in a single-class layout.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbofan, tail-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | T-tail and twin JT8D rear-mounted engines as on all DC-9s; the extended forward fuselage plug is the primary visual difference from the -30 |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Longest of the original DC-9 series at 40.7m — 4.3m longer than the DC-9-30, giving a noticeably elongated nose-to-wing proportion
- T-tail and twin JT8D rear-mounted engines as on all DC-9s; the extended forward fuselage plug is the primary visual difference from the -30
- Up to 139 passengers in high-density layout, requiring additional overwing exit hatches compared to shorter variants
The longest and therefore most elongated original DC-9; the forward fuselage ahead of the wing is visibly extended compared to the -30; shares the T-tail and clean-wing arrangement common to all DC-9 variants.
Specifications
- The Douglas DC-9-50 has a length of 40.7 m (134 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 28.5 m (94 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 907 km/h (564 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 flight crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The DC-9-50 first flew in December 1974 and entered service with Eastern Air Lines in 1975. Douglas developed it to retain competitiveness against the Boeing 727-200, adding a forward fuselage plug and reinforcing the structure for the increased weights. Only 96 were built, as the market was moving toward the updated MD-80 series.
Variants
No distinct sub-variants; the -50 was effectively the final development of the original DC-9 before the stretched and re-engined MD-80 took over.
Where you'll see it
Primarily operated by North Central (later Republic) Airlines, Swissair and Eastern; most were eventually retired as the MD-80 offered superior economics.
Related aircraft
- Douglas DC-10-30
- Douglas DC-9-20
- Douglas DC-8 Super 63
- Douglas DC-8 Super 61
- Shorts 330
- Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II
- Boeing 747SP
- de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7
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