GaganaCommercial & military aircraft encyclopedia
Douglas Aircraft DC-9
Commercial Retired

Douglas Aircraft DC-9

The small twinjet that started a 40-year family

115Seats (typical)
2,778 kmRange
898 km/hCruise speed
54,900 kgMax. take-off weight

Overview

The DC-9 was designed for short, frequent flights from smaller airports, with two rear-mounted engines, a T-tail and a built-in airstair so it needed little ground equipment. It flew in 1965 and was so successful that its basic design lived on in the MD-80, MD-90 and Boeing 717.

Specifications are for the popular DC-9-30. Delta flew the last scheduled DC-9 passenger services in the United States in 2014, and almost all have now been retired.

Specifications

Dimensions

Length36.37 m
Wingspan28.47 m
Height8.38 m
Wing area93.0 m²

Weights & fuel

Empty weight25,940 kg
Max. take-off weight54,900 kg

Performance

Cruise speed898 km/h
Max. MachMach 0.84
Range2,778 km
Service ceiling11,300 m

Crew & capacity

Crew2
Seats (typical)115
Seats (max.)127

Powerplant

Engines2
Engine modelPratt & Whitney JT8D-7/-9
Thrust (each)64.5 kN

Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.

Did you know?

Some DC-9s served for nearly 50 years — among the longest careers of any jet airliner.

Photos

Photo 1: Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.

Similar aircraft

View all →
Boeing 717
CommercialNarrow-body airliners

Boeing 717

The last of the DC-9 line

19982,645 km
Boeing 727-200
CommercialNarrow-body airliners

Boeing 727-200

Boeing's three-engined short-haul trijet

19674,020 km
Ilyushin Il-62
CommercialNarrow-body airliners

Ilyushin Il-62

The Soviet Union's first long-range jetliner

196310,000 km