Úvod »* Kalendáře» McDonnell Douglas DC-10
More than 30 years have already passed since the first ideas for what was to eventually become the DC-10 tri-jet, began to germinate. Yet today, the DC-10 remains in frontline service with some of the world's largest airlines, and has also found a niche as an efficient and capable cargo carrier.
Plans are being implemented to fit a new 'glass' cockpit, which will put it alongside its more modern successors and extend its lifespan for perhaps another 20 years. All this has been achieved in the face of what seemed to be insuperable odds following early disasters when Turkish and American Airlines' crashes seemed likely to see the aircraft withdrawn from service.
Starting with a brief summary of 'Douglas Commercial' products before the advent of the DC-10, this fully illustrated book generally follows a chronological path through its development and service history. It focuses on the various projects and proposals, not only before final design definition, but also during service when the company studied several possibilities to extend the wide-body family. Both twin-engined and four-engined derivatives were examined, alongside tri-jet variants.
Each past and present operator of the DC-10 is highlighted in a separate chapter, providing a brief history, together with a colour illustration for the vast majority of airlines. A technical profile describes the airframe, engine and systems for each variant, with an additional tables of dimensions, weights and performance characteristics. A summary of accidents and incidents is followed by a complete production history, listing the first operator of each of the 446 aircraft built. A chronology of major events in the life of the aircraft to date concludes the book.