144-05 DOUGLAS DC-9-14 TRANS WORLD AIRLINES

The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 was a mid-range, low-wing, twin-engine, low-wing American jet airliner. The drive was provided by two Pratt and Whitney JT8D twin-flow engines. The flight of the prototype took place in 1965, and serial production continued in the years 1965-1982. About 970 copies of this aircraft were produced. Unit cost was estimated at approximately $ 42-49 million. McDonnell Douglas DC-9 was created to improve the company's commercial offer and replace it with the DC-8 four-engine aircraft. When designing the DC-9 aircraft, the focus was primarily on the high ergonomics of the machine and the lowest possible operating costs. Several development versions were created in the course of serial production. The first mass-produced was the DC-9-15. Shortly thereafter, a version of the DC-9-20 with improved aerodynamics and wings was created. In 1975, DC-9-50 planes appeared with a passenger cabin that could take up to 139 passengers. It was by far the largest of the mass-produced versions of the DC-9.