Douglas DC-8

what is it?

The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is an early long-range narrow-body jetliner designed and produced by the American Douglas Aircraft Company. Work began in 1952 toward the United States Air Force's (USAF) requirement for a jet-powered aerial refueling tanker. After losing the USAF's tanker competition to the rival Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker in May 1954, Douglas announced in June 1955 its derived jetliner project marketed to civil operators.

🔎How to recognise it: 4 jet engines · low wing · retractable tricycle gear · 45.2 m wingspan

base stats

• built 556made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 68 years ago, in 1958.
• 🚗Wingspan of 45.2 m: about 10 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.0× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1958-05-30

introduced

1959

number built

556

role

narrow-body airliner

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

McDonnell Douglas, Douglas

engines

4× JT3D-3B

length

57 m

wingspan

45.2 m

height

13 m

top speed

—

range

—

ceiling

9,150 m

wings

low wing

landing gear

retractable tricycle gear

ICAO code

DC85, DC86, DC87

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.