iscover
The MD-87 is essentially a shortened fuselage version of the hot selling MD-80. The MD-87 will enter service late this year can seat up to 130 passengers and has a maximum range of 2500nm
Douglas Looking to the Future
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Douglas Aircraft have almost disappeared from Australian skies as the company has lost round after round of new airliner acquisitions to its competitors at Boeing and Airbus.
A handful of aging DC9-30’s now being phased out by Australian Airlines are the last of a huge fleet of Douglas aircraft which once dominated Australian airline fleets. This has given rise to a widespread impression, which is probably stronger in Australia than most other countries, that Douglas is practically out of business as a serious aircraft manufacturer. The company certainly has had some trouble maintaining its distinctive identity since the 1968 merger/takeover by McDonnell which is well known for its military aircraft business. The McDonnell Douglas Corporation is certainly no lame duck, but the second half of the combo hardly gets equal billing or exposure with its more flashy military partner. MDC spent $US11. 4 billion over the last ten years on technological development -certainly a lot came from the US Government but much of it was the corporation’s own money.
It has grown at a very healthy compound rate of 13. 2% since the merger in 1968 and its $US2. 9 billion net worth based on share prices is a little less than Boeing’s but McDonnell Douglas folk point out that they are growing faster. The Douglas division has been no slouch – it has doubled its employees since mid-1984 and now has 28,000 employees and is still growing. One in five employees is an engineer or scientist.
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