iscover
The DC-10 was also good news for General Electric as its CF6 powerplant was launched aboard the type and remains the choice for every operator except Northwest and JAL which at the time opted for buying the Pratt & Whitney-powered DC-10-40. By contrast this is a GE powered DC-10-30 of the then French independent UTA.
Profile-McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Part 11
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McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The sales pitch put forward for the DC-10 declared that it was the machine for all air routes from 300 to 5,000 miles {483-8,050km) in length and could replace all other aircraft as long as the volume of traffic required a machine which could move 250/370 passengers at a time.
This particularly appealed to the European airline group comprising of KLM, SAS, Sabena, and UTA (KSSU) in June 1969. For the local American market the publicity claimed that the aircraft was a ‘good neighbour’ because of its quiet, clean American engines which were at the time certainly much quieter and cleaner than the British Rolls Royce engines of its major competitor. As well, there was its wide cabin spaciousness and luxury image.
For the impressive and colourful rollout ceremony for the first DC-10 held at Long Beach on July 23, 1970, over 1,000 guests were in attendance at the massive final assembly hangar. Musical entertainment was provided by the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and the guest of honour and speaker was the US Vice President, Spiro T Agnew. After his address, he joined James S McDonnell and Donald W Douglas, the corporation’s chairman and honorary chairman respectively, in pushing forward three DC-1O throttle levers mounted on a pedestal to signal that the rollout should commence. A band of 50 kilted Scottish bagpipers paraded in front of the aircraft as, using its own power, it taxied around in front of the hangar for all to see “with its white fuselage sparkling in the sun”. She looked a beauty . . .
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