Non-Boeing American Jetliners Ranked

"facw" (facw) 05/24/2017 at 21:24 • Filed to: Planelopnik, TriStar, Planes Ranked

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Wrapping up this series ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), we review the surprisingly small number of non-Boeing jetliners produced in the US.

1. Lockheed L-1011

The most elegant of tri-jets, the TriStar suffered from delays due to Rolls-Royce’s failure to deliver engines on time, as well as being heavier and less efficient than promised. 250 were produced, but this was well less than required to break even leading to Lockheed’s exit from the commercial market.

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2. Douglas DC-8

Flying just months after the similarly sized and configured Boeing 707, the DC-8 was a major success for Douglas selling over 500 aircraft.

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3. Douglas DC-10/McDonnell Douglas MD-11

Douglas’ smaller answer to the 747, the DC-10 was never able to match the 747's success, though superior engine options gave it an edge over the competing Lockheed TriStar. The MD-11 was developed as a more advanced version after Douglas’ merger with McDonnell, and production was halted following Boeing’s acquisition of McDonnell Douglas in 1997 to avoid internal competition with the 747, 767, and 777.

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Photo: Anthony92931

4. Douglas DC-9/McDonnell Douglas MD-80/MD-90

Having produced a long-range narrow body airliner in the DC-8, Douglas turned to building a cheaper short haul jet. After a failed attempt to sell a license built version of the Sud Caravelle, they designed an entirely new airliner using the Caravelle’s innovative configuration. The new aircraft family was a massive success 3rd only to the 737 and A320 in terms of sales. After Boeing took over, a version was produced as the 717, and the Chinese Comac ARJ21 is produced using tooling left over from license-built production in China.

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5. Convair 880/990

The vastly less successful contemporary of the 707 and DC-8, Convair hoped to differentiate themselves with a faster aircraft even though that required higher operating costs and lower seating capacity. It did not work out, and production was ceased after just over a hundred planes were produced. Convair under General Dynamics shifted into a supporting role talking on a subcontractor role for other aerospace companies. They did propose a small twinjet, the 660, to compete with the 737 and DC-9 that featured engine nacelles integrated into the top of the wing, but it never advanced beyond the design stage.

facw > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:25

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Convair 660:

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:45

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Have you done Bombardier yet?

facw > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 05/24/2017 at 21:47

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Yep, they were in the last one: http://oppositelock.kinja.com/non-american-european-jetliners-ranked-1795403971

EL_ULY > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:48

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Long live cargo use DC10 MD11

WilliamsSW > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:48

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It’s too bad that the L1011 was a commercial failure. It was a nice aircraft and had a very good safety record.

The DC10 got a bad rap, but I always looked forward to trips on those. What amazes me is how nose high they appear (and feel) on short final.

I think I’d separate the DC9 and mad dog. Pretty different aircraft in many ways. I hated the former and liked the latter. Mostly hated the DC9 because they were dirty run down junk at the end of their life - thanks Northwest! !

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:50

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I think Bombardier needs it’s own post, they have so many neat planes going back. Their water bombers look fantastic. You could do water bomber plane post.

facw > EL_ULY 05/24/2017 at 21:50

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I like to see them still flying (it’s sad that the L-1011s are basically done at this point). Please note that these rankings are solely based on airlineriness and are not influenced by their value as freighters (also the rankings are pretty arbitrary regardless).

facw > WilliamsSW 05/24/2017 at 21:54

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I considered splitting them up. They are significantly different, but then so are the original 737 and the MAX. On the other hand, I did give some other closely related planes their own space. I can’t say I really like either much, so I probably would have ranked both low if had done them as different aircraft.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:54

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Elvis had a Convair, and it is the only one properly preserved.

facw > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 05/24/2017 at 21:56

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I’ll just use this as a jumping off point to post another non-airliner Convair:

C62030 > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:56

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Man, that DC-10 is beautiful. I hate when trijets look like they melted into the body.

WilliamsSW > facw 05/24/2017 at 21:58

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You can argue it either way. You’re right that the newer 737 is very different from the original - probably more so than the DC9 /MD80, really.

facw > C62030 05/24/2017 at 21:59

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I prefer the ones with S-ducts like the TriStar, but I am quite fond of the DC-10/MD-11 in that old United livery, KLM’s, and a few others.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > facw 05/24/2017 at 22:05

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I forgot those weee used for that technically Elvis’ was an airliner he bought it from Delta then had it “tastefully” modified.

WilliamsSW > EL_ULY 05/24/2017 at 22:12

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I drive basically to O’Hare every morning to work. Every morning, there’s a Fed Ex MD-11 that departs Southeast bound, and I see it shortly after takeoff. Pretty aircraft and livery.

EL_ULY > WilliamsSW 05/24/2017 at 22:30

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Duuuuuude! Every single morning I drive through George Bush Intrntl and not only do I pass by the FedEx planes but at exactly 6:30am, one flies right over me going south bound then does a U turn in front of me in the air

WilliamsSW > EL_ULY 05/24/2017 at 22:32

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Nice ! No doubt the one I see and the one you see meet up in Memphis around 815 am or so!

EL_ULY > WilliamsSW 05/24/2017 at 22:35

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Cooooool

ttyymmnn > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 05/24/2017 at 22:46

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Yes he did. An 880 named Lisa Maria .

ttyymmnn > facw 05/24/2017 at 22:48

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Frisbee fairing! Love the L-1011.

I’ve always like the Convairs. Good looking aircraft. Too bad they didn’t catch on, but I can see why they didn’t.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > facw 05/24/2017 at 23:06

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If I could own a jet, I’d get a DC-9 and swap on modern engines.

Such a beautiful and clean aircraft design.

facw > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 05/24/2017 at 23:33

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Well that’s where you have the 717:

and the ARJ21

CaptDale - is secretly British > facw 05/25/2017 at 18:21

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You forgot the Lockheed Electra L-188

facw > CaptDale - is secretly British 05/25/2017 at 18:24

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Not a jetliner, so it is omitted here, as were many other turboprops. I did double check that neither the L-300 (civilian C-141) or L-500 (civilian C-5) actually made it to production.

CaptDale - is secretly British > facw 05/25/2017 at 18:32

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Hmm, I suppose that is fair

facw > CaptDale - is secretly British 05/25/2017 at 18:36

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Maybe a project for the future. Would be a big undertaking though. I’d probably expand it to piston driven passenger planes as well, since there was overlap, and even if I cut it off at post war aircraft that’s a lot (and I’d probably cut earlier if at all, if only because I’d want to get the Boeing 307 in.)