The DC-10-30 is a variant of the twin-aisle airliner DC-10 manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. With a range of 5,200 nautical miles, the DC-10-30 is a long-range type and the most frequent version produced.
Developed and produced by McDonnell Douglas, the DC-10 series is a jet airliner designed to take over the DC-8 series for long range routes.
The DC-10-30 is a long-range type and the most typical version produced that made it extra famous in the early years with European airlines.
On November 21 1972, the aircraft was first delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the flag carrier of the Netherlands and to Swissair, the flag carrier of Switzerland. On December 15 of the same year, the DC-10-30 entered into service.
In the late 1980s, the cost of a secondhand DC-10-30 is around forty million dollars.
Production of the aircraft took place from 1972 to 1988. 38 units of DC-10-30 were delivered to various customers.
DC-10-30 Design
Among the other variants, the DC-10-30 has the longest range because of the installed turbofan engines and bigger fuel tanks that were equipped to extend range and increase fuel efficiency. It has an external length of 55.35 meters, tail height of 17.8 meters and fuselage diameter of 6 meters.
The DC-10-30’s wing has a span of 50.39 meters and an area of 338.8 square meters, same as the DC-10-40. Its landing gear was designed to carry the added weight of the aircraft. It has a wheelbase of 22.07 meters.
The aircraft has a cabin length of 36.7 meters, width of 5.7 meters and height of 2.41 meters. It can transport up to 270 passengers in a standard seating and 380 passengers in a high density configuration.
DC-10-30 Engine and Performance
In 1969, the CF6-50C by General Electric was launched to power the DC-10-30. It is a high bypass turbofan engine that has a maximum takeoff thrust of 51,000 lbf. It has an overall diameter of 2.67 meters and a fan diameter of 2.19 meters. The engine weighs around 4,003 to 4,104 kilograms.
The DC-10-30 has an extended range of 5,200 nautical miles. It can fly up to 42,000 feet and has a maximum cruise speed of 507 knots. It has a rate of climb of 2,000 feet per minute. The take off distance is 3,000 meters while the landing distance is 1,800 meters.
The aircraft has a maximum payload of 46,180 kg, a fuel tank capacity of 36,652 US Gal, a maximum take off weight of 251,744 kg and a maximum landing weight of 182,798 kg.
DC-10-30 Variants
There were three sub-variants of the DC-10-30.
The DC-30CF is a convertible sub-variant of the -30. It is a cargo/passenger transport type that were deployed to Overseas National Airways (ONA), a supplemental air carrier in 1950, and Trans International Airlines (TIA), a chartered airline in the United States. 27 of this type were produced.
The DC-10-30ER is an extended range sub-variant that has a greater maximum take off weight of 267,600 kg. First aircraft delivery to Finnair took place in 1981. Six of this type were produced.
The DC-10-30AF is an all freight sub variant that started production in May 1984. 10 of this type were produced.
DC-10-30 Notable Accidents and Incidents
On November 28 1979, an Air New Zealand flight 901 from Auckland International Airport crashed into Mount Erebus on Ross Island, Antarctica while on a sightseeing flight. 257 people on board died on the accident. It is considered as the deadliest accident in the account of Air New Zealand.
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On January 12 1981, a Garuda Indonesia flight was seriously damaged as it veered off the runway upon landing at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, Indonesia.
On July 27 1989, a Korean Air flight 803 crashed in an attempt to land in Tripoli, Libya. Seventy-five among 199 people on board and four on the ground died during the accident.
On September 19 1989, a Union des Transports Aeriens (UTA) flight 772 from Maya-Maya Airport in Brazzaville crashed into the Tenere Desert in Niger succeeding an in-flight explosion. 170 people on board died on the accident, and it is considered as the most destructive aviation accident in Niger.
On June 13 1996, a Garuda Indonesia flight 865 crashed shortly after take off from Fukuoka Airport in Japan because of failure of the number three right engine. Among 275 occupants, three were killed and sixty-eight were injured on the accident.
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