Answer: N815DE. It is Delta’s only MD-11 with the new-style flap-track fairings, which are easily visible in the photo. Unlike DC-10s and early MD-11s, the tracks are sharp and pointy on the back (very Airbus-like), and protrude beyond the trailing edge.
2. True or False. DC-10s have a ladder and a small platform contained in their tailcone to make #2 engine access/maintenance easier.
Originally posted by David Hingtgen BHopper--while all of Swissair's MD-11's have PW engines, only the last few have 4462's. Most of their fleet has 4460's.
Hmmm..I guess Bill screwed up then on his website. Been right so far......
All of Swissair's MD-11's (well, more like SWISS's) *now* have PW4462's. They weren't ordered like that. If you go back through some JP books, older production lists, etc, you'll note that they start off with all PW4460, then gradually become 4462's as they switch. SR was the launch customer for the 4460. I think it's like the high-end RR engines--you can literally swap in a new module and it becomes the higher-rated engine. (Or SR just had oodles of cash and bought new engines). Note I put *ordered*. SR was one of the very first MD-11 customers--you can't order a version of an engine that doesn't exist yet. As 4462's became available, SR's newer ones were delivered that way, and older ones were retrofitted. But Martinair was a later customer, and hence could order 4462's for it's entire fleet.
If it was a 707 question, it'd be something like "who ORDERED 707-120's with JT3D engines?" Only AA and TW. While there eventually came to be dozens of airlines with that configuration through modifications (like Pan Am), only AA and TW actually ordered brand-new 707-120's with JT3D engines, which is the 707-120B.
::checks some numbers::
SR's MD-11's getting 4462's perfectly coincides with being upgraded from the original 618,000lb MGTOW to the optional (but very common) 630,500lb MGTOW. It's likely the engines were upgraded at the same time, as the extra power would help the extra weight, and no better time to do it than when the plane is down for heavy maintenance anyways.
:::checks some more::
Wow, Swissair really spent some cash on their MD-11's. The early ones started at 618K and got the 630K package w/4462's. The later ones came with 625K and 4462's, and some of those were upgraded to 630 like the early ones. SR really wanted the max performance out of their -11's. (Maybe that's why they're gone now, spent all their money getting every little mod done as soon as it was available--most planes don't get a new MGTOW listing every other year....)
__________________ We need more TWA twin-stripes!
Last edited by David Hingtgen; 11-27-2002 at 02:27 AM.
Ack, yup, last 3 FE planes. Two were built side-by-side and the lines look nigh-identical in a production list. Serial number, line number, etc, only slightly different. I missed one because I thought I'd already counted it. (And it doesn't help that FE skipped a reg number right there too--N620FE to N623FE, but 622 is skipped)
Round 5 winner!
Wow
Sorry.
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