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Despre 717
8 July 2020
With the opening of the new topic, about Boeing 717, let's see how this plane evolved and what a long history it had.
A little description
The Boeing 717 is a low-capacity short-haul passenger plane designed by McDonnell Douglas and built by Boeing after taking over the company in 1998. It has a capacity of 106 passengers, and a range between 2645 and 3815 km. The aircraft is also known as the MD-95 after the McDonnell Douglas acquired by Boeing. The model is practically the third generation of the venerable Douglas DC-9 - its direct predecessor being built in the 1960s. It is the only aircraft built by Boeing after an external project and the last aircraft built at the former McDonnell Douglas factory in Long Beach, California, USA.
Start with the left
The model was developed in the early 1990s, but was not popular with airlines (no customer was found to launch the model), being a major factor in the disappearance of McDonnell Douglas. After the takeover by Boeing, it was decided to continue production, under a new name, 717.
Popularity
In over 10 years, a total of 156 aircraft were built. Production was stopped in 2006, after a lack of orders was noticed, due to the fierce competition exerted by the Embraer and Bombardier models, but also by the larger Boeing 737, respectively Airbus A320. However, the few buyers of the model were satisfied, due to the very low cost of maintenance compared to the competition.
Style
Like the DC-9, the aircraft has a T-shaped tail, with the engines located on the fuselage, behind the aircraft. The cab is arranged in an asymmetrical system - with 3 seats on one side and 2 on the other (comparable to the Fokker F100), quite rare (typically a symmetrical 3 + 3 or 2 + 2 system). Unlike the DC-9 and MD-80, the aircraft is equipped with fly-by-wire and electronic avionics.
Southwest and AirTran
In 2011, Southwest Airlines bought AirTran. Then, while the airline was examining its future plan, Southwest decided to abandon AirTran's Boeing 717s and sublet all 88 Delta Air Lines aircraft.
In 2020
The few airlines that have the "rare" aircraft say they are so happy that they would have liked more 717. For example, the other day Delta Air Lines said it will keep the 88 original AirTran aircraft for another 10 years with minor modifications.
Incidents and accidents
You may not believe it, but no Boeing 717 plane crashed and no one lost their lives as a result of incidents in this type of plane.
As a final article, some technical data about 717 can be found here, in a PDF format.