MD-80 or DC-9?

[questionseven]

Soon I will be trying the services of a new airline that's coming to town. Their Website says they fly MD-80's. After poking around on the Internet, it seems that an MD-80 (or the MD-80 series) is the same thing as a DC-9. Is this true? I've travelled on DC-9's, but I don't know anything about the MD-80. Maybe I was on an MD-80 and didn't know it. I thought Boeing made DC-9's and McDonnel-Douglas made MD-80's.

The more I research it the more confuserder I get. So I thought I'd ask you guys. Thanks ...

 

[BoeingBoy]

The DC-9 was built by Douglas with various models from the original DC-9-10 to the DC-9-50, hence the designation DC. After McDonnell merged with Douglas to form McDonnell Douglas, they decided to update the DC-9 with newer engines/avionics and also stretched it (Boeing was stretching and updating the 737-200). The result was the MD-80 series, again with the designation referring to the manufacturer - McDonnell Douglas.

So an MD-80 series is a lengthened DC-9 with newer technology engines and avionics.

The same lineage exists with another Douglas airplene, the DC-10, which McDonnell Douglas updated to become the MD-11.

Finally, McDonnell Douglas also decided to produce a shortened MD-80 called the MD-95, which was basically a DC-9-50 fuselage with the new technology. When Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas, they changed the designation to the B-717. So you can ride a Boeing, which was originally certified by McDonnel Douglas and based on a Douglas designed airplane.

Jim