The end of the MD-11...

I was cleaning out the garage this week, and found a few treasures I'd acquired, one of which was a 24x30 mounted artists rendering of the MD-11 and another of the MD-80 which was about the same size. They're too large for my office, but I can't seem to part with them....
 
The MD-11, another one of aviation's what could have been.  Maybe if MD had put more of an effort into the airplane instead of trying to do it on the cheap.  A new wing perhaps along with incorporating the changes they made with the PIP during development instead of while in service.  With that said even if the MD-11 had meet it's performance guarantees the 777 would have eventually killed it like it did to the A340.   
 
We used to joke about painting them blue so they matched the rest of the ground equipment. The illfated USAfrica experiment was leasing several of AA's in 93' ish,I remember seeing 2-3 of them on the hardstand adjacent to air freight.
 
Liked the chain drive though,thing was a snowplow.Jammed container? Whats that? Opening the bulk door was always an adventure, especially on Finnair, they'd have the bulk crammed to the gills with mail and crew bags,something was bound to bounce out on you.
 
I'd forgotten about the blue joke. We also said to paint them yellow since they were MD Lemons...
 
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JFK Fleet Service said:
 
Liked the chain drive though,thing was a snowplow.Jammed container? Whats that? Opening the bulk door was always an adventure, especially on Finnair, they'd have the bulk crammed to the gills with mail and crew bags,something was bound to bounce out on you.
Lol.

KL was a little bit better about that, but you still never knew...
 
eolesen said:
I'd forgotten about the blue joke. We also said to paint them yellow since they were MD Lemons...
Another aircraft that didn't live up to it's expectations was the Convair 990.----- Maybe a little before your time.
american_airlines_1962_990_n5604.jpg
 
Way before my time.  Another one of those planes that didn't meet up to expectations and it's builder paid the price.  In AA service I think it was around for eight years.  The facility in which it was built is still around though.  If you ever fly into San Diego you can see it.
 

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