McDonnell Douglas - DC-10-30F
The DC-10 was primarily designed to meet a requirement for American Airlines, which specified an aircraft capable of transcontinental operations, had operating economics similar to the Boeing 747, and was sized for the US domestic market. Originally it was thought that this requirement could be met with a twin engine design, but the need to operate from high altitude airports such as Denver with an economic payload, and the existing engine technology of that time resulted in a three engine design. American Airlines placed an order for 25 with options for the aircraft in February 1968, and the program was launched in April of that year when United Airlines also placed a large order for the type. The initial domestic model was the DC10-10 of which 122 were built. A total of 386 DC-10s were produced plus 60 KC10As, a tanker/transport version for the USAF.
The last DC10 was delivered early 1989 and the last KC10 in April1990.
The DC-10-30F was a freighter version of the DC10-30. Twelve were originally built by the manufacturers, the first of which was delivered to Overseas National on 1/5/1973. The largest customer for the -30F was FedEx Express which took 10 the last being delivered on 28/10/1988.
The -30F features a 3.56m X 2.59m port side upward hinging cargo door forward of the wing to facilitate the loading of cargo pallets or containers
The aircraft can accommodate a maximum of 22 LD7 cargo pallets on the main deck. In addition aircraft modified with the extended lower cargo hold, (DC10s had 3 optional lower deck hold capacities), could accommodate 26 LD3 containers.
The -30F differ from the 10F in many respects including;
Increased fuel capacity
More powerful versions of the CF6
Structural enhancements to the airframe, skins and landing gear
An additional twin wheel centreline landing gear unit to reduce the ground loading of the heavier aircraft.
Wingspan increased by 3.04 meters
In August 2005 there were fifty three -30Fs in service, the majority being conversions of -30s and 30CFs the largest operator being FedEx Express with seventeen.
In addition five aircraft had been converted to MD-10-30Fs, a program for FedEx Express which modifies the flight deck to a two crew configuration using systems and avionics common to the MD-11. The MD-10 program is ongoing and it is anticipated that most of the current FedEx Express will be modified to this standard.
