McDonnell Douglas - DC-10-10F
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 DC10-10F is a freighter conversion of the DC10-10 and 10CF. No -10Fs were built by McDonnell Douglas, the program consisting of the conversion of existing aircraft
The conversion included fitting of a 3.56 X 2.59m forward port side cargo door, structural enhancement of the main deck, fitting of cargo handling equipment and blanking of the passenger windows. 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.
In all forty two aircraft were converted to -10Fs consisting of thirty four -10s and eight -10CFs.
The 10F program was initiated by FedEx Express, the first aircraft entering service in February 1998. As of July 2005 the active -10F fleet consisted of twenty seven aircraft of which twenty one aircraft were with FedEx Express.
Another FedEx program is the MD10-10F program which modifies the flight deck to a two crew configuration using systems and avionics common to the MD-11.
So far fifteen -10Fs have been converted to this standard which includes three former -10CFs. The first MD10-10F entered service in January 2000 and the program is ongoing. It is anticipated that most of the remaining twenty one -10Fs will be converted to MD10-10F standard.
