Probably there are no people who have never made, even the simplest paper airplane. The older generation remembers that it was difficult to get functional and interesting toys before, so they showed their imagination and creativity to make them with their own hands.

Experts note that making various crafts on their own allows you to develop a child's fingers, improve concentration and teach you to use your imagination.

Another plus is that a paper plane is absolutely safe. Such a toy can captivate children for a long time. Many parents cannot afford to give their child a modern toy, so the best way out is to make it with your own hands and involve your child in this activity.

A simple airplane is easy to make, but there are several options for making crafts that will fly over relatively long distances. Let's take a look at several manufacturing methods.

There are many variations of an airplane that can fly longer than its usual counterpart. Today we are going to make a super airplane, but in order to achieve a result, you need to know a few secrets:

• If the tail section is folded incorrectly, then there is no need to talk about any long flight.
• Observe symmetry.
• Bend the wings correctly.

We will need to prepare a regular A4 sheet of paper. The whole process takes no more than 3 minutes.

• Put a sheet of paper on a flat surface, bend it lengthwise, exactly in half, and then unbend it. To maintain symmetry, we will be guided by the fold line. After that, on one side, you need to carefully bend the corners along the line, as shown in the image below. This will form the nose of the future aircraft.

• The next step is to turn the piece of paper over and fold it in half. If it is not clear, then we are guided by the images.

• Now the folded corners of the spout need to be straightened along the line.

• Turn the workpiece over. Now you need to fold the future airplane along the lines. You should get the same result as in the picture.

• Now you need to fold the workpiece in half. To shape the paper plane, you need to bend along the lines indicated in the image.

In order for the airplane to plan as long as possible, it must be softly launched.

If you didn't succeed the first time, then try again. You can also watch a video on creating a paper plane.

How to make an airplane out of paper that flies far up to 100 meters?

Everyone wants to make an airplane that will fly at least 100 meters. But an ordinary craft cannot overcome such a bar. According to Guinness records, such an aircraft was able to cover a distance of 69 meters. Of course, if you launch it from the 10th floor, then it can fly 300 meters.

Crafting is a fun process, so it is recommended to involve your child in this activity.

Manufacturing process

To make a craft, you only need a piece of A4 paper.

First you need to form a corner, for this the right side of the sheet, you need to bend to the left edge. It is very important to avoid distortions, otherwise nothing will work. Therefore, all actions must be done carefully.

Similarly, form the left corner. As a result, you will have bending lines along which we will continue to make an airplane.

The next stage is very important. You need to bend the right corner to the middle of the left line, as shown in the image. Make sure that you have the same red lines, only then finally bend the sheet.

The edges must match, so be guided by the lines. As a result of the last action, you should get the following:

In the same way, you need to bend the corner on the left side. Fold both sides so that you get the same result as in the image below.

Now you need to bend the top. Pay attention to the picture, all lines must match.

In the next step, you need to bend both corners again to the very center.

We bend the workpiece across, before smoothing the line, you need to make sure that the corners match exactly.

Now we start forming the wings. You need to carefully bend them on each side, pay attention to the drawing of how the nose of the craft should look like.

At the final stage, you should have such a neat paper airplane.

The entire cooking process takes no more than five minutes. If you followed all the techniques correctly, then such an aircraft will fly up to 100 meters in length. Now you can try it in action in a nearby park.

How to make a paper plane that flies 1000 meters? Airplane diagram

Of course, no paper airplane can fly a distance of 1 km. The duration and range of the flight depends on many factors: the model of the craft, the symmetry of the folds, the weather, the terrain, the quality of the paper, and others.

Consider a simple model that can fly high and far. This is a supersonic aircraft. To do it, you need to do the following:

1. A sheet of paper must be bent in half, only along, and not across, as in other cases.
2. Then unfold it, and bend both corners of the sheet to the line to make the nose sharp.
3. Now the bow must be bent towards the tail.
4. From the last fold, it is necessary to retreat about 1.5 cm and bend the nose, as indicated in the diagram.
5. At the next stage, the workpiece needs to be bent in half lengthwise and form the wings.

To improve aerodynamic properties, it is recommended to bend the edges of the fenders so that they point upwards.

There is another version of the model, which was developed at the end of the last century by Can Blackburn. Thanks to its scheme, the flight duration of the aircraft was 30 seconds.

1. The edges of the A4 sheet should be folded towards the middle, only the corners should not touch each other. There should be about 3 cm between them.
2. Then fold over 2 cm of the top edge.
3. Smooth out thoroughly and repeat the process, only in this case, you need to increase the distance between the corners. Look closely at the diagram.
4. This procedure must be repeated about 10 times.
5. Bend the workpiece in half.
6. Leave 3 cm for the body and fold back the wings.
7. Bend the ends of the wings up.

Of course, successful models don't always come out, so practice and experiment.

How to make a paper airplane that flies 1,000,000,000,000 meters. Phased scheme with a motor

If you want a paper airplane to fly long distances, then you need to install a motor on it. You can make it yourself if you have a similar experience or buy a small motor in the store. They are usually sold with detailed instructions, but if it does not exist, then consider how this can be done.

First you need to make the most ordinary paper airplane.

Now you need to determine the center of gravity where the board will be installed. For this we will use a needle and a simple pencil. The image shows that you need to hang the craft in three places, and draw a continuation of the line from the thread.

Now you need to install the motor on the model. To do this, fix the board in the center of gravity, and also cut out a place for the propeller.

To make such a model, some experience is required, so it is better to buy a motor and install it on a paper airplane according to the instructions.

How to make (fold) a paper airplane so that it flies well?

For a paper plane to plan well, you need to follow manufacturing techniques. Therefore, any model can fly smoothly. Consider another version of a model that is capable of gliding in the air for a long time.

To do this, you need to prepare a blank A4 sheet and a ruler for even folds.

Preparation method

It is necessary to fold the sheet in half lengthwise and unfold. Then bend it across. It's okay to iron and bend one corner, as shown in the image below. We bend the second corner in the same way.

Then the corners must be bent again, strictly along the line, and again ironed well. See drawing.

Now you need to carefully open the sides, and then bend inward.

Bend the top of each side outward.

Now you need to bend the other way.

After that, open the formed parts only strictly along the contour.

Do the same on the other side. As a result, you should have a blank, as shown below.

At the next stage, we fold the future model in half.

Approximately 2.5 cm from the base of the model, draw a line on each side

Then gently roll each wing and iron it carefully.

Draw a line on the wings as shown in the image.

Now we bend the corners along the drawn line.

The end result should look like this:

If everything is done correctly, the plane will fly well and for a long time.

Video lesson. Simple diagram of folding a paper airplane

Even the simplest model will fly high and for a long time if it is made according to all the rules. Try to follow the instructions in the video below, and you will see for yourself.

How long have you been making paper airplanes? I've been here for a long time, and have already tried several options. To be honest, I had a lot of fun.

Remember how as a child everyone dreamed of making an airplane out of paper that flies 100 meters. There have been many attempts to fold an unusual airplane in the form of a wonderful airplane flying far and even out of plain paper.

And even when I became quite an adult, I tried for my children to become a master of unusual origami - to turn a piece of paper into a fabulous airplane. Remembering from childhood, I folded the sheet several times. Step by step I looked at videos or photos of various assembly schemes. I tried and tested each copy for the flight range. And everything was somehow not right and somehow did not fly for a long time, somehow I did not plan exactly, how it turned out blurry.

And more recently, I found an easy way to make an airplane out of paper that flies 100 meters in stages, photo video and a diagram of the picture for free, not that they ask for what that amount.

How to make an airplane out of paper that flies 100 meters instructions and assembly diagram

As everyone else writes, we need a good blank A4 piece of paper. You don't need to draw or write on it, and of course it's not crumpled. In order for our paper airplane to effectively plan several hundred meters through the air, we need to follow clear instructions and fold parts of a piece of paper in stages according to the scheme. Do not forget to grab a ruler to help even folds.

• Roll up and unfold a piece of paper in half along the short side.
• Then we bend it in half along the long side.
• Smooth one corner as shown in the photo.

• We bend the second corner in the same way as the first.

• After that we fold the same corners and iron them again.

• Now you need to open each side and roll on a new one, but only inward.

• We wrap both corners like this

• Bend the upper part of our paper airplane on both sides.

• Turn over to the other side and do the same.

• Open the resulting parts along the fold contour.

• On the reverse side, we will do the same, we got a triangle with isosceles sides.

• Then we fold and fold in half.

• Draw a line on both sides 2.5 centimeters from the base of the aircraft.

• We fold correctly in stages and iron one wing first.

• And then the second wing.

• For accurate folded stability wings, draw another line.

• Now we bend each corner up.

• Another back side do the same.

At your discretion, you can make small flaps, and if you make them carefully and cleanly and slightly bend your fighter will fly much further than usual. Also, these fenders will hold the fenders of stamina at right angles.

Congratulations, you darling, after all, just outwardly realized how to do aircraft out of paper, how to make an airplane out of paper that flies 100 meters. If necessary, you can glue the base of a far flying plane with your own hands.

How to make an airplane out of paper that flies 100 meters video from YouTube

P.S .: wait a little

08/06/2018 at 17:13 · oksioksi · 4 110

10 celebrities who are afraid of flying

One of the most common phobias in humans is fear of flying or aerophobia. Although there is no objective reason to be afraid of flying, according to research, plane crashes are much less common than car accidents. But even this does not calm many people. After all, being at an altitude of 9 to 12 thousand km above ground level for a person is not a standard situation. This is where the fear of flying comes from. But not only ordinary people suffer from aerophobia. Fear of flying on airplanes has not spared celebrities. Although the stars on duty have to be in constant flights, this does not save the situation and when entering the cabin, some stars experience real fear.

10. Jennifer Aniston

The famous actress and star of the legendary TV series "Friends" Jennifer Aniston opens the rating of stars who are afraid of flying. The actress is so afraid of flying that no alcohol helps. Jennifer sits in a tense and nervous state throughout the flight, counting the hours until the plane lands. In one interview, the actress admitted that she is so scared to fly on airplanes that she even has her own ritual. The actress enters the plane only with her right foot and knocks outside the plane. Someone told the actress about this ritual and since then she always uses it for good luck.

9. Colin Farrell

The brutal Irish man Colin Farrell has his weaknesses. Like Jennifer Aniston, the actor is afraid of flying planes. Moreover, Colin is experiencing such panic that he had to take pills several times before flying. But after several incidents that happened to the actor on board, he tries to do without pills. And in one interview, he admitted that during one of the flights by British Airways, the flight attendants had to literally handcuff him to the chair. Colin Farrell simply hates airplanes and everything connected with them. But on duty, the actor has to overcome his fears and board the plane.

8. Whoopi Goldberg

Actress Whoopi Goldberg has a well-founded fear of flying. After all, she witnessed a plane crash. More than 10 years after this incident, the actress did not board the plane. But recently she had to fly to London on business. Then Whoopi decided it was time to start fighting aerophobia. But for this she chose a not quite standard method. Instead of seeking help from psychologists and taking a course in psychiatry, she decided to do it on a talk show. Live on her talk show "The View" she will deal with aerophobia in front of thousands of viewers with a simulator plane. The actress admitted that during the flights on the simulator, her heart was beating furiously and sweat poured out hail, but that did not stop her.

7. David Bowie

In 2016, the legendary performer who had more influence on contemporary music... David Bowie has become an idol to millions of people around the world and has inspired countless contemporary artists. David, like the stars in this rating, suffered from aerophobia. The reason for the phobia was the birth of a daughter and a heart attack, which happened to the performer in 2004 right on stage. After the performer became afraid of airplanes, he completed his touring activities, and to travel around the world he preferred sea and land routes.

6. Enrique Iglesias

For many years, Enrique tried to overcome aerophobia. In order to get rid of the fear of flying, the singer even took courses in aircraft control and received a pilot's license. It helped for a while. But in 2008, when Enrique was on a transatlantic flight, one of the aircraft's engines failed. The pilot had to make an emergency landing. But for Enrique, this flight was a real nightmare. He still recalls this incident with a shudder.

5. Alla Pugacheva

The fact that the prima donna of the Russian stage suffers from aerophobia has been known for a long time, since the 90s. From about that time, Pugacheva decided that she would only travel by train while touring cities. In 2001, the performer rented a whole carriage. In 2007, Russian Railways presented the prima donna of the Russian stage with its own VIP carriage, which is equipped with everything necessary. It even has a jacuzzi. But in 2017, Pugacheva still had to fly by plane. And singing and her beloved family helped her cope with fear.

4. Megan Fox

The American actress has found one of the most original ways of self-hypnosis, which helps her fight aerophobia. The actress, during a conversation with the blogger Peresos Hilton, admitted that during the flight she turns on Britney Spears' music in headphones and listens to the songs throughout the flight. Megan believes that as long as she hears the voice of Britney Spears, the plane cannot fall and the flight will go smoothly. Megan's ingenuity can only be envied. And Britney Spears should be advised that she does not stop releasing albums. This is necessary so that Megan Fox can safely endure flights, listening to her old and new compositions.

3. Dennis Bergkamp

The former footballer and now a member of the Ajax coaching team, Bergkamp, \u200b\u200bhas a fear of flying, as many are aware of. The former football player's fear of flying did not appear from scratch. In 1989, the footballer had to fly with his friend. But Dennis could not fly that day, and the plane crashed with his friend. Because of his phobia, Dennis was even awarded the nickname "Non-Volatile Dutchman". After 1994, the footballer no longer took part in away matches. During the signing of the contract with Arsenal, he was informed that due to refusals to fly, a round sum would be deducted from his fees. But the footballer replied that no amount of money would force him to step on the plane.

2. Kate Winslet

The star of "Titanic" British actress Kate Winslet does not hide her aerophobia. The actress and her husband never fly on the same flight. And all because they are afraid to die together in a plane crash. But not because the spouses are afraid to die, because of the fear of leaving their children without parents. The couple had a fear of flying in 2001. Sam Mendes was supposed to fly from Washington. Later it turned out that Sam's plane was captured by terrorists and he crashed on the Pentagon. Not surprisingly, after this incident, the couple are afraid to fly together.

1. Sandra Bullock

The famous American actress has been afraid to board a plane since 2000. Due to bad weather and poor visibility, the pilot of the plane in which the actress was with her friend had to land. The pilot had to land the plane outside the runway, and was severely damaged during the landing. The actress decided to fight the phobia in a radical way. She agreed to take part in the movie "Gravity", where she had to fly in a special plane out of space in order to create short effects of gravity. Subsequently, filming the creators of the picture abandoned this idea, but this experience helped Sandra to cope with the fear of airplanes.

Readers' Choice:

The smallest aircraft were originally developed for military purposes. Due to their small size, they perfectly coped with the role of scouts and fighters. After the end of World War II, there was a strong demand in America and Europe for inexpensive miniature biplanes, monoplanes and single-person jets. Against this background, an unspoken competition began among aircraft designers around the world to create the most small plane in the world. We bring to your attention the TOP 10 smallest aircraft in the world.

1. BD-5J

The BD-5J mini-plane was developed in 1971 in the United States by aircraft designer Jim Bede. After flight tests, representatives of the Guinness Book of Records awarded him the title of "world's lightest jet aircraft." In addition to the low weight of 162.7 kg, it also stood out for its modest dimensions - the length of the vessel was 3.66 m and the wingspan of 5.18 m. With such a tiny size, the BD-5J was able to accelerate to 483 km / h, and its cruising the speed was 386 km / h. The baby had enough fuel for flights more than 1.5 thousand km long. Given the low price of gasoline in the United States, a private jet was cheaper than a public jet ticket.

2. Bumble Bee II

In 1988, Robert Starr wanted to surpass his personal best and put together the Bumble Bee II. With its own weight of 180 kg, the dimensions of the aircraft were striking - a length of 2.7 m and a wingspan of 1.7 m. It flew Bumble Bee II at an average speed of 305 km / h. But on the very first performance on May 8, 1988, the plane crashed due to engine failure at an altitude of about 120 m. Ray Starr himself was at the helm. He was badly damaged in this plane crash, but over time, the aircraft designer recovered.

3. Baby Bird

Ray Stits, learning about the emergence of a competitor in the form of Robert Starr, began working on a new project of a tiny aircraft. And although the Baby Bird was 3.4 meters long, which was larger than the Bumble Bee, Stits reduced the wingspan to 1.9 meters.In addition, the plane's own weight was only 115 kg with a cruising speed of 177 km / h. This aircraft was included in the Guinness World Records as the smallest monoplane in the world. Thus, in the book of records, there was a place for both Stits and Starr. For five years of operation, Baby Bird made 35 flights and all went without incident. In 1989, the inventor donated his unique aircraft to the museum.

4. Bumble Bee

The creator of this plane is Robert Starr, who at one time was the pilot of the Sky Baby. Having witnessed the success of Ray Stits, he also decided to leave his mark in the Book of Records and receive a cash prize. Starr worked on Bumble Bee for five years from 1979 to 1984. As a result, his biplane turned out to be heavier than Sky Baby. The own weight of the new aircraft was 248 kg with a maximum load of up to 329 kg. However, a wingspan of 2 m and an overall length of 2.9 m brought the long-awaited title of the smallest biplane in the world. Bumble Bee developed a speed of up to 290 km / h, which was almost commensurate with the Sky Baby.

5. Sky Baby

Another creation by Ray Stits, which, unlike the previous model, was a biplane. The dimensions of the Sky Baby were very tiny - 3 m long and 2.1 m wingspan. But at the same time, it had a rather impressive weight of 205 kg with a maximum load of up to 302 kg. The body of the plane was made of chrome pipe, and the wings were made of wood, which was covered with cloth on top. Sky Baby's main problem was its small center of gravity. To minimize this disadvantage, Stits chose to place the engine above the pilot's legs, and the fuel tank and carburetor between the knees. This design solution, combined with an 85 l / s engine, allowed the biplane to fly at a maximum speed of 300 km / h.

This tiny aircraft called Junior was created by the Americans Ray Stitsem and Martin Young to counterbalance the Wee Bee. Their main goal was to get into the Guinness Book of Records, thanks to its miniature size - a wingspan of 2.8 m and a length of 3.4 m.It is interesting that the aircraft was not assembled from scratch, but on the basis of the Taylorcraft L-2, developed to participate in the Second world war. For a small aircraft, single-piston engines with a capacity of 36 to 75 l / s were selected. As a result, Stits chose the most powerful version, so the maximum speed of the aircraft was 240 km / h.

7. Nano

Electric seaplane Nano was created by the Finnish company FlyNano in 2011. With a length of 3.8 m and a wingspan of 4.8 m, it weighs only 70 kg. This low weight is made possible by the use of modern carbon fiber as the base material. Since the Nano is designed exclusively for takeoff and landing on water, it lacks a landing gear.

8. Colomban Cri-cri

The history of the miniature Cri-cri began in 1971, when the French aircraft designer Michel Colomban came up with the idea to build a very small and economical plane with two engines. A couple of years later, on July 19, 1973, his dream came true - the plane took to the skies for the first time. Colomban named his creation Cri-cri in honor of his own daughter. The plane had a wingspan of 4.9 m and a total length of 3.9 m. Also, Cri-cri stood out for its low dead weight of 78 kg. Thanks to such parameters, the representatives of Guinness recognized it as the smallest aircraft with two engines.

9. Wee Bee

In the late 40s of the twentieth century, this unusual aircraft appeared in San Diego, California. It was created by three ambitious young aircraft designers eager to surprise the world. They named their creation Wee Bee, which in English means a tiny bee. The plane justifies this name by its tiny dimensions - 4.25 m in length and 5.5 m in width.

10.X-12H

The tenth place is occupied by the development of a resident of Russia from Armavir. Dmitriev Viktor Pavlovich independently designed a miniature aircraft weighing 80 kg. This unfolded airplane takes up very little space, so it can even be stored in a suitcase. It takes a little over half an hour to assemble and disassemble an unusual aircraft. On this moment The X-12H is in the stage of flight tests, after which it is planned to mass-produce small airplanes.

DC-10 Gallery

McDonnell Douglas DC-10 - a three-engine wide-body airliner developed by the firm in the early 1970s. The DC-10 is the world's second production wide-body passenger aircraft (after the Boeing 747).

History

The history of the DC-10, like the history of the Boeing 747, began with the US Air Force's program to create a new large strategic transport (CX-Heavy Logistics System - CX-HLS), deployed in 1963. The main participants in the tender for the supply of the military with a heavy military transport aircraft were Boeing, Lockheed and Douglas. In the end, in 1965 the Lockheed project became the winner, and their plane became famous as the C-5 Galaxy.

However, after the defeat, neither Boeing nor Douglas abandoned their projects. And if one of the major actors who supported Boeing was Pan American, which wanted to get a truly huge long-haul liner, then a number of other operators doubted the prospects of such a large aircraft.

In 1966, another US flagship airline, American Airlines, presented its vision of the future. civil aviation... They also needed a roomy wide-body airliner capable of long-haul flights, however, this aircraft could be smaller than the Boeing 747 and, more importantly, it had to be able to work with the existing ground infrastructure.

In 1967, the Douglas Aircraft Company and the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation merged to form McDonnell Douglas. The future aircraft was extremely important - it was to become the first project of the combined corporation and its flagship. The Douglas developments under the CX-HLS program were taken as a base. In its initial research, Douglas was looking at creating an airliner to compete directly with the Boeing 747 - a four-engine, double-deck aircraft that could carry up to 550 passengers. However, following a proposal from American Airlines, it was decided to abandon such a scheme and create a smaller version: a wide-body aircraft with one passenger deck, accommodating up to 399 passengers.

At the same time, it was decided to use a group of three engines as a power plant. This scheme can be considered unusual for modern wide-body airliners, divided into four and twin-engine versions, but given that the DC-10 was the second aircraft of this class, it was too early to talk about the habit. This choice was the result of a combination of several factors:

Firstly, the turbofan engines were powerful enough and the four-engine scheme was already excessive in terms of thrust and unsuitable for the economy - fuel consumption per passenger seat became more than that of the Boeing 747.

Secondly, despite the high power, two engines were not enough to provide sufficient flight characteristics of the airliner of the given size and capacity.

Thirdly, the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating an airliner with a slightly smaller capacity with two engines was considered as potentially promising (as a result, the Airbus A300 became such a liner), however, in the early 1970s, severe ETOPS restrictions for twin-engine airliners were still in force, potentially severely limiting the possibilities of long-distance flights. particularly over the oceans.

In this niche, McDonnell Douglas faced stiff competition from Lockheed, which was actively developing its own three-engine wide-body L-1011 Tristar liner. By the end of the 1960s, competition between the two manufacturers had become as fierce as possible.

However, in 1968 McDonnell Douglas secured an advantage over Lockheed by signing a large contract with the launch customer, American Airlines. As it turned out, the Lockheed liner, although it was potentially more advanced, but its cost was higher, and a number of technological innovations could lead to delays in deliveries. In addition, American Airlines did not play badly on the competition between suppliers and achieved a reduction in the supply price of future DC-10s. But for McDonnell Douglas, it was a big win. Following the order for 25 aircraft from AA, United Airlines ordered 30 more aircraft, and the portfolio of options reached 30 more aircraft.

The work was very active - McDonnell Douglas wanted to overtake Lockheed. Finally, in August 1970, the DC-10 prototype made its first test flight, overtaking the competitor by several months (L-1011 took off in November). On test flights that lasted about a year, the DC-10 spent more than 1,500 hours in the air and finally received its type certification in July 1971. A month later, the first delivered aircraft in American Airlies livery flew from Los Angeles to Chicago.

Design

DC-10 is a wide-body, low-swept, low-wing airliner. The power plant is represented by three turbofan engines, two of which are suspended on pylons under the wing according to the classical scheme, and the third is located in the tail at the base of the vertical tail in a separate engine nacelle outside the fuselage.

The newest General Electric CF6 engines, created on the basis of TF39 engines from the C-5 Galaxy transport, were used as the base power plant. These engines were very breakthrough and, over time, were installed on many wide-body airliners Douglas, Boeing and Airbus.

The avionics onboard complex was quite advanced for its time. The cockpit was designed for three crew members: two pilots and a flight engineer. Subsequently, a part of the onboard systems and the cockpit underwent a deep modernization, unifying the DC-10 cockpit with the MD-11 cockpit. This made it possible to eliminate the need for a flight engineer and optimize operation by operators with both models in their fleets, for example, FedEx.

The early series (DC-10-10) had a tricycle chassis. The main landing gear was equipped with four-wheeled bogies with an advanced braking system. Later modifications (series -30 and -40), having a large mass, required a reinforced chassis and received an additional support with a two-wheeled bogie located under the fuselage.

DC-10 - the third is not superfluous

The use of optimal designs and the latest technology has given the DC-10 a distinct advantage over the king of airliners. Although the Boeing 747 was superior to any other aircraft in terms of roominess, comfort and range, it was very demanding on airports and maintenance, which became a serious problem for Boeing at the initial stage of operation. The DC-10, while being roomy and efficient enough, at the same time proved to be much more loyal to the ground infrastructure.

The passenger cabin of the liner was 5.54 m wide (6.08 m for the Boeing 747) and had a maximum certified capacity of 380 passengers. However, this capacity has not been achieved in practice. Basic configurations included 285 seats in a two-class layout according to the 2 + 2 + 2 scheme in business class from 2 + 5 + 2 in economy class. In terms of dimensions and cabin layout, the DC-10 was extremely close to the L-1011, which made them direct competitors and motivated McDonnell Douglas to enter the market faster than Lockheed.

The aircraft located in the parks of starting customers had cabins superior comfort, as they were of fashion interest both for operators and for the manufacturer. American Airlines liners accommodated 206 passengers in a two-class layout with lounges and bars in the cabin, while the economy class had a 2 + 4 + 2 layout with the addition of small tables in the center row. The United variant was also deluxe and accommodated 222 passengers.

Modifications

The first generation of liners received the DC-10-10 indexes. These aircraft had a maximum take-off weight of 195 tons (333 tons for the Boeing 747-100) and a range of 6116 km at full payload. These aircraft were created primarily to serve lines within the United States. The aircraft received modifications -10CF, convertible into cargo, as well as modifications -15 with more powerful engines (21.1 tf versus 18.2 tf for the base ones), the range increased to 7000 km, the weight increased to 206 tons and the ability to work in conditions heat and highlands (the -15 series was delivered to Mexico in the early 1980s).

To perform transcontinental flights, a long-haul DC-10-30 version was created. It received GE CF6-50 engines boosted to 23.1 tf, its maximum take-off weight increased to 259 tons, and its flight range was 10,000 km, which allowed the liner to compete with the Boeing 747. The 53-ton weight jumped required the integration of an additional ventral landing gear. The DC-10-30 model became the most popular in the family (163 units) and proved to be in great demand in Europe: the starting customers of the model were Swissair and KLM, which received the first liners in 1972. Naturally, the model received cargo versions, as well as an ER version with uprated engines and an additional fuel tank, which made it possible to fly 10 620 km.

The alternate version -30 was the DC-10-40 version. Initially, the aircraft was created under the designation DC-10-20 and became the basis for long-haul versions. However, unlike the -30 version, it had to be powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines. This decision meant that the DC-10 was now offered with two optional GE or PW engines, giving McDonnell Douglas an edge over Lockheed, which had no alternatives. The version with JT9D engines allowed operators to optimize fleet maintenance, since at that time Boeing 747s were equipped with the same engines.

The aircraft was certified in 1972, however, the starting customer, Northwest Orient Airlines, asked to change the index from -20 to -40, as it positioned its new liners as the newest and most advanced. Although, by and large, the -30 and -40 versions differed little from each other, outwardly they can be distinguished only by the slightly different shape of the tail engine nacelle (in the -40 model it is slightly convex near the air intake). In total, from 1973 to 1983, 42 -40 series airliners were delivered to Northwest Orient Airlines and Japan Airlines.

Interestingly, different versions of the liners differed in power plants, wingspan, fuel capacity and a number of other indicators, but McDonnell Douglas hardly changed the fuselage: its length and interior capacity are the same in all versions.

The US Air Force became one of the major customers for McDonnell Douglas. The KC-10 Extender tanker, created for the military, was intended as an addition to the KC-135 Stratotanker tankers to support aviation at long distances from bases. A total of 60 aircraft were delivered.

McDonnell Douglas considered the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a version of the DC-10-50 equipped with two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, but calculations showed that the thrust of two engines was insufficient for an aircraft of this dimension and the idea was abandoned.

Accidents and incidents

During the period of operation (for 2015), the DC-10 aircraft were involved in 55 accidents, 32 of which were serious accidents and disasters that led to the death of a total of 1261 people. The plane turned out to be a victim of terrorist attacks and hijackings, however, the plane did not avoid problems with childhood illnesses and design flaws, which several times turned out to be the causes of serious accidents. For example, fault detection of a complex mechanism for locking the doors of the cargo compartment, which led to the opening in flight and depressurization. If in the incident near Winsor in 1972, a dozen people got off with injuries, then near Paris in 1974 a similar opening of the door led to the crash of the liner and the death of 346 people.

Such incidents, coupled with a number of other plane crashes, led to the spread of the opinion that the DC-10 was an unsafe aircraft, which had an extremely negative impact on its success. Despite the rather high reliability indicators in the subsequent period, he did not manage to restore his reputation in the community.

Completion of production

DC-10 production lasted less than 20 years. The first operator since 1971 was American Airlines. The deliveries ended with the transfer of 446 aircraft to Nigeria Airways in 1988. Ironically, in the case of this aircraft, the company's marketers almost exactly guessed - in 1971 it was assumed that 438 aircraft would be delivered. Nevertheless, the reputational costs after accidents and disasters did not allow the liner to quickly capture the market, and the niche of three-engine wide-body airliners itself was subjected to pressure from Boeing 747 from above and the unexpectedly successful Airbus A300 and A310 from below. Immediately after the completion of production of the DC-10, McDonnell Douglas began active work on its successor. Two years later, in 1990, the MD-11 airliner made its maiden flight.

For 2015, 56 aircraft are in commercial operation, most of which in cargo versions flies in the FedEx Express fleet. Flights are passenger liners were completed in the US in 2007 and the rest of the world in 2014. Only cargo modifications, air tankers and a few special aircraft, mainly for military purposes, remain in service.

Characteristics of aircraft McDonnell Douglas DC-10

A type	Main passenger aircraft
Modification	DC-10-10	DC-10-15	DC-10-30	DC-10-40
Power point	GE CF6-6D	GE CF6-50C2F	GE CF6-50C	PW JT9D-59A
Engine thrust	3 X 18.15 tf	3 X 21.1 tf	3 X 23.14 tf	3 X 24 tf
Maximum number of passengers	255 (3 grades) 285 (2nd grade) 380 (maximum)
Practical ceiling	12 802 m
Range of flight	6 116 km	7,000 km	10,622 km (ER)	9 254 km
Maximum takeoff weight	195 t	206 t	259 t	251 t
Cruising speed	908 km / h (982 km / h maximum)
Wingspan	47.34 m		50.4 m
Length	51.97m
Height	17.7 m