Douglas DC-9-50

The Douglas DC-9-50 represents the maximum-capacity variant of the original DC-9 family, featuring the longest fuselage at 40.70 meters and seating up to 139 passengers. Introduced in 1975, it targeted airlines needing dense short-haul operations without transitioning to widebody aircraft. The DC-9-50 incorporated a slightly wider wingspan (28.50m) for better wing loading and was powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 turbofans producing 71.2 kN (16,000 lbf) thrust each. Swissair launched the variant in 1975, operating it on intra-European trunk routes. The DC-9-50 offered airlines maximum utilization of the proven DC-9 platform while maintaining commonality for training and maintenance. With a range of 2,778 km (1,500 NM), it excelled on high-frequency shuttle operations. Eastern Air Lines became a major operator, deploying dozens on East Coast routes. A total of 96 DC-9-50s were built before production concluded in 1982. The design directly influenced the MD-80 series development, which stretched the concept even further with more powerful engines.