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McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 - Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, now part of Delta Air Lines, was the last of the big US passenger airlines operating the DC-10. The airline was the most important operator of the DC-10-40, a version with Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines. Northwest flew almost fifty DC-10s: including 22 DC-10-40s. The other aircraft were DC-10-30s. Northwest received its first DC-10, a series 40, in 1972.
McDonnell Douglas developed the DC-10-40 (originally designated DC-10-20) after a request from Northwest for a long-range version with Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines. Northwest wanted its DC-10s fitted with the same engines as its Boeing 747s. These engines were more powerful than those on the DC-10-30. Apart from Northwest, Japan Airlines was the only airline to order the DC-10-40.
Later Northwest abandoned the DC-10-40s and flew on with DC-10-30s, until 2007. These aircraft were replaced by the Airbus A330.
The large picture above shows a Northwest DC-10-30 approaching Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. On the middle picture a DC-10-40 is seen in an old 'Northwest Orient' colour scheme at Frankfurt and on the photograph below is a DC-10-30 in Northwest's 1990s livery taxiing at Schiphol.
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