The nonstop range of the standard MD-11 operating at a maximum takeoff
weight of 602,500 pounds (273,290 kg) is approximately 7,630 statute
miles (12,270 km) with 285 passengers and their bags.
The MD-11 is 200 feet 10 inches (61.2 m) long. That's 18.6 feet (5.66
m) longer than the earlier DC-10
trijet (first delivery in 1971). First delivery on December
the 7th 1990.
Operators included: Delta, American, Finnair, Varig, Swissair, KLM,
Alitalia, Thai, ...
American Airlines wanted an aircraft to reach their asian destinations.
They had plans to take delivery of many MD-11, but changed their minds
and ordered the Boeing 777.
In 1989 American Airlines could have ordered the Boeing 747-400 if they
needed the range and the Boeing 777 wasn't available. Boeing delivered
the first 777 in 1995 and the MD 11 was no match for that airplane.
The extended-range version of the MD-11, equipped with an auxiliary
fuel tank and operating at a higher maximum takeoff weight of 630,500
pounds (285,990 kg), has a range of approximately 8,225 statute miles
(13,230 km).
Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 are much easier to maintain as they have only
2 engines. A big problem with the tri-jets is that the no2 engine is up
in the tail and hard to get to when checks and repairs need to be
carried out so airlines stuck with the twinjets which could do the same
job.
The MD-11 had problemens with reliabilty and to reach it's design
range. A nickname for the MD-11 was the 'scud' (a missile which always
took-off in the same way, but you never know where it was going to
land). Five of the of 198 MD-11s have been destroyed in crashes. That
makes the MD-11, statistically the most crashed modern jetliner. Only
the concord has a worse crash statistic.
Freighter
The MD11 is very often converted into freighter and was also availabe
as a freighter. By 2006 about 60 percent of all MD-11s ever built have
been turned into cargo jets.
The MD-11 is equipped with 3 engines each capable of 60 to 62,000lbs of
maximum thrust.
In 2007 KLM (10 aircraft), Finnair (7 aircraft) and Tam
(3 aircraft) remain the only regular airliners that operate the MD11 in
passenger version. Varig ceased operations mid 2006.
