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Pictures: final Boeing 717 rolled out at former Douglas Aircraft Long Beach plant
Flightglobal.com ^
| 04/20/2006
| Guy Norris
Posted on 04/20/2006 6:54:45 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
The final Boeing 717 was rolled out of the former Douglas Aircraft production site at Long Beach, California just before dawn today in preparation for the start of flight tests and delivery to AirTran Airways in May (pictured below).
The last aircraft officially marks the end of commercial aircraft manufacturing on the site and emerged from the now empty Building 80 assembly line that over the past 48 years has produced 976 DC-9s, 1,191 MD-80s and 115 MD-90s. A further 556 DC-8s, 446 DC-10/KC-10s and 200 MD-11s were also produced in the adjacent Building 84.
The final 717 is the 156th, and will be the 155th to be delivered, the first having been retained by Boeing. The 717 is also the last aircraft to be rolled over Lakewood Boulevard which divides the factory from the airfield and flight test site.
The older factory buildings on the airfield side of the road, mostly built in the 1940s as part of President Roosevelt's 'Arsenal of Defense' strategy, built C-47 Dakotas, A-20 Havocs, B-17 Flying Fortresses and A-26 Invaders as well as a host of post-Second World War cargo, attack and fighter aircraft.
Almost all of these buildings have now been demolished to make room for new commercial developments. The future of the Building 80 site, which sports the iconic "Fly DC Jets" neon sign (pictured below) remains uncertain.
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News
KEYWORDS: 717; boeing; dc9; douglasaircraft; mcdonneldouglas; md80; md95
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To: cheme
It is the last in the line of the great Douglas and McDonnell Douglas commercial aircraft.
It was renamed the 717 (originally the MD-95) after Boeing purchased McDonnell Douglas.
21
posted on
04/20/2006 7:11:52 PM PDT
by
COEXERJ145
(Real Leaders Base Their Decisions on Their Convictions. Wannabes Base Decisions on the Latest Poll.)
To: COEXERJ145
Northwest plans to fly their DC-9's to roughly 114,000 cycles. If they're serious about flying that many cycles, shouldn't they re-engine them? When they reach their cycle limit, they could transfer the engines to some second hand MD-80's.
To: COEXERJ145
23
posted on
04/20/2006 7:14:29 PM PDT
by
cheme
To: Paleo Conservative
I don't know about you but I don't like Douglas Jet designs! I flew in Douglas, Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed. These DC-8 and DC-9 yaws a great deal on approaches to landings. They all do!
Boeing doesn't do that!
To: Paleo Conservative
Probably because new engines would also be cost prohibitive considering the age of the airframes.
Also, Northwest no longer flies the MD-80. IIRC, they retired them shortly after Sept. 11th.
Most people are expecting Northwest (if they survive) to eventually replace their DC-9's with either Boeing's next narrow body aircraft (based on the 787) or with the Airbus A320NG which Airbus has been hinting at for a few years now.
25
posted on
04/20/2006 7:16:59 PM PDT
by
COEXERJ145
(Real Leaders Base Their Decisions on Their Convictions. Wannabes Base Decisions on the Latest Poll.)
To: Paleo Conservative
Great pictures...
Heard a great story today. It seems a bomber pilot flying a practice mission, pulled out a .38 and showed it to his new navigator. The navigator asked, "What's that for?" and the pilot responded, "Its for my navigator if he gets us lost."
The navigator then pulled out his .45 and proceeded to set his on the chart table. The pilot asked, "What's your .45 for?"
The navigator said, "With all due respect sir, I'll know we're lost before you do."
To: COEXERJ145
Yaaah! I'm in the majority. My daughter worked for an airline. She could probably identify most commercial airliners. Sadly, that knowledge didn't rub off on mom.
27
posted on
04/20/2006 7:17:51 PM PDT
by
asp1
To: Eric in the Ozarks
One thing that you need to understand......I am a TOTAL FAN of SWA. :-)
28
posted on
04/20/2006 7:19:34 PM PDT
by
Howie66
("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
To: Paleo Conservative
29
posted on
04/20/2006 7:20:21 PM PDT
by
fontoon
To: COEXERJ145; asp1
90% of people can only identify two commercial aircraft. The 747 and/or the Concorde. My favorite commercial aircraft was the 727-200 Advanced with the wide body styled interiors and the Braniff "Flying Colors" livery.
To: Dashing Dasher
31
posted on
04/20/2006 7:23:45 PM PDT
by
thackney
(life is fragile, handle with prayer)
To: asp1
Cool, at least I'm not the only weird one
32
posted on
04/20/2006 7:24:47 PM PDT
by
Number57
("Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.")
To: asp1
I can usually identify a 747 by the "hump" on its back
33
posted on
04/20/2006 7:25:36 PM PDT
by
ASA Vet
(Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know.)
To: COEXERJ145; Paleo Conservative
I'd rather have a BBJ myself. :)
34
posted on
04/20/2006 7:25:38 PM PDT
by
phantomworker
("Feel the rain on your skin.No one else can feel it for you.Only you can let it in."---Unwritten)
To: Seaplaner
Some years back, I remember a DC-9 pilot telling me that he really liked the way the airplane handled. I heard that pilots really liked them. I didn't because the wings looked tiny as if it would never get off the ground.
35
posted on
04/20/2006 7:26:15 PM PDT
by
Moonman62
(Federal creed: If it moves tax it. If it keeps moving regulate it. If it stops moving subsidize it)
To: ASA Vet; asp1
Ref post 33.
I suspected the photo wouldn't post correctly so made it a clickable link.
Just click on the pretty red X.
36
posted on
04/20/2006 7:34:15 PM PDT
by
ASA Vet
(Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know.)
To: Number57
Welcome to this very exclusive club! LOL!
37
posted on
04/20/2006 7:35:37 PM PDT
by
asp1
To: ASA Vet
Whoa! Now what in the world is that?
38
posted on
04/20/2006 7:36:22 PM PDT
by
asp1
To: COEXERJ145
90% of people can only identify two commercial aircraft. The 747 and/or the Concorde.
I'm part of that 90%, but put me at the Experimental Aircraft Association Convention in Oshkosh every summer and I'll name all the WWII vintage aircraft on the Flight Line. That's when airplanes had personalities! Today's commercial aircraft are like mid-sized cars, they all look the same.
39
posted on
04/20/2006 7:37:30 PM PDT
by
Tiny
To: Howie66
Having flown AirTran on a round trip....I'll NEVER use them again. AirTran was the first carrier I took that made me say that, as well.
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