Originally Posted by
Turbine D
Should Boeing decide to lengthen the current 757, I hope they do a better structural design than Douglas did in lengthening the DC-8 to the DC-8-61. If you sat in one of the rearmost row of seats and the aircraft was experiencing moderate turbulence, it gave one the feeling the rear section was going to torque off from the sections more forward, it was so visibly noticeable. It scared the heck out of unknowing passengers...
On the contrary, that built in flexibility was key to the strength of the airframe, better to bend than break
Look at the incredible longevity of the DC8 and you’ll realize Douglas got it right