MD-80 Freighter

[Flying Mechanic]

How's the success of this aircraft been?

[Anilv]

Stage II, not susceptible to FOD, cheap engines, built like a tank, low aquisition cost, low-tech hydraulics and electrics/computers.

Figure we'll see a lot of them in Africa!

Anil

[CargoOne]

They've delivered one or two. Claiming to have orders for 20 but customers are not disclosed, apart from USA Jets and Everts (without specifying even a number of their respective orders). Looks a bit fishy

[stilton]

Wing ice is a pain in the *** crappy brakes, leaks in the rain, or when being deiced, enjoy the glycol in your lap. Weak ineffective air conditioning.


Sluggish and unresponsive in roll, way oversensitive in pitch, totally the opposite of what most Pilots like. Poor / non existent high altitude performance.


That's the bad, good, very simple and reliable, quiet cockpit.

[Phantomflight]

Man, I sure feel sorry for the pilots who fly for Everts Air Cargo.. Talk about a hard, underpaid situation to be in..

[atpcliff]

When i was flying DC-9 freighters in Africa, our "chief pilot" said that the MD-80 freighters (they are all the long-bodied aircraft, not MD-87 conversions) were better, overall, as freighters than the 737s. He thought they would do a fantastic job on the shorter routes (those requiring something smaller than a 757).

cliff
PVG

[No Fly Zone]

Airframe Cost

The largest advantage (IMO) is the initial airframe cost. Even modest total hour/cycle frames are are easily had a garage sale prices and the Dog series was made with lots or real metal, so major mods in the conversion are minimal. As others have noted, fuel burn at near MTOW will be high, but package carriers are used to that. For a specialty carrier, perhaps on a fixed schedule with light loads and small containers, I can imagine a few of them. Two hundred MD-80F conversions seems like some salesman's wet dream. (And sadly, MD-80 drivers in need of work are cheap.)

[atpcliff]

I think there could be a big demand in developing areas: Africa, SE Asia, South America....especially places where it takes a LONG time to deliver stuff via ground, and air transport is the only viable solution.

Flying an MD freighter is WAY less expensive than flying a 757. It is also less expensive than a DC-9, as they can hold a lot more, fly further, and burn less fuel. I think that they hold more than the 737 freighters, and between the initial cost and the cost to pay pilots, I think the MD is the way to go.

cliff
ANC

[diego727]

Mexican cargo carrier Aeronaves TSM is one of the customers of the type with 2 on order, one is currently undergoing conversion in Miami, it's expected to begin flying with the company next summer.

[flarepilot]

just a couple of points


leaking while deicing...well, you stuff paper towels in the DV window and no problem

you see, when you deice, the plane isn't pressurized and the windows do leak...but if you know what to do, it won't hurt you.

as to noise...we were the launch customer of the 737 with the CFM56 engines and it turned out that they were noiser than the MD80s we had...as we operated many segments out of Washington National we found we could land later with the MD80 than the 737...(washington has some very strict noise rules)

And anyone that has heard an MD90 takeoff, it stage 4! wow is it quiet.


This type will be a fine freighter and I am glad that they are being converted.