McDonnell Douglas MD-87

The McDonnell Douglas MD‑87 is a narrow‑body airliner derived from the MD‑80 series. Its first flight occurred on November 20, 1986 and it entered service with American Airlines in 1987. Intended for airlines that required fewer seats but still needed longer range, the MD‑87 has a fuselage about 3.5 m (12 ft) shorter than the MD‑82, accommodating up to 172 passengers in a single‑class configuration. It is powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D‑219 low‑bypass turbofan engines, offering higher thrust and better fuel efficiency, while retaining the wing design of its predecessor. The aircraft shares a common glass cockpit and avionics suite across the MD‑80 family, and its reinforced landing gear permits operations from shorter runways and hot‑and‑high airports. Production ended in 1999 after 203 units were built, but the type found a niche with carriers such as Delta, United, and Turkish Airlines, and it was adapted for military transport as the C‑9B. The MD‑87’s blend of capacity, range, and operating economics helped extend the relevance of the MD‑80 line into the late 1990s, marking it as a key transitional design between classic jets and newer regional airliners.

McDonnell Douglas

McDonnell Douglas MD-87

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification