MD-94X

The MD‑94X was a proposed stretch of the MD‑90 family that McDonnell Douglas began studying in the early 1990s. Intended as a direct competitor to the Boeing 757‑200, the concept called for a 30‑foot fuselage extension, allowing seating for up to 165 passengers in a single‑aisle configuration. The design would have retained the MD‑90’s advanced quiet‑wing, high‑by‑wing layout and its IAE V2500 turbofan engines, but with upgraded thrust ratings to improve take‑off performance from hot and high airports. A key feature was the incorporation of a modern glass cockpit derived from the MD‑90 and the later MD‑95 (Boeing 717), providing pilots with digital flight displays and enhanced navigation capabilities. Although wind‑tunnel testing and preliminary cost‑benefit analyses were completed, the MD‑94X never progressed beyond the study phase. Market conditions shifted after the 1997 merger that formed Boeing, and airline interest gravitated toward the established 757 platform. Nevertheless, the MD‑94X project illustrated McDonnell Douglas’s ambition to fill a midsize market niche and contributed technical insights that later appeared in the Boeing 737 Next‑Generation series. Its legacy endures as a testament to innovative thinking in regional jet development.

McDonnell Douglas

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Design & Classification