Feb 3 1988
From The Space Library
An experimental jetliner being developed by McDonnell Douglas Corporation debuted in a one-hour flight from the Douglas Aircraft Facility in Long Beach, California. The aircraft, with one unducted fan (UDF) engine and one ordinary jet engine, was a forerunner of the planned MD-91 and MD-92 passenger jets that McDonnell Douglas was actively marketing to airlines. The UDF engine, developed by GE, had demonstrated significant reductions in fuel consumption over conventional jet engines. McDonnell Douglas MD-91 and MD-92 airliners were being developed to meet the expected demand among airlines for alternative, fuel-efficient aircraft during the latter 1990s. "This is as big a jump in technology as going from propellers to jets," said Walt Orlowski, program manager for the experimental aircraft. "We are at the forefront of aviation technology." (LA Times, Feb 3/88)
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