6 hours ago, Stoker said:

No idea, but my uneducated guess is that the common MD-10/11 type rating means that the MD-10s will keep flying longer than they would have if they were a different type, which would in theory keep the supply chain open.

You know the "MD-10" is a different aircraft than the DC-10, in that the MD-10 has been modified with the flight deck of the MD-11 (which eliminates the flight engineer position)?

It is a different type rating (for the pilots).

3 hours ago, Hacker said:

You know the "MD-10" is a different aircraft than the DC-10, in that the MD-10 has been modified with the flight deck of the MD-11 (which eliminates the flight engineer position)?

It is a different type rating (for the pilots).

Yes, but given that you can convert a DC-10 into an MD-10 I assume there is at least some level of parts commonality (or else why convert them at all?).

3 hours ago, Stoker said:

Yes, but given that you can convert a DC-10 into an MD-10 I assume there is at least some level of parts commonality (or else why convert them at all?).

The purpose was for operators of both DC-10s and MD-11s to have a common pilot type rating to streamline training costs, as well as modernize the avionics and remove the FE position (and remove the weight associated with both).

I still don't know what kind of parts commonality there is in terms of the airframe, systems, etc, between the KC-10 and MD-11. The MD has a different wing, different horizontal stab, a different empennage, a different #2 engine design...so far as I'm aware, parts commonality with the DC-10 fleet was never a selling point of the MD-11.

FedEx is slowly retiring the entire MD-10 fleet, so there could be a small number of MD-10s available in the boneyard to support KC-10 fleet sustainment, although as mentioned earlier it sounds like the parts which really matter to keeping the KC-10 mission capable are KC-10 specific.

Edited September 22, 20205 yr by Hacker