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So what is the difference between the DC10 and MD10? Is there anything external? I saw a FedEx DC10 and it didn't have a center gear. I am almost certain it was a DC10, yet I see pictures of DC10's with the center gear.
So my question is does the MD10 and DC10 have any really big differences?
Yes. DC10-10 and DC10-15 did not have center landing gear (CLG).
DC10-30, DC10-40, and MD11 do.
.....though here's where it can sometimes get tricky:
if they wanted to, the pilots could independently keep the CLG locked and retracted during ground ops, thus making a DC10-30/40 look like a DC10-10/15.
The MD11 and A340-200/300 could also operate without it.
It does not, however, apply to the A340-500/600, who use a CMLG (center main landing gear) which also has brakes, and is designed to make contact with the runway at the same time as the other MLGs, as well as absorb landing load.... none of which the D10/M11/A342/A343's CLG did.
that doesn't make sense. Don't all airliners use one lever for the landing gear? How would they select the option.
as an off topic aside, I went into the China Eastern 346 in Toronto while I was working and was amazed at how much length exists between that second door and the flight deck
that doesn't make sense. Don't all airliners use one lever for the landing gear? How would they select the option.
On the DC-10-30/40 models a center gear isolation switch is installed on the F/O side of the main panel. It has two positions: UP and NORM. In the UP position the center gear is inhibited in the retracted position. This also inhibits center gear warnings.
On the -342/343 the center gear is inhibited in the up position by maintenance action, it's not a flight crew function.
As far as I know, the MD-10 is only in service with FedEx. FedEx had original DC-10s - both Series 10 and Series 30 - fitted with more modern flightdecks, allowing two-man operations. These refurbished DC-10s became MD-10s - noticable from the "MD-10"-stickers on the nose. As for the center landing gear question in the DC-10 and MD-11, it's pretty simple: If the aircraft has winglets, it's an MD-11 (but you can also tell from the longer fuselage).
If it does have a center landing gear (but no winglets) it's a DC-10-30 (or MD-10-30). If it does not have a center landing gear, it's a DC-10-10 (or MD-10-10). Chances of encountering a DC-10-30 (or MD-10-30) with a locked center landing gear are slim. The Series 10 also has a smaller wingspan compared to the Series 30, which you can theoretically figure out from the longer outboard slat element on the wing of the Series 30 (if the center gear was retracted). Compare...
Series 30
Series 10
By the way - Series 10 and Series 40 can be told apart by the 40s bigger engine intake on the center engine.
I can tell the difference between the MD10 and MD11, but was mainly wondering about the MD10 and DC10.
These freighters are such beautiful airplanes, too bad FedEx is doing what all airlines are doing and saying, "Why do with three what can be done with two."
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