Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Earp
Granted, the biggest thing I ever flew on was an L-1011, but according to piolets it was one of the bst planes ever made. But the DC - 10 by McDonald won out. Didnt trust a plane when the engine was sticking out of the tail! Especially when the one went down in Chicago! 
Bigger isnt always better! |
I've flown in the 'TriTanic' (the L1011 TriStar), the 'Death Cruiser' (the DC-10) and the 'Whale' (the Boeing 747). The Tristar, while a better aircraft than the DC-10, was hobbled by only one engine selection (Rolls Royce RB.211) that nearly killed the program.
AA 191 (the DC-10 that bought it in Chicago that May day in 1979) was a victim of poor maintenance practices and a poor redundant design. When the engine tore off the left wing, it took out the hydraulic system for the wing leading edge slats. While the 'Diesel 10' had better sales, it could never shake off the stigma of AA 191.