Douglas DC-9-20
The Douglas DC-9-20 was a specialised short-field version of the DC-9, combining the original -10's shorter fuselage with the more powerful engines and larger wing developed for the later -30 model. That combination gave it particularly strong performance from short or high-altitude runways that the standard -10 struggled with. Relatively few were built compared with other DC-9 variants, making it one of the rarer members of the family. It illustrated how the flexible basic DC-9 design could be tailored to specific airline route requirements.
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Did you know?
The DC-9-20 is a rare short-field specialist, pairing the -10's compact fuselage with the -30's more powerful engines.
Specifications
| Length | 31.8 m (104 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 28.5 m (93 ft) |
| Height | 8.4 m (27 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 90 |
| Persons on board | 78-90 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 45 t |
| Range | 1,600 NM (2,963 km) |
| Maximum speed | 490 kt (907 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 37,000 ft (11,278 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 33,000 ft (10,058 m) |
| Rate of climb | 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 1,600 m (5,249 ft) |
| Landing distance | 1,500 m (4,921 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 13,925 l |
| Engines | 2x Pratt & Whitney JT8D-11 |
| Units built | 10 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Douglas DC-9-20 starts as a Very rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
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