Mcdonnell Douglas MD-83
The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 added extra fuel capacity to the MD-82, extending its range for longer routes without needing a larger, more expensive aircraft. That extra range made it popular with charter airlines and carriers flying longer domestic or short international routes. It shares the same basic fuselage, wing, and rear-mounted engines as the rest of the MD-80 family, tracing its lineage directly back to the original DC-9. Many remained in active passenger and cargo service well into the 2010s, decades after production ended.

Did you know?
The MD-83 added extra fuel capacity to the MD-82, extending its range for longer routes without a larger, costlier aircraft.
Specifications
| Length | 45.1 m (148 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 32.9 m (108 ft) |
| Height | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 172 |
| Persons on board | 142-172 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 72.5 t |
| Range | 2,504 NM (4,637 km) |
| Maximum speed | 500 kt (926 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 | 2,052 m (6,732 ft) |
| Landing distance | 1,585 m (5,200 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 26,500 l |
| Engines | 2x Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 |
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 Mcdonnell Douglas MD-83 starts as a 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.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Mcdonnell Douglas, the MD-80 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
More from the MD-80 family
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.