McDonnell Douglas MD-11

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a wide-body, three-engine commercial airliner that entered service in 1990 as a stretched, more efficient and longer-range development of the earlier DC-10, retaining its distinctive third engine mounted at the base of the tail fin. Improvements included a new wing with winglets, updated engines, and a modernized two-crew glass cockpit that eliminated the flight engineer's position the DC-10 had required, giving airlines a jet capable of very long-range routes with lower operating costs than its predecessor. Built in both passenger and freighter versions, the MD-11 found lasting success as a cargo aircraft even after passenger demand shifted toward twin-engine wide-bodies, and the type remained in active freighter service with major cargo carriers for decades after production ended in 2000.