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  • McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Question

    I'm going around and around with a friend regarding a supposed name for the DC-10 aircraft. We were comparing the DC-10 to its then rival the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. We both agree that Lockheed named its L-1011 the TriStar. However my friend is claiming that the DC-10 was called the "Air Bus." I argue that while some people may have nicknamed it the "Air Bus" at one time, it should not be considered an official name given to it by McDonnell Douglas. I maintain that the DC-10 was given no official name at all by its creator, other than the USAF's refueling tanker version, the KC-10 "EXTENDER."

    I can find no evidence on line that the DC-10 was named Air Bus, or any other name for that matter.

    ...need an expert here to resolve this please.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Rick G View Post
    I'm going around and around with a friend regarding a supposed name for the DC-10 aircraft. We were comparing the DC-10 to its then rival the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. We both agree that Lockheed named its L-1011 the TriStar. However my friend is claiming that the DC-10 was called the "Air Bus." I argue that while some people may have nicknamed it the "Air Bus" at one time, it should not be considered an official name given to it by McDonnell Douglas. I maintain that the DC-10 was given no official name at all by its creator, other than the USAF's refueling tanker version, the KC-10 "EXTENDER."

    I can find no evidence on line that the DC-10 was named Air Bus, or any other name for that matter.

    ...need an expert here to resolve this please.
    Death Cruiser Ten, it's replacement was More Death Eleven.

    Comment


    • #3
      The name Airbus or airbus or Air-Bus was coined by several European, mostly British, civil airliner manufacturers as long ago as the late 1950s and into the 1960s, usually to describe short-haul high frequency passenger service. The Airbus company that we all now either love or hate was conceived in the late 1960s and formally established in 1970. I have never seen the DC-10 (or any US airframe) described as an Airbus, and I seriously doubt it (but you never know). In any case, the DC-10's development was well under way in 1970 when the Airbus operation was created, so I doubt Douglas would use that name. It's not impossible some airline or advertising agency conceived the name for publicity purposes (and then dropped it because of the European company).

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      • #4
        Originally posted by ATLcrew View Post
        Death Cruiser Ten, it's replacement was More Death Eleven.
        You disagree with some of the design philosophies?
        Les règles de l'aviation de base découragent de longues périodes de dur tirer vers le haut.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by HalcyonDays View Post
          [...] The Airbus company that we all now either love or hate

          was conceived in the late 1960s and formally established in 1970. I have never seen the DC-10 (or any US airframe) described as an Airbus, and I seriously doubt it (but you never know). In any case, the DC-10's development was well under way in 1970 when the Airbus operation was created, so I doubt Douglas would use that name. It's not impossible some airline or advertising agency conceived the name for publicity purposes (and then dropped it because of the European company).
          Airbus is a forbidden word in this forum!

          Not really. But there are language borders. The French are not so amused when they are forced to say something in English. In Europe, that is not a big problem. Iberia has a fleet that does not consist of a single Boeing. Apparently, they have found a language to communicate.

          And wasn't it also in Spain, where 'air bus' was a name for very frequently flown routes, e.g. Barcelona - Madrid?
          (regardless of the a/c type on that route, ...sorry Peter, probably I should write a list: 'frequently used abbreviations' )

          For sure, in Germany there are people who know much more about that story, but... At least here at my home airport, there have not been so many 'Airbuses' before 1987.
          Hate is a cheap word. Let's say conviction.

          LX-A343 is a conviction. A 747 can be a conviction.

          A DC-10? I have not seen yet so many DC-10 nicknames here in this forum. But I should have seen it if somebody here (with US American origin) calls a DC-10 an air bus,
          not since 2008.

          Btw, Europe is not so bad, isn't it. There are European companies who regularly go shopping in the USA (not to mention a company with a crane on their tailfins...).
          The German long haul is alive, 65 years and still kicking.
          The Gold Member in the 747 club, 50 years since the first LH 747.
          And constantly advanced, 744 and 748 /w upper and lower EICAS.
          This is Lohausen International airport speaking, echo delta delta lima.

          Comment


          • #6
            LH744 - goodness, I always struggle to follow your posts, but I do think you've just had a triple bypass sense of humour operation.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by HalcyonDays View Post
              I have never seen the DC-10 (or any US airframe) described as an Airbus, and I seriously doubt it (but you never know).
              That's about to change. Revell Corporation referred to the DC-10 as Airbus when they first released their 1/144 scale model of of the -10. However, that remains the one and only time I've seen that. Exactly where Revell got that term, I'm not real sure.

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              • #8
                Thanks for the responses guys.

                ATLcrew, that Revell DC-10 "AIRBUS" plastic model kit is really an interesting find on your part. It seems to give credence to my friend's claim.

                I find the nick names Death Cruiser Ten and More Death Eleven.... uh.... interesting as well. Those poor folks that perished on those DC-10's.... pretty sad.
                Last edited by Rick G; 2016-04-30, 12:35. Reason: Spelling error

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Rick G View Post
                  Thanks for the responses guys.

                  ATLcrew, that Revell DC-10 "AIRBUS" plastic model kit is really an interesting find on your part. It seems to give credence to my friend's claim.
                  I would be very curious to find out where Revell got the name, especially since they only used it on their initial releases of the model in the early 70s. That kit was re-released quite a few times and in quite a few different liveries, but only the first issues (in Delta, SAS and maybe AA colors) carried that name.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I wonder if it was a name that was used "behind the scenes" in some places but was never widely publicized?

                    If you Google the right terms, you'll find some obscure documents and parts databases that refer to the P&W JT8D engine as the "turbo wasp", even though the term doesn't ever seem to have been used for marketing or publicity, and nobody calls the engines that.
                    Be alert! America needs more lerts.

                    Eric Law

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I think I recall the DC-10 being called and Air Bus.

                      Then again, it was a LOOOONG time ago, and to make an analogy between bus transportation and airplane transportation isn't rocket surgery and my imagination versus my memory on stuff long ago....

                      ATL's find on the model boxes in pretty interesting.
                      Les règles de l'aviation de base découragent de longues périodes de dur tirer vers le haut.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by elaw View Post
                        I wonder if it was a name that was used "behind the scenes" in some places but was never widely publicized?

                        If you Google the right terms, you'll find some obscure documents and parts databases that refer to the P&W JT8D engine as the "turbo wasp", even though the term doesn't ever seem to have been used for marketing or publicity, and nobody calls the engines that.
                        Another widebody of that general era to be referred to as Airbus (more correctly Aerobus in Russian) was the IL-86. A lot of early Aeroflot literature used the term, but it didn't stick there either.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I remember a jp member who has called himself "Deadstick".

                          And, as I live in Europe (the continent where Airbus Industrie was founded in 1970), I don't wanna describe his avatar...

                          I still defend my nickname, because imho, there are not so many European airlines who can present a good balance between
                          Airbus
                          and
                          Boeing.

                          British Air is probably the only one with a similar profile:
                          A388
                          and
                          B747.
                          The German long haul is alive, 65 years and still kicking.
                          The Gold Member in the 747 club, 50 years since the first LH 747.
                          And constantly advanced, 744 and 748 /w upper and lower EICAS.
                          This is Lohausen International airport speaking, echo delta delta lima.

                          Comment

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