page_title: Douglas DC-8
section_title: Series 50
hierarchical_section_title: Douglas DC-8 / Variants / Series 50
caption_attribution_description: 1987/88 Honolulu Hawaii
context_page_description: The Douglas DC-8 is a narrow-body airliner built by the American Douglas Aircraft Company.
  After losing the May 1954 USAF tanker requirement to the Boeing KC-135, Douglas announced in July 1955 its derived jetliner project.
  In October 1955, Pan Am made the first order along with the competing Boeing 707, and many other airlines followed.
  The first DC-8 was rolled out in Long Beach Airport on 9 April 1958 and flew for the first time on 30 May.
  FAA certification was achieved in August 1959 and the DC-8 entered service with Delta Air Lines on September 18.
  The six-abreast, low wing airliner was a four-engined jet aircraft, the initial variants are 151 ft long.
  The DC-8-10 was powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3C turbojets and had a 273,000 lb MTOW, the DC-8-20 had more powerful JT4A turbojets for a 276,000 lb MTOW.
  The intercontinental models had more fuel capacity and up to 315,000 lb MTOW, powered JT4As for the Series 30 and by Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans for the Series 40.
  The Pratt & Whitney JT3D powered the later DC-8-50 and freighters versions reached a MTOW of 325,000 lb.
  The improved Series 60 was announced in April 1965.
context_section_description: The definitive short-fuselage DC-8 came with the same engine that powered the vast majority of 707s, the JT3D. Twenty earlier DC-8s were converted to this standard. All but the -55 were certified in 1961. The DC-8-51, DC-8-52 and DC-8-53 all had 17,000 lb (76.1 kN) JT3D-1 or 18,000 lb (80.6 kN) JT3D-3B engines, varying mainly in their weights: 276,000 pounds (125,200 kg), 300,000 pounds (136,100 kg) and 315,000 pounds (142,900 kg) respectively. The DC-8-55 arrived in June 1964, retaining the JT3D-3B engines but with strengthened structure from the freighter versions and 325,000-pound (147,420 kg) maximum weight. 142 DC-8-50s were built plus the 20 converted from Series 10/30/40.
  DC-8 Jet Trader: Douglas approved the development of freighter versions of the DC-8 in May 1961, based on the Series 50. An original plan to fit a fixed bulkhead separating the forward ⅔ of the cabin for freight, leaving the rear cabin for 54 passenger seats was soon replaced by a more practical one to use a movable bulkhead and allow anywhere between 25 and 114 seats with the remainder set aside for cargo. A large cargo door was fitted into the forward fuselage, the cabin floor was reinforced and the rear pressure bulkhead was moved by nearly 7 feet (2.1 m) to make more space. Airlines could order a windowless cabin but only United did, ordering 15 in 1964. The DC-8F-54 had a maximum takeoff weight of 315,000 pounds (142,880 kg) and the DC-8F-55 325,000 pounds (147,420 kg). Both used 18,000 lb (80.6 kN) JT3D-3B powerplants. 62 aircraft built (plus one converted from a standard DC-8-50 and two of the three converted DC-8-40s).
  EC-24A: A single former United Airlines DC-8-54 (F) was used by the United States Navy as an electronic warfare training platform. It was retired in October 1998 and is now in storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.
caption: The unique EC-24A electronic warfare trainer of the US Navy
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