[AMD] AA MD-80 tailcones

The story on the MD-80 tailcones is from us old timers!

The Mad Dog as delivered did not have the broad tail cones – it had a DC-9 style pointy-rounded tail cone.  Recall that the AA MD-80’s are the oldest airplane in the fleet – coming into service in 1981 – I think AA  was one of the delivery customers.   A study showed the tail cones reduced fuel burn 3-5% I think the number was by smoothing the airflow off the fuselage.  Remember, an airline would kill all of its employees and their mothers and grandmothers for a 1% reduction in fuel burn, so this was a huge reduction even when they were paying 37 cents a gallon for jet fuel. So – Boeing wanted 250k for replacement tailcones – AA reverse engineered the idea and got a PMA to make them themselves.  I am certain Boeing would not sue a good customer for infringement and likely gave AA permission to make the tailcones themselves.  I honestly recall reading an AWST article that the 767ER order was contingent on permission to make the tail cones.

So there you have it.   Back then Clint Groves invented a way to make an MD-80 model using parts from 2 Airfix [imported by MPC back then] DC-9-30 kits and the Revell 1/120 DC-9 – I did the conversion for a PSA MD-80 – I think it honestly looked better than the Minicraft kit – as good as the Minicraft kit is!   There was also the conversion for making a DC-9-10 and a DC-9-50 series out of 2 DC-9 kits.  We actually had to be modelers back  then!

I just dug out of storage my Allen Hess MD-80 and L-1011-500 conversions [having built the –SP as a United bird] which are no worse for wear being stored for literally 25 years – most of which was in a 55 degree dark basement, and also my Leoman 737 and 757 kits.  Anyone remember how bad those were?  I ended up using parts of a 737-200 and the Leoman 737-300 to make an AirCal 737-300 that looked really sharp – as long as you did not look at the kludgey landing gear assys.    

Those of you new to airliner modeling have no idea how bad the 1980’s and early 90’s were to be in this hobby. . . .

Joe Farrell

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