The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (now Boeing MD-11) is a big three-engined long-haul airliner seating 300 up to 400 passengers. The aircraft is a further development of the earlier and reasonably successful DC-10.
Since the DC-10 entered airline service in the early 1970s McDonnell Douglas studied several possible further developments, including stretched versions and even twin-engined aircraft. However, due to economic stagnation it lasted until December 1986 that the aircraft manufacturer launched the MD-11, which is essentially a stretched DC-10.
The aircraft was presented as a long-haul airliner to fly on routes for which the Boeing 747 was too big. The main competitors of the aircraft were the four-engined Airbus A340 and later the twin-engined Boeing 777. Apart from a longer fuselage (seating around 50 extra passengers) the MD-11 incorporates changes like a two-crew computerised 'glass' cockpit, improved engines, winglets and a restyled interior. The airliner has the biggest underfloor cargo volume of any modern airliner. The MD-11 made its first flight on January 10 1990 and in December 1990 Finnair became the first operator.
From the beginning McDonnell Douglas offered a variety of versions, including the MD-11ER (Extended Range), the MD-11F (Freighter), the MD-11C (Combi) and the MD-11CF (Convertible Freighter with a convertible passenger/cargo interior). Later the aircraft manufacturer considered stretched versions, including a new wing and an underfloor 'panorama deck' seating, but these versions were never built.
 The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 wasn't a success. One of the reasons was that the aircraft initially didn't meet its targets for range and fuel burn. Although the orderbook totalled orders, options and commitments for more than 300 at the time of the first flight, only 200 aircraft were built. Some important customers, like the British airline Air Europe, suspended flying; other carriers, like Singapore Airlines, cancelled their orders and chose the Airbus A340 instead.
In November 1997 Boeing took over McDonnell Douglas. At first it intended to keep the MD-11 in production as a freighter. However, because of lack of demand Boeing soon decided to close the assembly line. The last aircraft built, a MD-11F, was delivered to Lufthansa in February 2001.
Only very few airlines still fly the MD-11 as a passenger aircraft. Many MD-11s are converted to freighters and in this role the aircraft is quite popular among cargo airlines.
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