MIAMI – Today in Aviation, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 took to the skies for the first time in 1965, gaining its type certificate nine months later.
During the 1950s, there was a growing demand for an economical aircraft for frequent short-range flights to small airports with short runways. In order to meet this demand, the Douglas Aircraft Company started to work on an economical design to compliment their DC-8.
Initially, the company designed a four-engine aircraft to be primarily used on medium-range flights. Unfortunately for Douglas, the design did not generate strong interest.
In 1960, Douglas signed a two-year contract with Sud Aviation to read more ⇒
Source:: “Airways Magazine”