Together with the Boeing 707, the (McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 meant the start of the jet-age. This new form of propulsion offered a lot of advantages, like a higher speed and, as a direct result, a shorter fight time. The use of jet-engines has grown out to the standard for all large aircraft. Boeing wasn't the first to come with a jet (that was deHavilland with its Comet), Douglas was even less in a hurry. The factory could look back on successful years. They thought their would be a gradual switch from propellers to jet aircraft and that turboprops would rule the market in the end. But that proved a disappointment.

Since the start of the project, the manufacturer was behind its most important rival, Boeing. When the 707 made its first flight, Douglas just announced the DC-8. The DC-8 was already one year running behind time when Boeing delivered their first jet. That cost the plane a lot of customers. Despite airlines were a little scared for the new techniques (because of a series of crashes with the Comet which, as was proven later, didn't have anything to do with the engines), it became a success. Airlines ordered the jets because their competitors did so. They made a big bet by investing large sums of money in the new planes. That's why most of them chose one of the two. Pan Am, however, ordered both planes from Boeing and from Douglas. Many said this was an act of recklessness.

When the DC-8 finally made its first flight, it was halfway 1958. In the meantime, orders were collected from large airlines like United Airlines (once part of Boeing), KLM, Japan Airlines and SAS. Other important players on the market of air travel, under which Air France, American Airlines, BOAC (the predecessor British Airways), Qantas and Lufthansa, chose for the 707. In the beginning of 1958, so before any plane was delivered, the DC-8 had 133 orders, its rival 150. Later on, that one would draw ahead even more in favour of the Boeing 707.
But Douglas, full of confidence about their own product, would retrieve this! The DC-8 was offered in different versions in which only the engines en operating weights were different. Boeing proved way smarter by producing different lengths. Douglas refuse to do so and when the factory finally agreed, it was too late. Sales dropped to 20 planes a year, most of them being fitted as a cargo aircraft. A very though lesson for the manufacturer.

Before the plane was discontinued in 1972, Douglas introduced drastically improved versions. First, the firm came with the Super Sixties, a stretched model, and the Super Seventies. That last one had engines that were much more quiet than its predecessors. Besides this advantage, they used less fuel. These types shared their major characteristic with their older brothers: the 'nostrils' at the front of the aircraft.

(McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 Series 10 (1958)

The first model was the DC-8-11. Later on, the C-8-12 was introduced. It featured a couple of modifications: the cruising speed turned out to be lower than it said in folders and advertisements, so parts were added to reduce drag. All -11's have later been converted into the DC-8-12. The type made its first flight on May 30, 1958.

(McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 Series 20 (1958)

A couple of months after the first flight of the Series 10, the air-christening of the Series 20 followed on the 29^th of November 1958. The only difference with the 10 were the more powerful engines. They were the reason the maximum take-off weight increased to 125 tonnes. Originally, this plane was called the DC-8B (the DC-8A was the Series 10_ but when the 30 was introduced, this was changed.

(McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 Series 30 (1960)

The Series 30 was fitted with, once again, new engines. Furthermore, extra fuel tanks were installed, which made the plane suitable for intercontinental flights. As last difference, there is the strengthened landing gear and fuselage. Of the Series 30 were three versions, the DC-8-31, DC-8-32 and DC-8-33. Mutual variants are distinguished by the MTOW, that started at 136 tonnes (DC-8-31), increased to 140 tonnes (DC-8-32) and increased again to 143 tonnes (DC-8-33). This was realized by installing other engines. Just as with the DC-8-11 and DC-8-12, many Series 30 were converted into DC-8-33. Of the more than 500 planes that were built, the first flew on February 21, 1959. Over a year later (March 1960), the DC-8-31 got its type certificate, the DC-8-33 got that paper in November the same year.

(McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 Series 40 (1961)

A good move of Douglas was the installation of better, more quiet and more powerful engines on the DC-8. It's a pity they came from the English company Rolls-Royce, what led to the fact that many American airlines didn't buy the Series 40. They preferred engines from own soil. Besides this, the aircraft are similar to the one in the Series 30, just like the different take-off weights. This type was sold over 30 times and made its first flight on the 23^rd of July 1959.

(McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 Series 50 (1964)

Maybe because the 707 was equipped with them as well, Douglas instaleld JT3D-engines from Pratt & Whitney on the DC-8. The MTOW rose from 126 tot 142 tonnes, equally distributed over 3 variants: the DC-8-51, -52 and -53. The last version was adjusted when the freighter was introduced, which made its first flight on the 20^th of October 1962, ten months after the passenger version had left the runway for the very first time. Because of this adjustment, the maximum take-off weight increased to 147 tonnes.
In May 1961, the American aircraft manufacturer started with the development of a freighter-model, the Jet Trader. This plane was based on the Series 50 and was distinguished by type-numbers -54 and -55. The engineers placed a dividing wall to separate cargo from passengers. The airliner was still capable of transporting 114 passengers, but could also be used almost completely (leaving 25 seats in the cabin) for cargo. The option to have a windowless cabin, was ordered by just one customer. The cargodoor did prove popular and became part of the standard equipment.

(McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 Super Sixties (1966)

As first model of the Super Sixties, the DC-8-61 was produced. After a successful first flight on March 14, 1966, the machine was shown to the public. In front of the wing, 6 metres were added, after it was a stretch of 5 metres. This made the plane look tall and slim, a fact that was used for jokes once in a while. Some concluded that Douglas had shares in the sewer-pipe factory downtown. Sewer-pipe or not, there was seating capacity for 210 to 268 persons. That made it, until the introduction of the 747 the largest passenger airplane you could buy.
The DC-8-62 was added in 1967. It was a long-distance version of the DC-8 that sacrificed cabin space for a larger range. Compared to the first models, the -62 was only stretched two metres, one in front and one after the wing. The manufacturer did everything possible to reduce the air resistance. Changes include larger wings (which resulted in extra fuel capacity) and other engine supports. There was a seat for almost 160 passengers in the second type of the Super Sixties, which flew for the first time on the 29^th of August 1966.
A final Super Sixty was the DC-8-63, that was introduced in 1968. The jet combined the best of both worlds, the worlds being the DC-8-61 and -62 here. It was fitted with the longer fuselage of the first one and had the wings of the last. The engines were also modernized so that the maximum take-off weight increased to 159 tonnes. An important day was the 10^th of April 1967, when the plane made its first flight. Almost half of the 107 aircraft that were built, was delivered as convertible or full freighter.

(McDonnell) Douglas DC-8 Super Seventies (1982)

The Super Seventies weren't as innovative as the Sixties. They were actually improvements over that model. Converting a DC-8-61 in a -71 was more work than a -62 into a -72, or a -63 in a -73. You see, the Super Seventies were based on the DC-8-62, that featured some new things compared to the -61 already. To make a -72 or -73 these didn't need to be constructed again, but they had for the -61. The differences with -62 and -63 were new engines. After this adjustment, they took off as -72 and -73. The first time they did so was on December 5, 1981, and March 4, 1982. The DC-8-71 made its first flight on the 15^th of August, 1981. More than 100 Super Sixties were converted.