IATA D92ICAO DC92

Douglas DC-9-20

Douglas

TravelerPulse profile

Short-range variant optimized for Scandinavian routes.

First flight

1968

Category

Narrow-body jet

Seating

65–90

Range

2,400 km

Engines

Two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9 or JT8D-11 turbofans

Status

Retired

The Douglas DC-9-20 is a short-fuselage variant of the DC-9 family, developed primarily to meet the operational requirements of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). It combined the shorter fuselage of the DC-9-10 with the more powerful JT8D-9 or JT8D-11 engines and the larger wing of the DC-9-30, giving it superior hot-and-high and short-field performance. Only 10 aircraft of this variant were built, making it one of the rarest members of the DC-9 family. Its enhanced aerodynamic configuration allowed it to operate efficiently from shorter Scandinavian airstrips and in cold-weather conditions typical of the region. The DC-9-20 entered service in the late 1960s and served primarily with SAS for many years. Like most first-generation DC-9 variants, it has since been retired from commercial service.

Notable operators

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) was the primary and essentially sole operator of the DC-9-20.

Notable facts

›Only 10 DC-9-20s were ever built, making it the rarest DC-9 variant.
›Combined the short fuselage of the DC-9-10 with the larger wing of the DC-9-30.
›Developed specifically to meet SAS requirements for Scandinavian short-field operations.
›Its more powerful engines and larger wing gave it superior performance in cold and high-altitude conditions.
›Entered commercial service around 1968 with SAS.