McDonnell 119

McDonnell 119/220

Role: Transport aircraft
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft
First flight: February 11, 1959
Number built: 1

The McDonnell 119/220 was a business jet produced by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in the mid-1950s. It had a configuration that was unique by bizjet standards, with four jet engines mounted in individual pods underneath a low wing; it could accommodate 10 passengers in a luxury executive configuration but could carry as many as 26.

The Model 119 was originally designed to compete for the U.S. Air Force's UTX/UCX (Utility-Trainer Experimental/Utility-Cargo Experimental) contract, but when it lost to the Lockheed L-1329 JetStar (called the C-140 in Air Force service) in the fall of 1959, the McDonnell corporation began efforts to market the type commercially. The company's first tactic was to draw up a deal with Pan American World Airways that would have involved the airline leasing 170 jets for five years, but when no other airline orders materialized, McDonnell decided that opening up a new assembly line for 170 leased aircraft was unfeasible. Instead, they renamed the plane the Model 220 (to commemorate the start of the company's second 20 years of existence) and commenced wide-ranging marketing efforts to sell the aircraft as a business jet, including contacting the 750 largest corporations in the United States. There were no takers, even for the single prototype that had already been constructed.

The McDonnell Corporation used the airplane as a VIP transport for a few years before donating it to the Flight Safety Foundation's research facility in Phoenix, Arizona. The commercial failure of the Model 220 is credited with being one of the reasons McDonnell never again attempted a commercial project before merging with the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967.

The sole prototype McDonnell 220 remains in outdoor storage at El Paso International Airport in El Paso, TX. In October 2009, it was listed for sale by its current owner in Phoenix, AZ.

Specifications (McDonnell 220)

General characteristics

Crew: two pilots and one flight attendant
Capacity: 10 passengers (executive configuration); up to 26 in high-density layout
Length: 66 ft 6 in (20.11 m) ()
Wingspan: 57 ft 7 in (17.42 m) ()
Height: 23 ft 8 in (7.15 m) ()
Wing area: 550 ft² (51.1 m²) ()
Empty weight: 41,000 lb (11,477 kg) ()
Loaded weight: 44,500 lb (18,597 kg) ()
Max takeoff weight: 44,500 lb (18,597 kg) ()
Powerplant: 4x— turbojet Westinghouse J34 turbojet, 2,980 lbf (13.3 kN) thrust each () each

Performance

Maximum speed: 560 mph (903 km/h)
Cruise speed: 520 mph (839 km/h)
Range: 3,000 miles (4,840 km) ()
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,600 m) ()
Thrust/weight: 0.291

Comparable aircraft

Lockheed JetStar
North American Sabreliner

Pilot News, April 1982
Professional Pilots' Rumour Network
Yenne, Bill (1988). McDonnell Douglas. Crescent. ISBN 978-0517442876

McDonnell 119 Pictures and McDonnell 119 for Sale.

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia