Spotting 3-Engine Jet Airliners
Does the Airliner Have Three Engines?
If the airliner has three engines, one in the tail and one each under each wing or one on either side of the rear fuselage, it is an older aircraft, probably a Boeing 727, Douglas DC-10, McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 or Lockheed L-1011. It could also be a Russian-built Tupolev TU-154.
Few of these tri-jets are in service today, and many of those are cargo jets.
Delta Air Lines Boeing 727-200, one engine in the tail, two engines on either side of the rear fuselage |
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Northwest Air Lines Douglas DC-10 |
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Delta Air Lines McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 wide-body tri-jet |
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The wide-body, tri-jet Lockheed L-1011 Tristar |
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Tupolev Tu-154 Medium-Range, Narrow-body Airliner The design of the Tu-154 features a T-Tail, three-engine configuration in the tail, and two six-wheel main landing gear arrangements. It also utilizes on each side of the fuselage three cabin doors along with two over-the-wing emergency exit doors. Seating capacity ranges from 164 - 180 passengers. In total, 930 Tu-154 aircraft were built. (Photo courtesy of Tupolev) |
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