Lufthansa Cargo has decided to speed up there retirement plans for MD-11F by 4 years. Now the retirement for the remaining 10 MD-11F will be completed during 2020. Since I love the MD-11. It’s sad to see them go. Twin Engine aircrafts are far better when it comes down to CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency but nothing can beat the AWESOMENESS of a triple engine aircraft!! We still have FedEx and UPS flying the MD-10 and the MD-11 so I hope FedEx and UPS will consider extending their life time rather than retiring them.
Shame to see Lufthansa retire the MD-11 early but I guess everything has to come to an end. 22 years (by the time they retire) service with Lufthansa isn’t a bad innings.
I really have no preference with the MD-11. It’s a pretty old aircraft and obviously out of step with this generation’s aircraft. However, Lufthansa’s commitment to using it as a cargo hauler is still going strong and the hard part to accept is their retirement.
I went on YT and took a look at some AirClips.com videos with the MD-11F. The pilots said the aerodynamics are an exception compared to other aircraft. They said the wings are smaller but there was a tail engine that changed the game.
Landing is also a challenge because of the strange dynamics. Speeds are often quite high (150-160, or even higher), so they need more runway length as to safely land (without using high autobrake power, etc). The MD-11F pilots explained that while they may be able to land, they also need sufficient runway length to takeoff. This may be just one reason the MD-11Fs are being retired quickly.
And their cargo routes are a challenge because of many high-elevation airports they land at (Quito as an example, which is over 9000ft high and MD-11Fs cannot land at airports over 10k high). This means either:
-More runway needed
-Faster landing speed
The only problem is the runway lengths at some of the airports the MDs land at. They’re short. And they have to land at higher speeds. This poses a challenge (as mentioned) for the pilots. This is, however, still a challenge for the 777F but they can slow down faster due to their lower landing speed. Another reason (I still might be wrong) why the 777Fs are chosen to replace the MDs.
It just shows how unique the MD-11 is. There is no other tri-jet flying with a glass cockpit(apart from the FedEx MD-10s) and connecting the global economy brilliantly today other than the MD-11.
