The McDonnell-Douglas MD-83 is based on a McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 model which has been lengthened and updated. The MD-83 has twin body-mount Pratt & Whitney engines which generate 21,000 pounds of thrust each. The DC-9 was relaunched as the MD-80 in 1983; a long-range and more fuel-efficient version named the MD-83 was launched a few years later. The flight range of the MD-83 is about 2,620 nautical miles, and the maximum capacity is 172, but the Allegiant Air version seats only 150--all coach. The MD-83 has a wingspan of just under 108 feet and a total length just under 148 feet. Some 265 MD-83 aircraft have been produced, and Allegiant Air's fleet is operating 24 MD-83 jets as of March 2011.
The McDonnell-Douglas MD-87 is also based on the DC-9 and is a shorter, more compact variation of the MD-80 model which was released in 1985. The MD-87 has twin body-mount Pratt & Whitney engines which provide 20,000 pounds of thrust each. The MD-87 is equipped with extra fuel tanks for added range and has a maximum capacity of 139 passengers, although the Allegiant Air version seats just 130--all coach. The approximate wing span of the MD-87 is just under 108 feet, and the total length is just over 130 feet. A total of 75 MD-87s were produced, and Allegiant Air operates 24 of them as of March 2011.
The Boeing 757-200 is a medium-range jet aircraft first released in 1982 as an improvement on the old class of three engine jets which used more fuel and lower top speeds. The 757-200 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney or Rolls Royce engines which generate anywhere from 36,600 to 43,500 pounds of thrust each. The maximum range for a 757-200 equipped with reserve fuel tanks is over 4,500 nautical miles, and the maximum passenger load is 228. Allegiant Air currently owns only two Boeing 757-200s which are kept in storage and are not part of the active fleet. Allegiant Air has a third 757-200 on order from Boeing as of March 2011.
The McDonnel-Douglas DC-9 is the basis for all MD-80 models and was first introduced in 1965 as a short-range aircraft designed to handle takeoffs and landings on the shorter runways formerly used by propeller-driven planes. Five versions of the DC-9 were built, with the Series 50 being the newest and largest with a 139-passenger capacity and two body-mounted Pratt & Whitney 16,000-pound thrust engines. The last DC-9 was produced in 1992. The only DC-9 owned by Allegiant Air is currently on loan to another airline.
