Business: Introducing the New Superjet Set

THE era of the super jet has so far been dominated by a single craft, the giant Boeing 747. Some 250 of them are already cruising the skies, carrying an average of 325 seats each. Now a whole new set of superjets is coming into service, a fleet that will introduce the marvels and frustrations of wide-bodied planes to travelers taking much shorter trips than the 747 ordinarily makes. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 (see color) has just begun commercial flights, and in 1974 U.S. and European airlines plan to start using at least four other superjets.

For most passengers, the superjet era will provide a slightly smoother ride and perhaps longer baggage waits, at least until airline unloaders become accustomed to handling the suitcases of hundreds of people at once. The most visible contrast to standard jet-age travel, of course, will be space—the experience of sitting in a cruise-ship-sized cabin, with nearly 300 other passengers and 14 stewardesses. Until the airlines are able to snap out of their current economic doldrums and begin filling their new planes, much of that extra space will be used to pamper the passenger, with roomy lounge and bar areas in economy as well as first-class sections.

One Step Ahead. There will also be innovations in aeronautics and economics. The superjets, including the 747, are equipped with radical new landing systems that will allow virtually fail-safe touchdowns in any weather. The captain of a DC-10 can literally keep one step ahead of himself during landing procedures by referring to a Honeywell computer on board that shows exactly what the aircraft will do next. Superjet engines, while three times more powerful than those of standard jets, are quieter, more pollution-free and more efficient. Meals served aboard the DC-10, some 747s and Lockheed's forthcoming L-1011 are stored and warmed in a galley located below the passenger level, in the plane's cargo hold. When the food is ready for serving, a stewardess will put it on electric elevators connecting the two levels. Among the most important new superjets: THE MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-IO was put into service last month by American and United airlines. By next year, it will also be flying for National, Continental, Northwest and Delta. Designed to carry up to 345 passengers over medium distances (1,000 to 1,500 miles), the three-engine ship is already handling traffic between Chicago and Los Angeles and later this year will make Pittsburgh-to-Miami and Chicago-to-Cleveland runs. On the Chicago-L.A. run, it is giving Boeing's 747 its first superjet competition. Eventually, McDonnell Douglas engineers expect to produce a "stretched" model—a slightly larger and more powerful version—of the DC-10 that will give it a range of as much as 4,000 miles and thus encroach even further on the 747 markets. (Not to be outdone, Boeing designers are also applying the "stretch" principle to the 747; one plane on their drawing boards would carry 1,000 passengers.) McDonnell Douglas currently has firm orders for 127 DC-10s, which cost about $20 million each, including spare parts.