The KC-10A Extender is a US Air Force advanced tanker and cargo aircraft whose primary mission is aerial refueling. Within the same mission, the KC-10 can refuel US and coalition forces aircraft using either a hose and drogue centerline refueling system or an advanced aerial refueling boom.

Douglas failed because customers did buy its products. Douglas fell with a successful innovative product, the DC-9, and an order backlog in excess of $3 billion and growing, enough work to keep its production lines humming for years. How can a company fail with a $3 billion book of unfilled orders?

Production of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 ended in 1989 and the last Commercial passenger flight was in February of 2014. A few are still flying cargo flights and the US Air Force is still flying about 2/3 of the 60 KC-10 tankers they bought from McD in the early 1980s.

Weight: Max T-O 590,000 lb. Power Plant: Three GE Aviation CF6-50C2 turbofans, each 52,500 lb thrust. Performance: Speed 619 mph, range 11,500 miles, or 4,400 miles with max cargo (air refuelable).