NASA artwork (probably 1970s/early 80’s) of a dual-fuselage DC-9. This would double the capacity while not doubling the weight; drag would go up, but so would aerodynamic efficiency due to increased effective aspect ratio of the wing, as well as being more structurally sound for the weight. The need for a pretty wide runway is something of a concept-killer, though.
3 responses to “Dual-fuselage DC-9”
Burt Rutan has entered the chat.
you only need one cockpit .. is the other reserved for first class passengers?
The twin DC-9’s track would be about the same as a 747’s, so it should be able to operate from 150 foot wide runways. (Or is the twin configuration more susceptible to crosswinds?)
I really doubt the caption’s claim that loading and unloading would be much faster. It would be like two DC-9s parked close together with two cargo handling crews, who need to stay out of each other’s way.