Derived metrics
Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.
How big is it, really?
The Douglas DC-8's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.
The numbers
| Length (Super 61/63) | 57.12 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan (Super 63) | 45.23 m |
| Height | 13.11 m |
| MTOW (Super 63) | 158,757 kg |
| Typical seats (Super 61) | up to 259 |
| Engines | 4 × JT3D (CFM56 on Super 70s) |
| First flight | 30 May 1958 |
| Built | 556 |
Put the Douglas DC-8 next to something
Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi
What makes it different
The DC-8 lost the sales war to the 707 and won almost everything else. In August 1961 one was put into a shallow dive over Edwards and hit Mach 1.012 — the first airliner, and still one of very few, ever to go supersonic. And where 707s were largely scrap by the 1980s, DC-8s kept flying: the Super 60 stretches and later CFM56 re-engining made them durable freighters into the 2000s.
The Super 61 and 63, at 57.12 metres, were the longest airliners in the world until the 747 — a slim tube carrying 259 passengers, the true prototype of the stretched narrowbody.
NASA flew one as a flying laboratory until the 2020s, and Samaritan's Purse still operates a DC-8-72 on relief missions — a 1960s jet still earning its keep.
Douglas DC-8 — the short answers
How fast is the Douglas DC-8?
How far can the Douglas DC-8 fly?
How many people does the Douglas DC-8 carry?
Is the Douglas DC-8 still in production?
How big is the Douglas DC-8?
The Douglas DC-8 line
DC-8-10 to -50
Super 60 series
Super 70 series
Who flies the Douglas DC-8
All 1 current operators, verified 2026-07-14. Fleet counts are approximate where marked ≈.