Trijets

The category, explained

The trijet existed because of regulation. Before modern ETOPS rules, twin-engine aircraft were barred from flying far from a diversion airport, so an aircraft crossing an ocean needed three engines or four. Three was cheaper than four — hence the DC-10, the L-1011 and later the MD-11, each with an engine buried in the tail.

Once twins were certified for long overwater flights, the economics collapsed instantly: two engines burn less fuel than three. No trijet airliner has been built since 2000, and the last freighters are now retiring.

Every trijet here

Silhouettes are sized by real wingspan — bigger aircraft draw bigger.

Ranked by length