Douglas DC-9-20

The Douglas DC-9-20 is a specialized short-field performance variant of the DC-9 family, developed primarily to meet the demanding operational requirements of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). It combined the shorter fuselage of the DC-9-10 with the more powerful JT8D-9 or JT8D-11 engines and the larger wing of the DC-9-30, resulting in superior hot-and-high and short-runway performance. Only ten aircraft of this variant were built, making it one of the rarest members of the DC-9 family. It entered service in 1968 and was exclusively operated by SAS, who required an aircraft capable of serving the numerous short, challenging airstrips found throughout Scandinavia. The DC-9-20 was eventually retired as SAS modernized its fleet with newer aircraft. Despite its small production run, it demonstrated the flexibility of the DC-9 airframe and Douglas's willingness to tailor the design to specific operator needs.