Thank you for purchasing the TFDi Design 717! In this document, various features of the aircraft, addon manager, and anything not covered in the in-depth guides will be covered. For information on the TFDi Design 717’s FMS, Systems, or flows, see the other guides located in the documentation folder.

History

Before getting started, it is essential to learn about the history of the 717 to fully understand why this is not a typical Boeing aircraft.

The 717 did not start out as a Boeing product; instead, it was a project led by the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation to fill the 100-passenger regional jet market as a replacement to old DC-9s. It began life in 1983 as a potential replacement for the DC-9-30. The newer DC-9-80s (Super 80s) were larger and did not always suit the job, and the DC-9-30 was beginning to show its age.

Douglas started to research the replacement to the 30s with a newer model that had more fuel-efficient engines and new functions to help serve the newly deregulated American airline industry. It was given the designation of DC-9-90; however, this project was delayed due to the recession of the 1980s.

Once Douglas merged with McDonnell, the project was not immediately picked up again, and the MD-87 was produced to fulfill the role that was intended to be taken on by the DC-9-90s. Sales did not excel for the MD-87, and the project was eventually looked at once more. At the 1991 Paris Airshow, McDonnell-Douglas announced the development of the MD-95, a 105 seat, twin-turbofan jet with a range just short of 1500nm.

Sales began to build up in 1994, and the jet was being prepared to enter into service soon when it was announced McDonnell-Douglas would merge with Boeing in 1997. At this time, the project was in limbo as Boeing was expected to cancel the project and opt to focus on its new 737-600 model, which served a similar purpose. However, to many in the industry’s surprise, Boeing announced it would rebrand the MD-95 as the Boeing 717 instead. The aircraft saw minuscule changes to it during the transition and lead to a flight deck that carries much of McDonnell-Douglas' original design philosophy.