How A 1960 Douglas DC-8 Test Flight Invented Airliner Re-Engining Decades Before The CFM56

A 1960 DC-8 test flight is credited with helping shape modern re-engining practices decades before the CFM56 era, according to an aviation history review. The Douglas DC-8 entered commercial service after its maiden flight on May 30, 1958 from Long Beach, and FAA certification the following year. It launched on Sept. 18, 1959 with Delta and United, competing directly against Boeing’s 707. While early variants such as the DC-8-10 and -20 relied on Pratt & Whitney turbojets and offered about a 10% range increase, performance and economics lagged the 707 over time. Douglas kept iterating, including a 1960 re-engineering to improve operating economics.