

Yet, one family of aircraft designed and built by Convair remains in operation: the CV-240. Since 2016, it has been flying a DC-10-30, registered N330AU, which was donated by FedEx.Ĭonvair was an American aircraft manufacturer which built a variety of aircraft throughout its 55 years of existence, ranging from interceptors and supersonic bombers to airliners. Orbis is on its third generation of McDonnell Douglas aircraft. The airplane also features a classroom for the training of local doctors.

Since the 1980s, the NGO Orbis International has used McDonnell Douglas aircraft as flying ophthalmic hospitals capable of flying to countries whose populations need eye surgery. There is another DC-10, however, that is even more special: the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. According to data, 11 are still in operation with the US cargo carrier. Today, the plane is mostly flown by FedEx Express as a freighter. The iconic trijet aircraft whose career started in 1971 stopped transporting passengers in 2014. Their base of operations is located near the Boeing South Carolina plant where the 787 Dreamliner is assembled. In service since 2007, four of them have so far been built.
#MCDONNELL DOUGLAS ORBIS FLYING EYE HOSPITAL FULL#
With its controversial appearance, the Dreamlifter is a Boeing 747-400 modified by the manufacturer for the transport of aircraft parts, such as full wings, between the various suppliers of Boeing. It would be unfair to mention the Beluga without bringing up its counterpart across the pond. If you want to see the whale face of this rounded plane, you’ll have to go to Europe, in particular Toulouse, France, home to the manufacturer’s headquarters. Entered into service in January 2020, the fleet should eventually reach six aircraft. The Airbus A330-743L, better known as the Beluga XL, was created by the European aircraft manufacturer to transport the largest parts of its planes between its different production sites.
