Boeing 717

<p>The Boeing 717 was never meant to be a headline-grabber-but it became an icon all the same. Born in the aftermath of a corporate merger and built on the bones of the legendary DC-9 the 717 carried the final breath of McDonnell Douglas's proud engineering legacy into the 21st century. With its clean lines quiet Rolls-Royce engines and unwavering reliability it symbolized both the end of an era and the quiet resilience of thoughtful design.</p><p></p><p>From its roots in the sun-baked Long Beach assembly halls to the skies over Hawaii Europe and Australia Boeing 717: The Last of the Mad Dogs tells the full story of this remarkable jetliner. It traces the aircraft's evolution from the first DC-9 of 1965 through the MD-80s and MD-90s to the final production line that closed in 2006-marking the end of a century of Southern California aircraft building. Drawing on production records operational histories and the experiences of those who flew and maintained the 717 this definitive chronicle reveals how a small low-volume jet became a quiet triumph of engineering endurance.</p><p></p><p>This is more than a technical account-it is a story of people persistence and pride. The 717 was the last of the Mad Dogs: the final descendant of one of aviation's greatest families and a lasting reminder that great airplanes don't just change the sky-they endure in it.</p>