Originally Posted by
moondog
My first experience on a DC-10 was CO 001 between IAH and LAX, circa 1985. My mom and I were upgraded to F (3 cabin), and was simply blown away by how plush it was (I might have been young, and therefore smaller, at the time, but the pitch was a hell of a lot more generous than 38"); business class looked pretty nice, as well.
Well, look at the MD-11 linked in my post on previous page - and compare with DC-10.
The airplane cross-section is identical. So is the 10 abreast seating.
But none of the others.
The typical 9 abreast cross-section of MD-11 has exact same 18,0 inch seatbacks, 2,0 inch armrests and 19,0 inch aisles as DC-10 - but 9 abreast MD-11 is 2-5-2, not 2-4-3 like DC-10.
MD-11 has no 8 abreast cross-section. DC-10 has no 7 abreast cross-section.
First class is 6 abreast on both DC-10 and MD-11. But spot the difference. DC-10 has 31 inch aisles and 20 inch seatbacks. MD-11 has aisles 4,5 inches narrower, still at 26,5 inches, and seats 1,5 inches wider, at 21,5 inch.
And look at the 7 abreast business class. Yes, there is not the 8 inch wide middle armrest of first class - all armrests are 3,0 inch, like the aisle armrests of first class. But even with 25,25 inch aisles, the MD-11 business class seats are, at 20,5 inch seatback, wider than the 20,0 inch first class seats of DC-10.
Pitch? Well, MD-11 does not specify the pitch on seatmaps, unlike DC-10. But note that MD-11 mixed class, page 7, has 34 first class seats ahead of first doors, while DC-10 has 48 seats ahead of these doors.
Would you rather sit in DC-10 first class, 20,0 inch wide, or in MD-11 business class 20,5 inch wide?