TABLE OF CONTENTS In light of the fact that no one really had an engine for a large twin-jet, GE's suggestion to the airlines that a three-engine airplane was not only feasible but also safer than one with two engines seemed reasonable. This set the stage for the design of the Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 trijets, airplanes that would be nearly twice as big as the 727. Knowing that the airlines were sometimes unhappy with both Pratt & Whitney's products and their product support, we went to American Airlines and United, the biggest North American carriers, and KLM in Europe and asked them to give us a chance on the DC-10. We had a good engine design, and we promised to give them first-class product support. Of course, we would have to go through a rigorous technical evaluation, but the airlines saw a lot of value in stirring up competition for engines and product support. That was all the encouragement we needed.
We were working closely with Douglas to optimize the performance of our CF6-6 for the DC-10 at about the same time that McDonnell Aircraft Company purchased them. We had worked very closely with McDonnell in the application of our J79 engine on their very successful F-4 Phantom, so our relationship with the airframe manufacturer was still somewhat cemented. The McDonnell family was quite conservative, however, and we were never quite sure if the McDonnells were going to support this airplane.
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