AERO INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (AIDC) of Taiwan has been selected to develop and manufacture the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) MD-95 empennage. AIDC is eager to take on more commercial work, to reduce its reliance on Taiwan's Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF) programme, which is expected to be wound down by 1998. Meanwhile, MDC is installing internal systems and a cabin interior in its non-flying MD-95 prototype, to "...make sure they fit and function correctly in production models". The prototype, based on a DC-9-30 airframe, joins similar MD-80 and MD-11 structures at MDC's Long Beach, California, site. Launch-customer ValuJet Airlines is to take delivery of the first MD-95-30 in June 1999.
Source: Flight International
