Aeroflot MD-11F: Connecting Cargo With The World

Aeroflot Russian Airlines has been around almost 100 years, always adapting flight and delivery of passengers, cargo, and mail throughout different political changes in Russia and the world over the past decades. Read more about Aeroflot and the MD-11F and add a PlaneTag made from an Aeroflot to your collection. 

MD-11F 

The MD-11, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and later by Boeing, is a wide body trijet derived from the DC-10. It stretched 18.6 feet longer than the DC-10 and featured aerodynamic advancements such as a redesigned wing trailing edge and winglets, smaller horizontal tail and extended tail cone, which reduced drag and added range while using less fuel. Other advances with cockpit avionics, propulsion, systems and interior design promised to make this aircraft an economical and competitive choice, but ultimately only 200 were produced. Boeing ended production in 2000 and delivered the last one on February 22, 2001. 

The MD-11 was produced in several variants:

• MD-11, the passenger transport variant, was first offered in 1986
• MD-11C could carry both passengers and cargo on the main deck, and freight in the rear cargo compartment and below deck compartments
• MD-11CF was a convertible freighter which could be used for all passenger or all freight
• MD-11ER offered extended range and included an extra fuel tank that held 3,000 gallons
• MD-11F was manufactured between 1988 and 2000 and was designed for freight transport. Only 53 were built. 

VP-BDR MD11F Aeroflot flickr photo by Maarten-sr shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license

MD-11 F Specs

• Variant: MD-11F
• Main deck: 26 96×125" pallets or 34 88×108" pallets 21,530 cu.ft / 609.7 m³
• Lower deck: 32 LD3
• Length: GE: 202 ft 2 in / 61.6 m, PW: 200 ft 11 in / 61.2 m
• Width: 19 ft 9 in / 6.0 m fuselage, 225 in (572 cm) cabin
• Wing: 170 ft 6 in / 51.97 m span, 3,648 sq ft (338.9 m2) area
• Height: 57 ft 11 in (17.65 m)
• MTOW: 602,500 lb / 273,294 kg, ER: 630,500 lb / 285,988 kg
• Max. Payload: 202,733 lb / 91,962 kg
• Fuel capacity: 38,615 US gal / 146,173 L, 258,721 lb / 117,356 kg
• OEW: 283,975 lb / 128,808 kg     248,567 lb / 112,748 kg
• Engines (3x): PW4460/62 / General Electric CF6-80C2D1F
• Max. thrust (3×): 62,000 lbf (280 kN) / 61,500 lbf (274 kN)
• Speed: Mach 0.83–Mach 0.88 (479–507 kn; 886–940 km/h) cruise - MMo
• Range: 6,725 nmi (12,455 km)     3,592 nmi (6,652 km)
• Ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100 m)
• Takeoff distance at MTOW: 9,725 ft (2,964 m), ER: 10,800 ft (3,292 m)

Aeroflot

Aeroflot was founded in 1923, at the dawn of Russia’s civil aviation and is Russia’s flagship carrier Following World War I and the Russian civil war, Russia like other European countries, began developing civil aviation for its economic needs, offering passenger, mail, and cargo transport.  

In the beginning, Aeroflot used re-equipped warplanes but eventually began using Russian made aircraft, including the Tupolev Tu-104, one of the world’s first jetliners. By 1981, Aeroflot was the world's largest airline in terms of passengers carried, serving 87 countries all over the world. In 2019, the airline carried 37.2 million passengers, holds a four star airline status from Skytrax and five-star rating from APEX, and was also named Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the 8th time. Today, Aeroflot has been named “Strongest Brand in Russia” and strongest airline brand in the world. The airline continues to strengthen its position despite the pandemic. 

VP-BDR

VP-BDR was produced in Long Beach, California, delivered in early 1993, and leased soon after to Garuda Indonesia, as one of 26 MD-11s in their fleet. In 1999, this aircraft was then leased to Brazil’s Varig Airline, also as one a fleet of 26 MD-11. It was then converted to a freighter and delivered to Aeroflot in May 2008. The freighter had only one notable incident - on a flight from Novosibirsk to Moscow Sheremetyevo on February 11, 2012, its number 1 hydraulic system failed upon descent but continued for a safe landing. 

As part of SkyTeam Cargo, Aeroflot used VP-BDR and its fleet of cargo planes to transport goods from its central hub in Europe to the Middle East and Asia, cementing its position as a top global cargo carrier. She was retired by 2013 and stored at VCV.

VP-BDR Takeoff at Narita International Airport

MotoArt’s MD-11F

MotoArt owner Dave Hall first laid eyes on the Aeroflot giant stored at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California and knew he wanted to add it to the PlaneTags fleet. 

“A total of 200 MD-11s were produced,” says Hall. “Out of these, only 53 were MD-11Fs. And it’s Aeroflot, so this is an uncommon find. We were pretty stoked to add this exceptional aircraft to our collection.”

MD-11F PlaneTags

They are numbered to 10,000 and come in solid orange, deep blue, and silver, and combinations of orange/blue, orange/silver, and blue/silver. They are the perfect aviation collectible for a pilot gift. Commemorate a trip you’ve taken or introduce a budding aviation geek to a new hobby. Be sure to get one for your own collection before they are gone. 

Airline Collectibles

See our other commercial airline PlaneTags:

ALOHA Airlines Boeing 737 PlaneTag Tail# N823AL

Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD80 PlaneTag Tail# N892GA

Trump Boeing 727 PlaneTag Tail #VP-BDJ

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