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I was watching the Discovery Channel piece on the crash of United 232, & it reminded me how stupid the design of the DC-10 seems: one engine in the base of the fin, with all the hydraulic lines running past it, & no protection in case of FOD or catastrophic failure?. How did this get past the design stage without somebody saying, "This is stupid."? How did it get past certification without somebody saying it?
So: how much difference would it make to Douglas, & the airline industry, had the DC-10's OTL design not been approved for either construction or certification? (Pick either, I don't care.)
What might Douglas have built, instead?
Might the failure of approval have killed Douglas?