Northwest Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82   N302RC     (c/n  48055)

                                    

                                         When Republic Airlines was taken over by Northwest in August of 1986 they had eleven stretched
                                         DC-9s of the MD-82 variety on hand (the three undelivered examples were canceled).  The above
                                         shot by Ellis M. Chernoff taken at Memphis International in December of 1986 is indicative of what
                                         happens when a line is absorbed.   Initially the old carrier's livery is used and the new airline merely
                                         paints its name over the titling.   Eventually this, along with all the other ex Republic machines, would
                                         be repainted in full NWA markings, as seen in the image below by Frank C. Duarte Jr. of sister ship
                                         N301RC at John Wayne/Orange County Airport, Santa Ana, California in August of 1990.  In the
                                         event, NWA decided that the DC-9 family was not the ultimate mid-range airliner they were looking
                                         for and the MD-82s were sold off in 1999.

                                        McDonnell Douglas MD-82  N301RC   (c/n  48054)