Douglas DC-8 (1958-1972): The Boeing 367-80 prototype jet transport had already made its first flight before Douglas decided to proceed with a jetliner of its own. The DC-8 was the first jet in the DC series and the first Douglas airliner to be completely built at the company’s plant in Long Beach, California. Powered by four turbofan jet engines and capable of speeds nearly 600 miles per hour, the DC-8 made its first flight on May 30, 1958. During a 14-year production run, the DC-8 went through seven major variants for a total of 556 aircraft. The plane set world records for speed, cargo capacity and range. During a test dive in 1962, a DC-8 Series 53 became the first commercial airliner to exceed the speed of sound. With a maximum capacity of 259 passengers, the DC-8 Super 63 was the largest commercial jet flying until the Boeing 747 entered service in 1970.