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FS2002 ProjectAI JAS Japan Air System Kurosawa JA8064 McDonnell Douglas MD-90. Beginning life as the DC-9 Super 90, the MD-90 became the third generation of the Douglas twin-jet family. The MD-90 was originally envisioned as a high-tech alternative to the earlier designs featuring very fuel efficient engines known as propfans. However, the drop in oil prices of the 1980s resulted in weak interest in these new technology engines, so McDonnell Douglas abandoned them in favor of more conventional turbofan engines. Otherwise, the MD-90 is largely similar to the MD-80 it replaced, using the same basic fuselage, wing, and flight deck. However, the flight deck was updated with an improved electronic flight instrument system and other avionics plus new environmental control systems, hydraulic systems, and passenger comfort features.