No Buyers: Remembering The McDonnell 220 Business Jet

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, McDonnell Aircraft developed its first business jet. The McDonnell 220 was unusual in that it had four pod engines that sat underneath a low wing. Only one of the aircraft was built, and it was marketed to civilian buyers prior to the company’s merger with Douglas Aircraft to form McDonnell Douglas. It could be turned into a 10-seater luxury business jet or a practical 29-seater executive jet. So, what was wrong with the McDonnell 220, one of the first business jets ever, and why did it fail?