the dc-9-90 was designed to meet the needs of the newly deregulated american airline industry. however, its development was postponed due to the recession of the early 1980s. when mcdonnell douglas did develop a smaller version of the md-80, it simply shrunk the aircraft to create the md-87, rather than offer a lower thrust, lighter aircraft that was more comparable to the dc-9-30. with its relatively high mtow and powerful engines, the md-87 essentially became a special mission aircraft and could not compete with the all new 100-seaters then being developed. although an excellent aircraft for specialized roles, the md-87 often was not sold on its own. relying on its commonality factor, sales were generally limited to existing md-80 operators.