Question about MD-95 pictures

[Phoenicopterus]

Hi there, I've been wondering for a while about these 2 pictures I found of what appears to possibly be an ex Eastern DC-9-31 (Notice the larger galley door) being converted into an MD-95 prototype. What happened to it?


Are these just touched up images? A model/mockup?

(Found these pictures on Twitter, @MD-80.com)

 

[Rob.Courtney]

The MD-95 prototype, N717XA, was a new-build airplane, not a conversion of an existing airplane. (Also, that's not Eastern's livery.)

The MD-95 was basically a re-engined DC-9-30 with double the thrust and some new avionics. After the merger, Boeing continued production of the MD-95 but rebranded it as the "Boeing 717." They built 155 of them.

 

[NMaude]

but rebranded it as the "Boeing 717."

I don't know why they did that because there already was a 717, it's more commonly known as the KC-135 Stratotanker.

 

[Rob.Courtney]

I don't know why they did that because there already was a 717, it's more commonly known as the KC-135 Stratotanker.

It's the same reason the X-35 became the F-35 instead of the F-24: marketers are a completely different species from engineers.