wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the replies, everyone! I'd like to see one of these in
person sometime. It almost looks like the front of the engine is just
covered in some kind of plastic, and would seem to be a huge drag on
the rest of the airframe. Not quite as much as flying with a Space
Shuttle onboard, but still draggy.

You are correct. The engine is inside of a specially designed fairing.
After (or during) installation, a special mach warning switch is installed
or switched in. There is a similar fourth pod arrangement for DC-10.
Our experienced fifth pod crew could hang or remove a fifth pod at
the terminal gate within an hour (IIRC) and the switch, about the size
of a coke can, only took me about fifteen min. to replace. (Info for
Tarver: That includes leak testing the pitot probe. :-))

JK