The history of aviation begins at the end of the eighteenth century - after all, it was at the junction of eras that the English designer developed the design of an aircraft. Modern airliners bear little resemblance to their predecessors. Today, aviation industry leaders compete to produce giants. The largest aircraft in the world, the An-225 Mriya, amazes with its size and carrying capacity. Let's study the rating of the largest airliners in more detail.
Let's start with a brief description of the leader of the list among civil aviation aircraft that specialize in passenger flights. Today, the first place in this area is held by the invention of the European company Airbus - the A380 board. The ship was developed over 10 years, and in 2005 this giant successfully completed its first voyage.
With a fuselage length of 72.75 m, a wing spread of 79.75 m and a body height of 24 meters, this aircraft is capable of lifting up to 853 people into the air.
A distinctive characteristic of the model is its economical fuel consumption - the flight range of this airliner is 15,400 kilometers. It is noteworthy that in order to achieve this goal, engineers ordered a batch of machines specially created for the model. After all, a reduction in fuel consumption can only be achieved with an ideally adjusted shape of the wing and fuselage. Actual aviation fuel consumption here is 855 liters per 100 km when fully loaded.
Note that the Airbus A380 800 replaced the thirty-five-year-old leader in this area -. Moreover, the current record holder is capable of transporting 7% more passengers while reducing the cost of producing the aircraft within 15%. However, it took the designers about 2,000,000,000 euros to create the first model.
The aircraft was first put into operation by Singapore Airlines. The vessel successfully completed its first intercontinental voyage from Singapore to Sydney, which had an excellent effect on customers. In addition, such a model transports up to 150 tons of cargo over a distance of up to 10,370 kilometers. Note that the empty aircraft weighs 280 tons, and the maximum take-off weight on board reaches 560 tons.
Leaders in size
The world's longest aircraft for passenger transportation is the predecessor of the aircraft described above, the Boeing 747 aircraft. This is a wide-body, double-deck airliner, whose body length reaches 76.3 meters with a side height of 19.4 m and a wingspan of 68 and a half meters.
Such a successful project was launched in the early seventies of the last century by an American company. And until the Airbus A380, the aircraft remained the largest passenger airliner in the world.
At the time the model appeared, the project to create this aircraft had become so expensive that the company had to take out loans. However, all the costs were fully paid off - and today these ships are in demand and popular. The calling card was the “hump” in the front part of the hull - this is where the designers placed the upper side deck. The aircraft also remains the leader in speed characteristics in its class among subsonic passenger airliners. The speed of this board reaches 910–950 km/h.
Heavyweights in the world of aviation
Now let's determine the largest cargo aircraft in the world - the photos presented in the article will help readers see the true scale of this equipment. Let us describe the characteristics of global leaders in more detail.
Record holder for cargo transportation
The most load-lifting aircraft in the world - developed by the Antonov Design Bureau, model An-225 Mriya. The airliner successfully passed flight tests back in 1988, and from 1989 to the present time it has been operated in the field of cargo transportation. The hull length of this vessel reaches 84 meters, and the wing spread is 88.4 m. According to these parameters, the modification is second only to the Hughes H-4, which was designed back in 1947.
The empty weight of the An-225 aircraft is 250 tons, and the take-off weight of the airliner reaches 640 tons.
In 2004, the modification was included in the Guinness Book of Records, as it leads in 240 parameters at once. It is noteworthy that the aircraft was designed on the basis of a project by another giant, which was the world's largest cargo aircraft, the An-124 Ruslan. Moreover, to this day only a single copy of the heavyweight “Mriya” has been constructed. True, even one airliner is actively used for commercial purposes and rescue operations.
Although at the end of 2016, an agreement between Ukraine and China was signed on the joint release of the second updated experimental model and further cooperation in this industry.
The An-255 is designed to carry up to 88 passengers who accompany the cargo and six crew members. Initially, the aircraft was planned to be used for the space industry, so the Mriya project is a universal technology. It is a record holder for weight and carrying capacity, a leader in the transportation of mono cargo and large equipment.
Largest serial heavyweight
The largest cargo aircraft in Russia, which was mass-produced and in use today, is the . It is on the basis of the design of this airliner from the OKB im. Antonov and developed "Mriya". Concerning "Ruslana", the first such board appeared in 1982. Initially, the function of the equipment was to transport intercontinental and ballistic missiles, but today the ship is used as a military transport aircraft.
An-124 "Ruslan" is slightly inferior to "Mriya" in size and payload capacity
Since 1987, the modification has been actively used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian Antonov Airlines. Throughout the history of the production of such airliners, the world has seen 55 Ruslan models. The vessel has a length of 69.1 meters. Moreover, its height is 24.5 m, and its wingspan is 73.3 m. The efficiency of the airliner allows it to fly 4,800 km when fully loaded, and the maximum flight range here is 11,600 meters.
The vessel's cruising speed is 800–850 km/h with a maximum permissible acceleration of 865 km/h. The empty weight of the airliner is 178.4 tons, and the maximum take-off weight of this modification is 392,000 kilograms.
The design features of the vessel allow loading through the bow compartment
There are two decks on board the equipment. The upper tier of the liner is designed to carry 21 passengers accompanying the cargo, stationary and interchangeable cabins for the crew. The lower deck of the vessel is a sealed cargo compartment with a capacity of 1,060 m³. If we talk about the records of this model, in 1985 the aircraft became a leader in 21 positions for transporting cargo over long distances. Over the entire period of operation, 4 such aircraft were lost.
Western analogue of An-124
If we consider popular Western projects that compete with Ruslan, here aviators call the airliner Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. This modification occupied a leading position in the world until the appearance of the An-124 project in 1982. However, similar airliners are still successfully used by the US Air Force today. Moreover, the manufacturing company produced 131 units of such equipment.
The third largest heavyweight in the world is the American model Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft that has increased payload capabilities and ranks third in the world ranking of aviation heavyweights. After all, an empty airliner that weighs 169.643 tons has a maximum take-off weight of 379,657 kilograms. At the same time, the dimensions of the aircraft are very impressive. The height of the hull here is 19.85 m, the length is 75.54 m, and the wingspan is 67.88 m.
The transport is capable of transporting 270 soldiers and 118,387 kg of cargo simultaneously over a distance of 5,526 km. Moreover, the maximum practical flight range of this model is 10,895 m.
This is a modification of a double-deck side, the power plant of which is provided by four engines. The cruising speed that the ship is capable of reaching reaches 888 km/h. Here, on the upper tier of the aircraft, there is a crew cabin for 5 people and seats for passengers. The lower sector of the airliner is designed for transporting cargo. The length of this deck is 36.91 m and the width is 5.79 meters.
Leader in wing length
Since the current record holder "Mriya" was unable to break the world aviation record for wingspan, we will describe the characteristics of the aircraft that holds this position. Model Hughes H-4 is a wooden structure developed for the American military in 1947. The only copy of this modification can be seen in the Oregon State Museum. Moreover, since its inception, aircraft have been used only once in history, conducting an experimental flight.
Today, the only example of the Hughes H-4 airboat is in the Oregon State Museum.
The dimensions of the airliner are impressive - the body length is 66.45 m and the height is 24.08 meters. Moreover, the record wingspan here is 97.54 m. The ship was intended to transport military personnel and is designed to transport 750 soldiers in full gear and three pilots. The maximum take-off weight of the giant is limited to 180 tons, and the useful weight that the board is capable of lifting is 59,000 kg.
The design of this airboat appeared at the beginning of the Second World War, but the designer never managed to bring the equipment to readiness by the deadline. It took $13,000,000 to develop and manufacture the aircraft, and storing the aircraft cost the designer $1,000,000 annually.
As you can see, aviators are constantly competing to produce the best aircraft that can perform universal missions. In the near future, the release of the modernized giant “Mriya” is expected. Perhaps this modification will break a personal record and become the largest airliner in the history of aviation. Details about the classification of flight equipment are available here.
Airbus A380 - the largest passenger aircraft in the world 
The cabin of this giant can accommodate up to 853 passengers. 
Among passenger aircraft, the longest airliner remains the Boeing 747 
AN-225 "Mriya" - world record holder for dimensions 
With a maximum take-off weight of 640 tons, Mriya becomes the world's highest-lifting airliner
The Airbus A380 is a passenger double-decker (double-decker) jet aircraft. Today it is the largest and most spacious airliner in the world. Officially, its development began in 2000, the first flight was made in 2005, and in 2007 it was fully put into operation by the companies that pre-ordered it.
Airbus A380 review
The Airbus A380 has several modifications:
- Basic models Airbus A380-800, 842, 861, 862. The length reaches about 73 meters. The difference lies in the installed engines: GP72XX and Trent 900. The ability to vary the on-board temperature from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius, thanks to internal 16 temperature zones, has become unique;
- A380-800F. Cargo model of an airplane. For some time, Airbus S.A.S. accepted orders for the supply of such a modification, but its production was shelved until the design of the passenger version was fully adjusted. The specific timing is still unknown;
- A380-900. Currently in the design stage. It is 7 meters longer than the original version, and if the aircraft goes into mass production, it will be the longest and most powerful. The possible flight distance will reach 14,200 km;
- A380-1000. It is planned to be the most spacious airliner. In the future, it will be able to accommodate 1,073 passengers exclusively in economy class and 757 people in three classes. The start of use is expected to date from 2020-2025. The length of the aircraft is 87 meters;
- A380plus. This modification is currently being tested. On board it will be able to accommodate 80 more people than in the basic version, and also reduce fuel consumption and operating costs.
Airbus A380 passenger cabin design
Airbus a380-800 Emirates interior diagram
The aircraft has an upper and lower deck, which are connected by two staircases, at the nose and tail of the aircraft. Various modifications of the A380 accommodate first class, business economy and premium economy classes.
First grade
On an Airbus A380 passenger aircraft, as a rule, first class seats are located at the very beginning. Everyone already knows that these places are the best, and the attitude towards the passenger is as if he were a guest of a five-star hotel. Each chair here can be converted into a small bed. The first class section may even have a shower, which is widely used by some airlines.
However, not everything is so smooth and the “suite” also has its drawbacks: these are seats located in the 1st and 4th rows, located in close proximity to the toilet. Also, opposite the 1st row there is a staircase connecting the two decks of the plane, and not every passenger will like such a neighborhood.
Business Class
Business class in the Airbus A380 is located immediately behind the first. There are also comfortable armchairs that can be turned into a bed if desired. The distance between the seats is sufficient, so you can easily stretch your legs to their full length. Passengers are provided with a minibar, which is usually included in the ticket price.
Economy class
On the bottom or main (if the plane consists entirely of one class) there is an economy class. It amounts to 399 seats in the classic layout offered by the manufacturer. The seats here do not lie flat, as in first and business class, but they are quite comfortable. According to the world standard, the distance for the legs between the rows reaches 80 cm. Each passenger has his own screen installed in the back of the previous seat, the ability to watch video, listen to audio, a USB connector and paid Internet. Availability of the latter will depend on the airline.
Best places
As mentioned earlier, the ideal seats on this airliner are in first and business class. In economy you can also get a good job on rows 45, 54 and 82. The seats are located far from the toilets and technical areas, there are no seats in front, which means there is plenty of legroom. Rows 68 and 81 would also be good. They are located near the windows and are considered one of the most comfortable in economy class.
Rows 43, 52, 67 and 80 are considered “average” in terms of convenience. There is enough space between the seats, but technical rooms and a toilet are located nearby, which can cause inconvenience. The worst seats are in row 88. This is where the wall is located, because of which the seat and the toilet room do not recline, where passengers scurry back and forth. It is better to buy tickets here when there are no other options.
Photo of the cabin in economy class:
Main characteristics
The Airbus 380 has a wide fuselage (aisle). It is unique in its kind, which is why it is in great demand among many airlines, both domestic and foreign. The cockpit is the same for all models. Airbus S.A.S. uses this tactic. used to save on crew training.
The Airbus 380 airliner has the following technical characteristics:
- Number of seats as standard - 525;
- Capacity - 853;
- Cabin width - 6.5 m;
- Length - 72.7 m;
- Height - 24.1 m;
- Wing span - 80 m;
- Wing area - 845 sq. m;
- Empty aircraft weight - 276.8 thousand kg;
- Takeoff weight - 560 thousand kg;
- Landing weight - 386 thousand kg;
- Weight without fuel - 361 thousand kg;
- Fuel tank capacity - 310 thousand liters;
Aircraft flight data:
- Maximum flight altitude - 13.1 thousand m;
- The maximum flight distance with a full load is 15 thousand km;
- Run length - 2.9 thousand m;
- Take-off run length - 2 thousand m;
- Engines - 4 R-R Trent 970 or 4 Alliance GP7270.
History of creation
The development of the wide-body aircraft project was started by Airbus S.A.S. back in 1994. Then it was planned to compete with the then monopolist Boeing with its Boeing-747 airliner. Initially, the future brainchild of Airbus had the code name A3XX. The designers wanted to combine two fuselages of the company's largest aircraft at that time, the A340, but this would have led to a significant decrease in flight parameters, an increase in the acceleration length and total weight.
It was decided to use a two-deck model, which gave the car a number of advantages. The project started in 2000, and the amount of planned costs reached 8.8 million euros. The name of the aircraft also has an interesting history. Instead of A340, it received the number A380. In a number of Asian countries, eight is considered a lucky number and this probably served as a positive impetus for customers to purchase an airliner.
Construction was completed in 2005 and the aircraft was demonstrated at the airfield in Toulouse. During the tests, engineers identified errors in the design of the wing and it had to be changed in a timely manner. Tests on the ground and in the air were completed at the end of 2007 and the A380 received European certificates of conformity.
Where is it produced?
Fuselage cross-section
The aircraft is manufactured by the European company Airbus S.A.S., based in Toulouse (France). It also has several offices in Germany, Spain, France and the UK and two factories in Blagnac (a suburb of Toulouse) and Hannover (Germany). The company's activities began in 1969 after the merger of several small European aircraft manufacturing companies. Here, not only passenger aircraft are being developed, but also cargo aircraft, as well as vehicles adapted for military needs.
Cost of different models
The price of different modifications of the A380 can vary greatly. Its growth is also affected by the unstable economic situation in the world. Recently, there has been a steady trend towards higher prices for aircraft. And in general, the airliner itself of this model is considered the most expensive in the entire Airbus family.
The current price of the Airbus A380-800 is US$428 million. The company is still silent about the cost of the models, the production of which is planned to begin in the near future, and the final figure is known only to airlines that have placed pre-orders. Every year prices rise by about 2-3%. A total of 219 vehicles were sold and put into operation, and another 317 are under construction. This information is provided by the official Airbus representative office.
News, modernization, prospects
There are several cases where the order for the A380-800 was placed by important people and famous people. For example, the most common story was about the prince of Saudi Arabia, who bought his own A380 Super Jambo from the company, whose total cost was 488 million US dollars.
There was an opinion that this plane was capable of damaging airport runways, but this turned out to be untrue. The landing gear pressure turned out to be much less than that of its main competitors Boeing 747 and 777. In Russia, the first airport adapted to receive the wide-body A380 was Moscow Domodedovo. The order to rebuild the runway was issued by the air transport agency in Russia.
The A380 is a true world record holder. It has the quietest passenger cabin noise levels, is the most fuel-efficient and largest aircraft available today.
Due to the large size of the aircraft, 597 kg of paint have to be spent on painting it, and the total surface area reaches 10 thousand square meters. m. Also, thanks to the expanded wing area, the airliner's speed is 35 km/h lower than that of its main competitor. This allows you to reduce possible noise at the airport during landing or takeoff.
At the moment, the development of the A380-1000 and A380plus is actively underway. A huge number of airlines have already placed pre-orders for the latest aircraft and passengers can only wait for the modern aircraft to enter service and delight us with their reliable build quality and speed.
Watch a video about the Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world.
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The plane itself is already a genius of engineering. Making hundreds of tons of iron rise above the ground is a non-trivial task. Even the smallest details matter, it takes the highest precision and the hard work of hundreds of people to create even the simplest aircraft by modern standards.
The greater the challenge for aircraft designers to experiment with materials, sizes, and technologies in order to create aircraft that are lighter, more economical, and larger than their predecessors. This article will focus on the largest passenger aircraft. Now in the world there are two main players producing huge passenger aircraft - Boeing and Airbus.
The competition between them led to the creation of colossal machines. Among them, the recognized leader is the Airbus A380. The span of its huge wings reaches almost 80 m, and its length is 73 m. Read about it, as well as other flying giants, below.
Airbus-A380
- Wingspan - 79.75 m
- Length - 72.75 m
- Height - 24.08 m
- Weight - 280 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 560 t
- Number of engines - 4
- Passenger capacity, max. - 853 people
Production of this aircraft began in 2005 and was put into operation in 2007. Since that time, it has officially taken first place among passenger aircraft not only in size, but also in capacity, as well as in many other parameters. For example, for aircraft of this category it is the most economical. Its fuel consumption is only 3 liters per passenger per 100 km.
Such a huge aircraft would not be able to take off if it were built from traditional materials - it would simply be too heavy, and the lifting force of the wings would not be enough to lift it off the ground. Therefore, the main challenge for engineers and designers was the task of reducing its mass as much as possible.
The solution to this problem was made possible through the use of the latest composite materials, some of which were specially developed for this aircraft. For example, the central and main part of the wing (which itself weighs 11 tons!) consists of 40 percent carbon fiber. Laser technology was used to weld structural elements, which significantly increased the reliability of connections and reduced the number of fasteners.
Among other things, the designers also took care of environmental friendliness. By reducing the amount of fuel consumed by 17% compared to the Boeing 747, they also achieved a reduction in CO2 emissions - they amount to 75 g per passenger per 1 km of travel.
Boeing 747
- Wingspan - 68.5 m
- Length - 76.3 m
- Height - 19.4 m
- Weight - 214.5 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 442.2 t
- Number of engines - 4
- Passenger capacity, max. - 581 people
- Manufacturer - Boeing
The Boeing 747 held the lead among passenger aircraft for more than 36 years, from 1969 to 2005. The introduction of this aircraft into mass production in 1970 was a breakthrough because the construction of such a new model entailed a whole series of changes in the production process, technology, operational requirements and even in pilot training methods.
Initially, it was not planned to produce a large number of 747s, but when this model proved its reliability, many world airlines began to order it, because the volume of passenger traffic began to increase sharply, and it was profitable to maintain spacious aircraft. Currently, 1.5 thousand 747s fly in the world in companies such as British Airways, Korean Air, China Airlines. In Russia, the 747 is operated by the Rossiya company. She “inherited” five 747s from the collapsed Transaero company.
The 747 also holds significant records: in 1989, this particular aircraft, owned by the Australian Qantas Airways, made a direct flight to Sydney from the British capital, covering 18 thousand km in just over 20 hours. True, it was flying empty: without cargo or passengers. Another record is related to the number of passengers: in 1997, 1,112 people flew on it to Israel during the military Operation Solomon.
The 747 was also used to transport Space Shuttle spacecraft. For such transportation, space shuttles are mounted on the aircraft's back.
The most distinctive detail of the 747 is the “hump” on the fuselage. It was originally planned that the fuselage would be double-decker along its entire length, but this option had to be abandoned for technical reasons. Therefore, the second deck of this Boeing is short.
This superstructure was designed so that the bow of the ship could be modified into a cargo ramp, because the 747 was intended to be used primarily for cargo transportation.
There are 7 modifications of the Boeing 747, almost all of them have both passenger and cargo and cargo-passenger versions. It would not be a mistake to say that the 747 is one of the most common aircraft of this type in the world.
Airbus A340-600
- Wingspan - 63.45 m
- Length - 75.36 m
- Height - 17.22 m
- Weight - 177 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 380 t
- Number of engines - 4
- Passenger capacity, max. - 419 people
- Manufacturer - Airbus S.A.S Concern
The Airbus S.A.S concern owns another giant aircraft. This is the Airbus A340-600, which, before the release of one of the Boeing 747 modifications, was the world's longest passenger aircraft.
Its commercial release began in 2002, but was stopped in 2011. Over 9 years, 97 aircraft of this modification were produced. 340-600 was created specifically for intercontinental flights. Its declared flight range is 14,600 km without refueling.
Boeing 777-300ER
- Wingspan - 64.8 m
- Length - 73.9 m
- Height - 18.7 m
- Weight - 166.9 t
- Takeoff weight, max. - 351.5 t
- Number of engines - 2
- Passenger capacity, max. - 365 people
- Manufacturer - Boeing
The letters ER in the name of the modification stand for Extended Range - increased range. It is capable of flying 14,690 km without refueling thanks to an increase in fuel reserve compared to the previous modification of the “three sevens”. This aircraft is the main competitor of the Airbus A340-600 and the best-selling 777 in the world. There are currently about 400 aircraft of this modification in operation around the world.
The aircraft of this model are powered by the world's most powerful turbofan jet engines, General Electric 90-115B, which provide a maximum thrust of 513 kN. The 300ER modification has reinforced structural elements compared to its predecessors: landing gear, tail, wings, as well as additional fuel tanks.
Modern man cannot imagine his existence without airplanes. To date, more than two thousand aircraft have been designed, which have their own characteristics and purpose. They differ in size, functionality and support. The difference is amazing. If you compare a small plane designed for one pilot and a passenger airliner, the first will seem like just a speck of dust against the background of the second. Today there is the largest Boeing in the world - the Boeing 747.
The Boeing 747 is the first large passenger aircraft to become popular around the world. Pilots and passengers even come up with various nicknames for it; for almost 40 years, the Boeing 747 has held the record for passenger transportation. To date, there is only one record left behind him - this is the maximum length for an aircraft. The Boeing 747 first saw the light of day in 1969, and its history began from then on. Specialists and designers are still designing and improving this model to this day.
Background to the Boeing 747
In the early 1960s, the world began to actively develop in terms of trade, large, large-scale air transportation was needed. The predecessor of the Boeing 747, the Boeing 707, could no longer cope with the volume of traffic. The flow of people wishing to fly quickly and comfortably increased every day, Boeing designers began to develop an analogue.
Joe Sutter in 1965 was the main developer who explored the consumer market as much as possible. After his research, he was the senior designer in charge of the Boeing 747. In those years, there was no bet on passenger transportation; inventors dreamed of sonic airplanes. Therefore, from the very beginning, the Boeing 747 was a cargo aircraft and only then a cargo-passenger aircraft. The designers designed all the aircraft as cargo planes, and this is precisely what they focused on. They freed up space as much as possible, and even moved the cockpits to accommodate more cargo.
In 1966, Boeing designers first showed a mock-up of a new aircraft labeled 747. In its original form, the aircraft had two decks, but many problems arose with this design. Soon an option was proposed: to make it in the form of a capsule, enlarging the sides. After the final version was presented, an order was received for the production of the Boeing 747 from PanAm in the amount of 25 units.
This company made some changes to the design of the aircraft, thanks to it the length of the wings and the design of the landing gear were changed, and it was also decided to increase the weight to 308,443 kilograms.
Main characteristics
The Boeing 747 has four jet engines, an interesting body and large dimensions. The main advanced characteristics set Boeing apart from other aircraft, and, undoubtedly, today it is the leader in transportation and the most sought-after aircraft in the world. It is worth highlighting some perfections:
- Aerodynamics have been improved.
- New solutions make it possible to reduce inductive resistance.
- The interior design has been changed, a comfortable cabin for the crew and a comfortable cabin for passengers.
One of the noticeable improvements to this aircraft are the wings, which have changed in size and become more functional. After a number of changes, the wings became 6 feet high, the airfoil was slightly turned up and protruded outward. After all the innovations, flight duration has increased and fuel consumption has decreased. Due to these savings, Boeing has reduced fuel consumption by up to 4%. If you calculate the total amount for all time, it turns out to be a huge amount. The Boeing 747 is the fastest passenger aircraft, whose speed can reach 940 km/h.
Specifications
The Boeing 747 is much more spacious than its counterparts due to the modified deck. These innovations make it possible to accommodate 1,075 passengers, with high levels of comfort in both business and economy class. Today, the cockpit has also been completely changed: all instruments have been replaced with new digital elements, due to which the number of pilots has been reduced to two people, and the control of the aircraft has become simplified. All important information was displayed on the LCD screen.
On board the aircraft, for ease of movement, straight staircases were designed rather than spiral ones, which made movement as easy as possible.
The interior of the aircraft has also changed. Now passengers had more free space, which made flights more comfortable. Shelves for luggage and personal items have been increased in volume. In addition, special broadcasting systems for watching films and videos were installed on board the aircraft.
Due to the fact that the upper deck was lengthened, several additional exits were installed on it. The parts of the new Boeing are updated engines from well-known manufacturers, characterized by good quality and endurance. Thanks to this, they received a Boeing with a maximum speed of 940 km/h and a weight of 350 tons.
Boeing 747 technical data:
- The total length of the aircraft is 70.7 meters.
- The height of the aircraft is 19.5 meters.
- The wingspan is 120 meters.
- The width of the cabin for passengers is 6 meters.
- Wing area – 1022 sq.m.
- Speed – 940 km/h.
- Flight range – 12500 km.
- Weight without passengers - 175,000 kg.
- The height inside the aircraft is 13755 m.
Economy class has 580 seats. The aircraft crew included two pilots and one engineer. Due to the popularity of the model, Boeing was invented for cargo transportation and Boeing passenger, but with a shorter flight duration.
The purpose of the Boeing 747
Since the start of Boeing production, carrier companies have been distrustful of the airliner. At the same time, some organizations began to develop smaller aircraft with three engines. Many believed that they would be able to displace the Boeing, because the large dimensions of the Boeing called into question its efficiency on long-haul routes. Also, due to its large dimensions, the infrastructure of some airports could not match the record holder. Of course, passenger transportation companies were concerned about the high fuel consumption that the Boeing required to fly. Some airlines immediately refused to purchase the aircraft, fearing that ticket prices would rise due to high fuel consumption.
Boeing 747 – king in the sky
Companies' concerns about this were justified, because in 1970, during the fuel crisis, fuel prices jumped sharply. Due to this, passenger traffic has been reduced to the maximum extent possible. The Boeing 747 went on flights half empty. Some airlines resorted to a trick: they decided to remove several rows of passenger seats and install bars and musical instruments in these places in the hope of attracting as many passengers as possible in this way. But, as practice has shown, this turned out to be not enough. Many of the airlines converted the planes into cargo planes or resold them to other owners.
In populated countries today, the Boeing 747 is used on short-haul flights or to destinations that are in high demand. Of course, the Boeing 747 is still used for long flights. The national company of Japan had the largest number of Boeings, namely 73 units. At the moment, all equipment has been written off, and the last flight of the Boeing took place in March 2011.
In Russia, the Boeing 747 was operated by the largest private airline, Transaero, which ceased operations in 2015, and by the largest cargo carrier, AirBridgeCargo.
The creation and start of production of the double-deck wide-body airliner Airbus A380 put an end to the undivided monopoly of the aircraft, which lasted for several decades. The car is the largest passenger airliner in the world.
Reliability and reduced operating costs ensure good demand for the machine, despite its high cost. The most expensive option was supplied to the family of the King of Saudi Arabia, and cost the customer 488 million US dollars.
History of creation
Work on a new large-sized Airbus airliner began in the late 80s. The aircraft was created as a competitor to the Boeing 747 airliner, which had a monopoly on the niche of such aircraft since the 70s. In parallel, a similar aircraft was being developed by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, but its project was a failure.
The management of Boeing and Airbus realized the limitations of the market for high-capacity aircraft, so in 1993 attempts were made to enter into a partnership agreement that would allow them to divide the market. In parallel, the development of projects was underway, called “Airbus” 3XX and “Boeing” 747X.
For the Airbus, several fuselage options were developed, including a twin-length fuselage from the 340 model. The Boeing aircraft was supposed to be equipped with a fuselage with a nose section increased in height.
Development of the Boeing project was stopped in early 1997 due to the emerging economic crisis in East Asia, which reduced the market for large aircraft.
Airbus decided to continue development of the project, concentrating on reducing operating costs while increasing capacity. It was then that the decision was made to use a double-deck fuselage, which ensured the maximum capacity of the aircraft.
The A380 designation appeared at the end of 2000, when the project was approved by the then management of Airbus. Assembly of the first aircraft began in 2002. A special feature of the production of the A380 aircraft was the use of the production facilities of several dozen enterprises scattered throughout Europe.
The first flight of the Airbus A380 took place in the spring of 2005, and already at the beginning of 2006 the first test flight across the Atlantic Ocean was carried out.
Finalizing the design and solving problems that arose with suppliers shifted the start of aircraft production to 2007, in which only one copy was delivered. Actual deliveries began only the following year, in which 12 A380 aircraft were assembled.
At the beginning of 2017, there were 207 Airbus A380 aircraft in active operation, owned by twelve airlines. During the operation of the aircraft, several minor flight accidents were recorded.
In particular, in the fall of 2017, on one of the Air France airliners, elements of a turbojet engine separated in flight. The cause of the incident was determined to be a manufacturing defect in the fan hub of the GP7200 engine.
Fuselage and cockpit
The fuselage of the Airbus A380-800 aircraft is equipped with two decks to accommodate passenger seats. Between the decks there are stairs located in the bow and tail of the passenger compartment. When laying out the stairs, it was possible to ensure a width sufficient for the free movement of passengers towards each other.
Carbon fiber composites are widely used in the fuselage structure.
The end section of the fuselage is entirely made of composite. A tail horizontal and vertical stabilizer is attached to it. Inside there is a service compartment and an auxiliary gas turbine unit with a generator.
In the forward part of the fuselage there is a pilot's cabin equipped with two seats. To display data, the cockpit is equipped with liquid crystal monitors (the “glass cockpit” concept) of a unified design that allows devices to be replaced.
Pilots do not have a traditional helm. The steering wheel is replaced by joysticks located on the outside of the seats. Joysticks are connected to electric drive controls. The cockpit contains more than 100 thousand wires connecting various electronic and electrical components.
In front of the pilots there is a folding table with a keyboard. Between the seats there are controls, including four throttle levers for controlling engine operating modes.
The Airbus A380 wing was created based on a take-off weight of at least 650 thousand kg, which is considered achievable on future versions.
In addition, this weight was planned for the cargo version of the A380-800F aircraft, which never went into production.
Engines
Depending on the modification, the Airbus A380 airliner can be equipped with Trent 900 family turbojet engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce or GP7200 developed by Engine Alliance.
The GP7200 powerplant is a collection of components developed by several major engine manufacturers. Both types of engines meet modern noise requirements during takeoff and landing.
The table shows some engine characteristics.
| Parameter | Trent 900 | GP7200 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Turbofan three-shaft | Twin-shaft turbofan |
| Combustion chamber type | Single | Single with reduced emissions of harmful substances |
| Turbine design | One stage each for high and medium pressure, 5 stages for low pressure | Two stages of high pressure and 6 stages of low |
| Compressor | One fan wheel, 8-stage medium pressure stage and 6-stage high pressure stage | Fan, 5-speed low pressure and 9-speed high pressure |
| Length, mm | 5478 | 4920 |
| Diameter, mm | 2950 | 3160 |
| Weight, kg | 6246 | 6712 |
| Take-off thrust, kN | 310-340 | 311 |
To reduce the travel distance, two engines have a thrust reverser (one under each wing). The engines use aviation kerosene as fuel.
Exploration work is underway to operate power plants using a mixture of kerosene and natural gas converted into liquid fuel. The fuel supply is located in 13 caisson tanks located in the wings and horizontal tail.
The fuel system has 41 pumps that constantly move fuel between tanks to maintain alignment and reduce drag.
Passenger compartment design
The pressurized passenger cabin of the Airbus A380 aircraft has improved sound insulation. The width of the fuselage allows for 11 rows of passenger seats.
All places are connected to communication lines built on the basis of fiber optics.
Passengers board and disembark through two doors located in the forward fuselage on the lower deck.
First grade
The seats are located in the bow of the lower deck. There are 14 seats in total, 4 of which are located singly on the sides, the remaining 6 are located in the central row in pairs. A special feature of first class seats is the ability to be folded into a full-fledged berth.
At the beginning and end of the compartment there is a bathroom and a kitchenette. In addition, first class has a shower facility (not available on all Airbus A380s).
Business Class
Business class seats are located immediately behind first class. The seats are arranged in eight rows at a fairly large distance from each other. The design of the chairs allows the backrests to be folded out to form a sleeping area.
There are a total of 20 rows of seats, the total capacity of the business class cabin is 76 seats.
At the beginning and end of the salon there are kitchenettes and a bathroom. A bar counter is located in the area of the first emergency exit. The second emergency exit is located towards the rear of the Airbus A380.
Economy class
Economy class seats on the Airbus A380 are located on the upper deck in three rows. The side rows have three seats, the central row has four. There are two aisles between the rows. There are bathrooms in the bow, stern and middle parts.
The cabin is designed for 399 passengers. Passenger seats are equipped with an individual screen mounted in the backrest. The economy class cabin has two kitchenettes and three bathrooms.
In the event of an emergency, economy class passengers can leave the Airbus A380 cabin through 10 emergency exits.
It is possible to expand the economy class cabin to the second deck. In this case, the capacity of the Airbus A380 reaches a record 853 passengers.
Chassis
In the scheme for extending and retracting the landing gear on the Airbus A380, a combined drive is used - from hydraulic systems (duplicated) and from electric actuators (also duplicated). Electric actuators operate the chassis via hydraulic systems.
In this way, it was possible to install four independent control systems, which increased the safety of the aircraft and reduced the risk of dangerous situations. The landing gear niches are closed with landing gear doors made of composite materials. The design of the doors is monolithic.
Flight performance compared to competitors
| Parameter | A380 | A380 Plus | Boeing 747-8F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wingspan, mm | 79 800 | 68 450 | |
| Length, mm | 73 000 | 76 250 | |
| Height, mm | 24 100 | 19 350 | |
| Empty weight, kg | 276 800 | 191 100 | |
| Maximum take-off weight, kg | 560 000 | 578 000 | 442 000 |
| Fuel capacity, l | 325 000 | - | |
| Total takeoff thrust, kN | 1244-1360 | At least 1244 | 1188 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 1020 | 988 | |
| Cruising speed, km/h | Up to 945 | 908 | |
| Flight range, km | 15 200 | 15 756 | 14 100 |
| Ceiling, m | 13 115 | 13 000 | |
| Crew, people | 2 | ||
| Number of seats, persons | 853 | 933 | 581 |
Prospects
In mid-2017, Airbus announced the creation of an improved A380 Plus. The main direction of improvements was to reduce the cost of the aircraft, which in theory should increase demand for the aircraft.
At the same time, the redesigned cabins are designed to accommodate a record 933 passengers. Capacity has been improved due to a tighter cabin layout and a reduction in the area of service compartments.
Externally, the A380 Plus is not very different from its predecessor - the main changes affected the design of the wing, which should have reduced drag.
Modified Rolls-Royce and Engine Alliance power plants have reduced fuel consumption and increased thrust by 7%, but there is no official data on them in the public domain.
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