The history of aviation begins at the end of the eighteenth century - after all, it was at the turn of the eras that an English designer developed a project for an aircraft. Modern airliners bear little resemblance to their predecessors. Today, aviation industry leaders are competing to produce giants. The largest aircraft in the world - An-225 "Mriya" - is striking in 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. The vessel has been under development for 10 years, and in 2005 this giant successfully completed its maiden voyage.
With a fuselage length of 72.75 m, a wingspan of 79.75 m and a hull height of 24 meters, this aircraft is capable of lifting up to 853 people into the air.
A distinctive feature of the model is economical fuel consumption - the flight range of this airliner is 15,400 kilometers. It is noteworthy that in order to achieve this goal, the engineers ordered a batch of machines specially created for the model. After all, a reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved only with an ideally adjusted shape of the wing and fuselage. The actual consumption of aviation fuel here is 855 liters per 100 km at full load..
Note that the Airbus A380 800 replaced the thirty-five-year-old leader in this area -. Moreover, the current record holder is able to carry 7% more passengers while reducing the cost of aircraft production within 15%. However, it took the designers about 2,000,000,000 euros to create the first model.
For the first time the aircraft was put into operation by the air carrier "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 can carry up to 150 tons of cargo at a distance of up to 10,370 kilometers. Note that in this case, an empty plane weighs 280 tons, and the maximum take-off weight of the board reaches 560 tons.
Leaders in size
The world's longest passenger aircraft is the predecessor to the above-described aircraft, the Boeing 747. It is a wide-body double-deck airliner with a hull length of 76.3 meters with a side height of 19.4 meters 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 of the model's appearance, the project to create this aircraft became so expensive that the company had to borrow money. However, all costs have fully paid off - and today these vessels are in demand and popular. The "hump" in the front of the hull has become a visiting card - it was there that the designers placed the upper deck of the side. The aircraft also remains the leader in terms of speed characteristics in the class among passenger subsonic airliners. The speed of this board reaches 910-950 km / h.
Heavyweights in the world of aviation
Now let's define the largest cargo plane in the world - the photos presented in the article will help readers see the true scale of this technique. Let's describe the characteristics of world leaders in more detail.
Record holder for freight
The most cargo-lifting aircraft in the world - the development of the Antonov Design Bureau, model An-225 "Mriya"... The airliner successfully passed flight tests back in 1988, and has been operating in the field of cargo transportation from 1989 to the present time. The length of the hull of this vessel reaches 84 meters, and the wingspan is 88.4 m. According to these parameters, the modification is second only to the board of 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, since it is in the lead in 240 parameters at once. It is noteworthy that the aircraft was designed on the basis of the project of another giant, which became the world's largest cargo aircraft An-124 Ruslan. And 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, Ukraine signed an agreement with China 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 accompanying the cargo and six crew members. Initially, the aircraft was planned to be used for the space industry, therefore the Mriya project is a universal technique in terms of quality. It is a record holder in weight and carrying capacity, a leader in the transportation of mono-cargo and oversized equipment..
Largest serial heavyweight
The largest cargo plane in Russia, which was mass-produced and is used today, is the model. It is on the basis of the project of this airliner OKB im. Antonov and developed "Mriya". Concerning Ruslana, the first such board appeared in 1982. Initially, the function of technology was the transportation of 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 carrying capacity
Since 1987, the modification has been actively used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines. Throughout the history of the production of such airliners, the world saw 55 Ruslan models. The vessel has a length of 69.1 meters. At the same time, its height is 24.5 m, and its wingspan is 73.3 m. The aircraft's efficiency allows it to fly 4,800 km with a full board load, and the maximum flight range here is 11,600 meters.
The cruising speed of the vessel 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 upper tier of the liner is designed to carry 21 passengers accompanying the cargo, stationary and removable crew cabins. The lower deck of the vessel is a sealed cargo hold with a capacity of 1,060 m³. If we talk about the records of this model, in 1985 the aircraft became the leader in 21 positions in the transportation of goods over long distances. Over the entire period of operation, 4 such aircraft have been lost.
Western analogue of An-124
If we consider the popular Western projects that compete with Ruslan, here the 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, such airliners of the US Air Force are successfully used today. Moreover, the manufacturer has 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 liner with increased payload characteristics and is ranked third in the global aviation heavyweight ranking. After all, an empty airliner, which 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 hull height here is 19.85 m, the length is 75.54 m, and the wingspan is 67.88 m.
The transport is capable of simultaneously carrying 270 soldiers and 118 387 kg of cargo over a distance of 5 526 km. Moreover, the maximum practical ceiling of the 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 vessel is capable of developing reaches 888 km / h. Here, on the upper tier of the aircraft, there is a crew cabin for 5 people and places for passengers. The lower sector of the airliner is intended for the carriage of goods. This deck is 36.91 meters long and 5.79 meters wide.
Leader in wing length
Since the current record holder "Mriya" could not break the world aviation record in wingspan, we will describe the characteristics of the aircraft that holds this position. Model Hughes H-4 is a wooden structure designed for the American military in 1947. The only copy of this modification can be seen in the Oregon State Museum. Moreover, in the history since the appearance of the aircraft, it was operated only once, having carried out an experimental flight.
Today, the only copy of the Hughes H-4 airboat is in the Oregon State Museum.
The dimensions of the airliner are impressive - the length of the hull here is 66.45 meters, and the height is 24.08 meters. Moreover, the record-breaking wing span here is 97.54 m. The vessel was intended to transport the military and is designed to carry 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 project of this air boat appeared at the beginning of the Second World War, but the designer did not manage to bring the equipment to readiness by the set deadlines. The development and manufacture of the aircraft took US $ 13,000,000, and the storage of 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 versatile tasks. The release of the modernized giant "Mriya" is expected in the near future. Perhaps this modification will break a personal record and become the largest airliner in aviation history. Details on the classification of aircraft are available here.
Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world 
The cabin of this giant can accommodate up to 853 passengers. 
Boeing 747 remains the longest passenger aircraft 
AN-225 "Mriya" - the world record holder in size 
With a maximum take-off weight of 640 tons, Mriya becomes the world's most cargo-carrying airliner
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck (double-deck) passenger jet aircraft. Today it is the largest and most spacious airliner in the world. Its development officially began in 2000, the first flight took place in 2005, and in 2007 it was fully commissioned by pre-ordering companies.
Airbus A380 review
Airbus A380 has several modifications:
- The basic models are Airbus A380-800, 842, 861, 862. The length is about 73 meters. The difference lies in the installed engines: GP72XX and Trent 900. The ability to vary the temperature on board from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius, thanks to the internal 16 temperature zones, is unique;
- A380-800F. Airplane cargo model. For a while, Airbus S.A.S. took orders for the supply of such a modification, but its production was delayed indefinitely until the design of the passenger version was fully adjusted. The exact dates are still unknown;
- A380-900. It is currently at the design stage. It is 7 meters longer than the original version, and if the plane 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 as the most capacious airliner. In the future, it will be able to accommodate on board 1,073 passengers in exclusively economy class and 757 people in three classes. The beginning of use is presumably dated to 2020-2025. The length of the aircraft is 87 meters;
- A380plus. This modification is currently being tested. The board will be able to accommodate 80 more people than in the basic version, as well as reduced fuel consumption and operating costs.
The design of the passenger compartment of the Airbus A380
Typical Cabin Configuration of Airbus A380-800 Emirates
The aircraft has an upper and lower deck, which are connected by two ladders in the nose and aft of the aircraft. Various modifications of the A380 accommodate First Class, Business Economy and Premium Economy classes.
First grade
In an Airbus A380 passenger plane, as a rule, first-class seats are located at the very beginning. Everyone already knows that these places are the best, and the attitude to the passenger is as if he is a guest of a five-star hotel. Each armchair here can be expanded into a small bed. A shower can even be provided in the first class compartment, which is widely used by some airlines.
Nevertheless, not everything is so smooth and the "suite" also has disadvantages: these are places located in the 1st and 4th rows, located in the immediate vicinity of the toilet. Also, opposite the 1st row there is a staircase that connects the two decks of the aircraft 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 converted into a bed if desired. The distance between the seats is sufficient, so you can easily stretch your legs to their full length. A mini-bar is provided for passengers, which is usually included in the ticket price.
Economy class
Economy class is located on the bottom or main (if the plane consists entirely of one class). It is 399 seats in the classic scheme offered by the manufacturer. The seats here do not fold out, as in the 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 pay Internet. The availability of the latter will depend on the airline.
The best places
As mentioned earlier, the ideal seats in this airliner are in first and business class. In the economy, you can also get well on the 45th, 54th and 82nd rows. The seats are far from toilets and technical areas, and there are no seats in front, which means there is ample legroom. Rows 68 and 81 will 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" for convenience. There is enough space between the seats, but technical rooms and a toilet are located nearby, which can be inconvenient. The worst places in the 88th row. It is here that the wall is placed, because of which the seat and the toilet room do not recline, where passengers scurry back and forth. It is better to take tickets here when there are no other options.
Photo of the cabin in economy class:
Main characteristics
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 to save on crew training.
The airliner Airbus 380 has the following technical characteristics:
- The number of standard seats - 525;
- Capacity - 853;
- Cabin width - 6.5 m;
- Length - 72.7 m;
- Height - 24.1 m;
- Wingspan - 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;
Airplane flight data:
- Maximum flight altitude - 13.1 thousand m;
- Maximum flight distance with full load - 15 thousand km;
- The length of the run - 2.9 thousand meters;
- Takeoff run - 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 monopoly Boeing with its Boeing-747 airliner. Initially, the future brainchild of Airbus was codenamed A3XX. The designers wanted to combine the two fuselages of the largest aircraft of the A340 company at that time, but this would lead to a significant decrease in flight parameters, an increase in the acceleration length and total mass.
It was decided to use a two-deck model, which gave the car a number of advantages. The project was launched in 2000, and the planned costs reached 8.8 million euros. The name of the aircraft also has an interesting history. Instead of A340, he received the number A380. In a number of Asian countries, the 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 wing design and had to be changed in a timely manner. The tests on the ground and in the air were fully completed at the end of 2007 and the A380 received European certificates of conformity.
Where is it produced
Fuselage in section
The aircraft is manufactured by the European company Airbus S.A.S., based in the city of Toulouse (France). It also has several offices in Germany, Spain, France and Great Britain and two factories in Blagnac (a suburb of Toulouse) and Hanover (Germany). The activity of the company 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.
The cost of different models
The price of various modifications of the A380 can vary greatly. Also, its growth is influenced by the unstable economic situation in the world. Recently, there has been a steady trend towards higher prices for aircraft. And in general, the liner of this model is considered the most expensive in the entire Airbus family.
At the moment, the price of the Airbus A380-800 is US $ 428 million. The cost of the models, the production of which is planned to begin in the near future, the company is still silent about and the final figure is known only to airlines that have placed pre-orders. Prices rise by about 2-3% annually. In total, 219 machines were sold and put into operation, and another 317 are under construction. This information is reported by the official representative of Airbus.
News, modernization, prospects
There are several occasions when VIPs and famous people have placed an order for the A380-800. 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.
It was believed that this aircraft is 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. Moscow Domodedovo became the first airport in Russia adapted to receive a wide-body A380. 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 compartment noise level and is the most economical and largest aircraft to date.
Due to the large size of the aircraft, 597 kg of paint have to be spent on its painting, and the total surface area reaches 10 thousand square meters. m. Also, thanks to the extended wing area, the airliner's speed is 35 km / h lower than that of its main competitor. This allows you to reduce possible noise on the airport territory during landing or takeoff.
At the moment, the A380-1000 and A380plus are being actively developed. A huge number of airlines have already issued a preliminary order for the latest aircraft and passengers have to wait until modern machines will enter service and will delight us with their reliable build quality and speed.
Watch a video about the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft.
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The plane itself is an engineering genius. Making hundreds of tons of iron rise above the ground is not a trivial task. Even the smallest details matter, it takes the highest precision and hard work of hundreds of people to create even the simplest aircraft by modern standards.
The greater challenge is for aircraft designers to experiment with materials, sizes, technologies in order to create aircraft more and more easily, more and more economically, and more and more than their predecessors. This article will focus on the largest passenger aircraft. There are now two major players in the world producing huge passenger aircraft, Boeing and Airbus.
The competition between them led to the creation of colossal machines. Airbus-A380 is the recognized leader among them. Its huge wingspan 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
The production of this aircraft began in 2005 and was put into operation in 2007.Since that time, it has officially ranked first among the 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 kilometers.
Such a huge plane would not be able to take off if it was built from traditional materials - it would simply be too heavy, and there would not be enough lift from the wings to lift it off the ground. Therefore, the main challenge for engineers and designers was the task of minimizing its weight as much as possible.
The solution to this problem became possible due to the use of the latest composite materials, some of which were specially developed for this aircraft. For example, the center and main part of the wing (which itself weighs 11 tons!) Is 40 percent carbon fiber. For welding of structural elements, laser technology was used, which significantly increased the reliability of the joints 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 have also achieved a reduction in CO2 emissions - they are 75 g per passenger per 1 km.
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 over 36 years - from 1969 to 2005. In 1970, the launch of this aircraft into series production 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, there are 1.5 thousand 747s flying around the world in such companies as British Airways, Korean Air, China Airlines. In Russia, the 747s are operated by the Rossiya company. She inherited five 747s from the disintegrated Transaero company.
The 747 also holds significant records: in 1989, it was this aircraft, owned by Australian Qantas Airways, that made a non-stop flight to Sydney from the British capital, covering 18 thousand km in a little over 20 hours. True, he flew empty: without cargo and passengers. Another record is associated with the number of passengers: in 1997, 1,112 people flew to Israel on it during the military operation "Solomon".
The 747 was also used to transport Space Shuttle spaceships. For such transportation, space shuttles are placed on the aircraft's back.
The most characteristic detail of the 747 is the "hump" on the fuselage. It was originally planned that the fuselage would be double-decked along its entire length, but this option had to be abandoned for technical reasons. Therefore, the second deck of this Boeing is short.
Such a superstructure was designed so that the bow of the ship could be modified into a cargo ramp, because it was assumed that the 747th would be operated primarily for the transport of goods.
There are 7 modifications of the Boeing-747, almost all of them have both passenger and cargo and cargo-passenger versions. It will not be wrong to say that the 747 is one of the most widespread 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 - Concern Airbus S.A.S
The Airbus S.A.S concern owns another giant aircraft. This is the Airbus A340-600, which was the world's longest passenger aircraft before the release of one of the Boeing 747 modifications.
Its commercial release began in 2002 and was discontinued in 2011. For 9 years, 97 aircraft of this modification were produced. The 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 denote Extended Range - increased range. It is capable of flying 14 690 km without refueling due to an increase in fuel capacity compared to the previous modification of the "three sevens". This particular aircraft is the main competitor to the Airbus A340-600 and the best-selling 777 in the world. About 400 aircraft of this modification are currently in operation in 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 structural elements that are reinforced compared to its predecessors: landing gear, empennage, 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 features of purpose. They differ in size, functionality and support. The difference is striking. If we compare a small plane designed for one pilot and a passenger airliner, then the first one will seem 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 be popular around the world. Pilots and passengers even come up with various nicknames for it, for almost 40 years the Boeing 747 has been the record holder in passenger traffic. To date, he has one record left - this is the maximum length for an aircraft. The Boeing 747 was first released in 1969, and its history began from that time. Specialists and designers, to this day, design and improve this model.
Prehistory of the Boeing 747
In the early 1960s, the world began to develop actively in terms of trade, large, large-scale air travel 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's 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 Boeing747. In those years, they did not bet on passenger transportation, the inventors dreamed of sound aircraft. Therefore, from the very beginning, the Boeing 747 was a cargo plane and only then a cargo-passenger plane. The designers developed all the aircraft as cargo, and this is exactly what they did the bias. They freed up space to the maximum, and even moved the cockpit to accommodate more cargo.
In 1966, Boeing's designers showed for the first time a mock-up of a new aircraft marked 747. In its original form, the aircraft had two decks, but with this design many problems arose. Soon an option was proposed: to make it in the form of a capsule, increasing the sides. After the final version was presented, an order was received for the production of a Boeing 747 from PanAm in the amount of 25 pieces.
This company made some changes in the design of the aircraft, thanks to it, the length of the wings, the design of the landing gear were changed, and it was also decided to increase the weight to 308443 kilograms.
Main characteristics
The Boeing 747 has four jet-based engines, an interesting hull and large dimensions. Key advanced features set Boeing apart from other aircraft, and is undoubtedly the leader in transportation and the most sought after aircraft in the world today. Some perfections are worth highlighting:
- Improved aerodynamics.
- New solutions make it possible to reduce induction resistance.
- The interior design has been changed, as well as a comfortable cockpit for the crew and a comfortable cabin for passengers.
One of the notable improvements to this aircraft are the wings, which have changed in size and become more functional. After a series of changes, the wings reached 6 feet in height, the aerofoil was slightly upward and protruded outward. After all the innovations, the duration of flights has increased, and the consumption of fuel material has decreased. Due to these savings, Boeing has reduced fuel consumption by up to 4%. If you calculate the total amount for all the time, then you get a huge amount. The Boeing 747 is the fastest passenger aircraft with a speed of 940 km / h.
Specifications
The Boeing 747 is much more spacious than its counterparts due to the modified deck. These innovations are able to accommodate 1,075 passengers with high levels of comfort in both business and economy classes. Today, the cockpit has also completely changed: all instruments have been replaced by new digital elements, which reduces the number of pilots to two people and simplifies aircraft control. All important information was displayed on the LCD screen.
On board the aircraft, for ease of movement, straight stairs were designed, and not spiral ones, which made the movement as easy as possible.
The aircraft cabin has also changed. Now passengers had more free space, which made flights more comfortable. Shelves for luggage and personal belongings have been increased in volume. In addition, special broadcasting systems were installed on board the aircraft for watching films and videos.
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, which are distinguished by good quality and endurance. Thanks to this, we got 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 passenger compartment is 6 meters.
- Wing area - 1022 sq. M.
- The speed is 940 km / h.
- Flight range - 12,500 km.
- Weight without passengers - 175,000 kg.
- The height inside the aircraft is 13755 m.
The economy class has 580 seats. The aircraft's crew consisted of two pilots and one engineer. Due to the popularity of the model, Boeing was invented for cargo transportation and passenger Boeing, but with a shorter flight duration.
The purpose of the Boeing 747
Since the beginning of Boeing's production, carrier companies have been distrustful of the airliner. At the same time, several organizations began to develop smaller aircraft with three engines. Many believed that they would be able to oust the Boeing, because the large dimensions of the Boeing questioned its efficiency on long-haul routes. Also, due to the 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 Boeing needed to fly. Some airlines immediately abandoned the purchase of the aircraft, fearing a rise in ticket prices due to high fuel consumption.
Boeing 747 - king in the sky
The concerns of the companies about this were well founded, because in 1970, during the fuel crisis, the price of fuel jumped sharply. In this regard, passenger traffic has decreased as much as possible. Boeing 747 went on flights half empty. Some airlines went for a trick: it was 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 was not enough. Many of the airlines converted their planes into cargo planes or resold them to other owners.
In populated countries, today the Boeing 747 is used for short-range flights or in destinations that are in great demand. Of course, the Boeing 747 is still used for long-term flights. The national company of Japan had the largest number of Boeing, namely 73 units. At the moment, all equipment has been decommissioned, and the last Boeing flight took place in March 2011.
In Russia, the Boeing 747 was operated by the largest private airline Transaero, which ceased operations in 2015, and the largest cargo carrier, AirBridgeCargo.
The creation and start of production of the Airbus A380 double-deck wide-body airliner put an end to the undivided monopoly of the aircraft, which lasted for several decades. The car is the largest passenger liner in the world.
Reliability and lower operating costs ensure good demand for the machine, despite the high cost. The most expensive version was supplied to the family of the King of Saudi Arabia, and cost the customer $ 488 million.
History of creation
The start of work on a new large-sized airliner "Airbus" started in the late 1980s. The aircraft was created as a competitor to the Boeing 747 airliner, which monopolistically occupied the niche of such aircraft since the 70s. In parallel, a similar aircraft was developed by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, but its project was a failure.
Both Boeing and Airbus were aware of the limitations of the high-capacity aircraft market, so in 1993 attempts were made to negotiate a partnership that would divide the market. At the same time, the development of projects called Airbus 3XX and Boeing 747X proceeded.
Several variants of the fuselage were worked out for the Airbus, including a double-length fuselage from the model 340. The Boeing was supposed to be equipped with a fuselage with an increased nose section.
Development of the Boeing project was halted in early 1997 due to the onset of the economic crisis in East Asia, which reduced the market for large-sized liners.
Airbus decided to continue developing the project, focusing 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 Airbus management. Assembly of the first aircraft began in 2002. The peculiarity of the manufacture 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 in early 2006 the first test flight across the Atlantic Ocean was performed.
Finishing the design and solving problems with suppliers pushed the start of aircraft production to 2007, in which only one copy was delivered. Actual deliveries did not begin until the following year, in which 12 A380s were assembled.
At the beginning of 2017, 207 Airbus A380 airliners owned by twelve airlines were in active operation. During the operation of the aircraft, several minor flight accidents were recorded.
In particular, in the fall of 2017 on one of the airliners of the Air France company, the elements of a turbojet engine were separated in flight. A manufacturing defect in the fan bushing of the GP7200 engine was recognized as the cause of the accident.
Fuselage and cockpit
The fuselage of the Airbus A380-800 is equipped with two decks for accommodating passenger seats. Ladders are installed between the decks, located in the bow and aft sections of the passenger compartment. When arranging the stairs, it was possible to provide 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. A service compartment and an auxiliary gas turbine unit with a generator are located inside.
In the forward part of the fuselage there is a cockpit equipped with two seats. To display data, liquid crystal monitors (“glass cockpit” concept) of a unified design are installed in the cockpit, which makes it possible to replace devices.
Pilots do not have a traditional steering wheel. The steering wheel is replaced by joysticks located on the outside of the seats. Joysticks are associated with electric drive controls. The cockpit has over 100,000 wires connecting various electronic and electrical components.
In front of the pilots there is a folding table with a keyboard. Controls are located between the seats, including four throttle levers for controlling the 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 in 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 can be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7200 turbojet engines.
The GP7200 powerplant is a collection of components developed by several of the largest engine manufacturers. Both types of engines meet modern noise requirements for takeoff and landing.
The table shows some of the characteristics of the motors.
| Parameter | Trent 900 | GP7200 |
|---|---|---|
| A type | Turbofan three-shaft | Turbofan twin-shaft |
| Combustion chamber type | Single | Single room with a reduced level of emission of harmful substances |
| Turbine design | One high and one medium pressure stage, 5 low pressure stages | Two-stage high pressure and 6-stage low |
| Compressor | One fan wheel, 8-stage medium pressure and 6-stage high | Fan, 5-stage low pressure and 9-stage high pressure |
| Length, mm | 5478 | 4920 |
| Diameter, mm | 2950 | 3160 |
| Weight, kg | 6246 | 6712 |
| Takeoff thrust, kN | 310-340 | 311 |
To reduce the mileage, the two engines have thrust reverse (one under each wing). The engines use aviation kerosene as fuel.
Prospecting 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 pump fuel between tanks to maintain alignment and reduce drag.
Passenger compartment design
The sealed passenger compartment of the Airbus A380 has improved sound insulation. The width of the fuselage can accommodate 11 rows of passenger seats.
All locations are connected to fiber-optic communication lines.
Passengers embark and disembark through two doors located in the forward fuselage on the lower deck.
First grade
Seats are located in the bow of the lower deck. There are 14 seats in total, of which 4 are located singly along the sides, the remaining 6 are located in the central row in pairs. A special feature of the first class seats is the possibility of folding into a full-fledged berth.
At the beginning and at the end of the compartment there is a bathroom and a mini-kitchen. In addition, a shower unit is installed in the first class (not available on all Airbus A380s).
Business Class
Business class seats are located just 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, forming a sleeping place.
There are 20 rows of seats in total, the total capacity of the business class cabin is 76 seats.
At the beginning and at the end of the salon there are mini-kitchens and a bathroom. There is a bar in the area of the first emergency exit. The second emergency exit is located closer to the tail 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 center row four. There are two aisles between the rows. There are bathrooms in the bow, stern and middle parts.
The salon is designed for 399 passengers. The passenger seats are equipped with an individual screen mounted in the backrest. The economy class cabin has two mini-kitchens and three bathrooms.
In an emergency, economy class passengers can leave the Airbus A380 through 10 emergency exits.
It is possible to expand the economy class salon to the second deck. In this case, the capacity of the Airbus A380 reaches a record 853 passengers.
Chassis
In the scheme of landing and retraction of the landing gear on the Airbus A380, a combined drive is used - from hydraulic systems (duplicated) and from electric actuators (also duplicated). Electric actuators control the chassis via hydraulic systems.
Thus, it was possible to install four independent control systems, which increased the safety of the aircraft and reduced the risk of dangerous situations. Chassis niches are closed by chassis doors made of composite materials. The design of the shutters is monolithic.
Flight performance versus 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 takeoff weight, kg | 560 000 | 578 000 | 442 000 |
| Fuel capacity, l | 325 000 | - | |
| Total take-off thrust, kN | 1244-1360 | Not less than 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, people | 853 | 933 | 581 |
Perspectives
In mid-2017, Airbus announced the creation of an improved A380 Plus. The main focus of the improvements was to reduce the cost of the car, which in theory should increase the demand for the aircraft.
At the same time, the redesigned cabins are designed to accommodate a record 933 passengers. The capacity has been improved due to the tighter cabin layout and the reduction in the area of the service compartments.
Externally, the A380 Plus does not differ much from its predecessor - the main changes concerned the wing design, which should have a reduced drag.
The modified power plants of Rolls-Royce and Engine Alliance 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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