Contents:
Aerospatiale/BAC: | Concorde |
Airbus: | A300 | A310 | A320 | A319/321 | A330 | A340 |
Boeing: | 727 | 737 | 747 | 757 | 767 | 777 |
Bomardier: | Canadair Regional Jet | DHC-7 | DHC-8 |
British Aerospace: | 1-11 | 146/Avro RJ |
Fokker: | F-27 | F-28 | F-50 | F-100/70 |
Ilyushin: | Il-86 | Il-96 |
Lockheed: | L-1011 TriStar |
McDonnell Douglas: | DC-9 | DC-10 | MD-11 | MD-80 | MD-90 |
Saab: | 340 | 2000 |
Tupolev: | Tu-154 | Tu-204 |
Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde
Specifications:
Length: 61.66 m
Height: 11.4 m
Wing span: 25.56 m
Weight empty operating: 78 700 kg
MTOW: 185 065 kg
Cruise speed: 2 179 km/h (1 176 kts)
Range: 6 380 km (3 970 nm)
Passengers: 128
Concorde is the only supersonic transport (SST) aircraft in the world. A four engine narrowbody, it was designed and built by
France's Aerospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation (BAC; now British Aerospace). SST studies began in 1955. The British
and French governments agreed to pool their efforts under an agreement signed in November 1962. The first test aircraft flew in
March 1969. The Concorde enterd service in January 1976.
Meanwhile, a competing US SST programme was cancelled. The USSR developed Tupolev Tu-144 SST, now out of service. It
costs a lot to fly supersonically - more than twice the cost of subsonic first-class tickets. The Angelo-French team foresaw a
market for 200 Concordes; predictably, they sold 16, to Air France and British Airways. Both airliners still use most of these.
The Concorde will remain in service until around 2010. After that, several technology developmentprojects are under way to
develop a larger successor aircraft. Concorde's pooer market showing provides the largest disincentive for participants in these
efforts.
Airbus A300
Photo
Specifications (A300-600R)
Length: 54.08 m
Height: 16.53 m
Wing span: 44.84 m
Weight empty operating: 89 813 kg
MTOW: 170 500 kg
Cruise speed: 875 km/h (472 kts)
Range: 7 410 km (4 000 nm)
Passengers: 250 (three class)
A mid-sized medium-range jetliner, the A300 was the first widebody twinjet. It was also the first plane built by the Airbus
consortium. Airbus began in 1965 as an Angelo-French project, and was finalized later as a French/German/British/Spanish
effort with final production facilities in Toulouse. First proposed in 1968, the A300 made its first flight in October 1972.
French and West German certefication came in March 1974, and the A300 entered service, with Air France in May.
The A300B2 and B4 were the first two variants. Airbus built 248 of these, with production ending in late 1984. They were
replaced by the current A300-600, also available as he extended-range A300-600R. The A300-600 features a two-crew
flight deck, increased passenger and freight capacity, and other improvements. In addition to Air France, big users of the
A300 include Lufthansa, Egyptair, American Airlines, and Thai Airways. In 1991, Federal Express launched a freighter variant,
the A300-600F. This order, for at least 25 aircraft, will help keep A300 production going into the next century.
Airbus is also building four huge A300-600ST Super Transporters to move aerostructures between production facilities. These
enormous beasts are called Belugas, for reasons obvious to anyone who sees them.
Airbus A310
Specifications (A310-300):
Length: 46.66 m
Height: 15.8 m
Wing span: 43.89 m
Weight empty operating: 80 344 kg
MTOW: 150 000 kg
Cruise speed: 875 km/h (472 kts)
Range: 7 982 km (4 310 nm)
Passengers: 210
The A310, basically a shortened A300, was Airbus' second project. It began life in the early 1970s as the A300B10 design
study, and was launched in July 1978. The A300B9 and B11 studies, incidentally, became the A330 and A340 respectively.
The first A310 flew in April 1982. French/west German certification came in March 1983, and the type entered service with
Swissair and Lufthansa in April. Like the A300, the A310 is available with a choise of Genearal Electric or Pratt & Whitney
engines.
The first A310 variant was the -200, followed by the longer-range -300, which first flew in July 1985. Airbus built 85 -200s, but
production of this variant is basically over. Airbus has built about 260 A310s so far. Big users include Singapore Airlines,
Turkey's THY, Delta Air Lines, Air France, and Lufthansa.
In recent years, the A310 did its part to end the Cold War. In 1988 East Germany Interflug bought three -300s, replacing
hopeless Ilyushin Il-62s. These A310s are now used by the German Air Force. In 1991, the A310 became the first Western
airliner granted Russian State Aviation certification. Production of the A310 is down to a few aircraft per year, but because the
type is built alongside the A300, the A310 could survive past the year 2000.
Airbus A320
Specifications (A320-200):
Length: 37.57 m
Height: 11.8 m
Wing span: 33.91 m
Weight empty operating: 41 782 kg
MTOW: 75 500 kg
Cruise speed: 903 km/h (487 kts)
Range: 5 000 km (2 700 nm)
Passengers: 150
The A320 was Airbus' first narrowbody jetliner. Designed to carry 150 passengers on short-to-medium routes, the A320 competes
with Boeing's 737 and MD-80/90. Airbus was late in arriving to the narrowbody trunkliner market. The conortium had been building
widebodies for almost 15 years by the time it launched the A320 programme in 1984. But, realizing that the market was ready for a
new-technology trunkliner, Airbus designed the A320 with fly-by-wire controls and 15 % composite materials content. Airbus also
gave customers a choice of engines - General Electric/Snecma's CFM56, or International Aero Engines V2500.
The launch order came from Pan Am. Fortunately this did not doom the programme. The A320 made its first flight in early 1987.
In March 1988 Air France and British Airways took delivery of the first two A320s. These were the only Airbuses British Airways
operated at that time, and it only had them because it acquired British Caledonian, which ordered ten.
The first version was the A320-100. Only 21 were built before production switched to the A320-200, which is distinguished by wingtip
fences. Airbus also builds shortened and streched variants of the A320, known as the A319/321.
Airbus has built over 500 A320s, and production is continuing. Major users include United AIrlines, Northwest Airlines, Lufthansa,
Air France, Indian Airlines, Air Inter, and Air Canada.
Airbus A319/A321
Photo | Photo
| Photo | Photo
Specifications (A319):
Length: 33.80 m
Height: 11.8 m
Wing span: 33.91 m
Weight empty operating: 40 125 kg
MTOW: 64 000 kg
Cruise speed: 903 km/h (487 kts)
Range: 5 000 km (2 700 nm)
Passengers: 124
The 319 and 321 are, respectively, the shortened and stretched versions of Airbus' A320 narrowbody jetliner. Both use the same
systems, wings, and engine selection as the 150-seat A320. The A319 and 321 are built at Daimler Benz Aerospace's facility
in Hamburg, while the A320 and all other Airbuses are assembled at Aerospatiale's Toulouse plant. The A321 stretch concept
began at the start of the A320 programme. Airbus realized that with two fuselage plugs and some modifications, it could create
a 186-seat competitor to the Boeing 757. It began marketing the idea in May 1989, and launched A321 in September.
The A321 made its first flight in March 1993, followed by European JAA certification in December. The first production aircraft
was delivered to Lufthansa in January 1994.
By mid 1995 Airbus delivered over 30 A321s. Customers include Alitalia, which has ordered 40, Air Inter, and ILFC.
The 124-seat A319 is a more recent effort, first conceived in the early 1990s. Airbus had only six firm orders from ILFC
when it launched the A319 in June 1993, the middle of a major aircraft industry depression. Other orders have arrived
from Swissair, Air Canada, and Air Inter A319 deliveries will start in Spring 1996.
Building this page! A slightly delay has occured!
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Updated 16/3-02 by Michael Katz <mkatz@online.no>
Source: Collins Jane's Civil Aircraft
Republishing strictly forbidden