The
Airbus A380 is the world's largest and widest passenger aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a twin-aisle aircraft.[1] The typical fuselage diameter is 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft).[2] In the typical widebody economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast,[3] allowing a total capacity of 200 to 600 passengers. The largest widebody aircraft are over 6 m (20 ft) wide,[4] and can accommodate up to eleven passengers abreast in high-density configurations. Wide-body aircraft are also used for the transport of commercial freight and cargo[5] and other special uses, described further below.
For comparison, a traditional narrow-body airliner has a diameter of 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft), with a single aisle,[1][6] and seats between two and six people abreast.[7]
Widebody aircraft were originally designed for a combination of efficiency and passenger comfort. However, airlines quickly gave in to economic factors, and reduced the extra passenger space in order to maximize revenue and profits.[8] Depending on how the airline configures the aircraft, the size and seat pitch of the airline seats will vary significantly.[9] For example, aircraft scheduled for shorter flights are often configured at a higher seat density than long-haul aircraft.
Due to current economic pressures on the airline industry, high seating densities in the economy cabin are likely to continue.[10]
[edit] History
Following the success of the narrow-body Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 in the late 1950s, airlines began seeking larger aircraft to meet the rising global demand for air travel. Engineers were faced with many challenges as airlines demanded more passenger seats per aircraft, longer ranges and lower operating costs.[citation needed]
Early jet aircraft such as the 707 and DC-8 seated passengers along either side of a single aisle, with no more than six seats per row.[citation needed] Larger aircraft would have to be longer, higher (such as a double deck), or wider in order to accommodate the greater number of passenger seats. Engineers also realized that lengthening the fuselage would have resulted in aircraft that would be too long to be handled by airports, while having two decks created difficulties in meeting emergency evacuation regulations, which were extremely challenging provided the technology available at the time. These parameters left a wider fuselage as the best option: by adding a second aisle, the wider aircraft could accommodate as many as 10 seats across.[11]
The widebody age began in 1970 with the entry into service of the first wide-body airliner, the four-engined, double-deck Boeing 747.[12] New trijet wide-body aircraft soon followed, including the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. The first widebody twinjet entered service in 1974, the Airbus A300.[13]
After the success of the early widebody aircraft, several successors came to market over the next two decades, including the Airbus A330-A340 Series and the Boeing 767-777. In the jumbo category, the capacity of the Boeing 747 was not surpassed until October 2007, when the Airbus A380 entered commercial service with the nickname Superjumbo.[14]
[edit] Design considerations
Cross-section comparison of Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-400
Although wide-body aircraft have a larger frontal area (and thus greater form drag) than a narrow-body aircraft of similar capacity, they have several advantages over their narrow-body counterparts:[citation needed]
Airbus A300 cross-section, showing cargo, passenger, and overhead areas
- Larger volume of space for passengers, giving a more open feeling to the space
- Lower ratio of surface area to volume, and thus lower drag on a per-passenger basis
- Twin aisles that accelerate loading, unloading, and evacuation compared to a single aisle[15]
- Wider fuselage that reduces the overall aircraft length, improving ground manoeuvrability and reducing the risk of tail strikes
- Greater under-floor freight capacity
- Better structural efficiency for larger aircraft than would be possible with a narrow-body design
British and Russian designers had proposed widebody aircraft similar in configuration to the Vickers VC-10 and Douglas DC-9, but with a wide-body fuselage.[citation needed] The British Three-Eleven project never left the drawing board, while the Russian Il-86 wide-body proposal eventually gave way to a more conventional wing-mounted engine design, most likely due to the inefficiencies of mounting such a large engine on the aft fuselage.
[edit] Engines
As jet engine power and reliability have increased over the last decades, most of the widebody aircraft built today have only two engines.[citation needed] A twinjet design is more fuel-efficient than a comparable trijet or four-engined aircraft.[citation needed] The increased reliability of modern jet engines also allows aircraft to meet the ETOPS certification standard, which calculates reasonable safety margins for flights across oceans. The trijet design has been eliminated due to higher maintenance and fuel costs,[citation needed] and only the heaviest widebody aircraft today are built with four engines (the Airbus A340-600, Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8).[16][17]
The Boeing 777 twinjet features the largest and most powerful[citation needed] jet engine in the world, the General Electric GE90, which is 128 inches (3.25 m) in diameter[18]. This is almost as wide as the entire fuselage of a Boeing 737 at 148 inches (3.76 m)[citation needed].
The massive maximum takeoff weight of the Airbus A380 (560,000 kilograms (1,234,588.67 lb)) would not have been possible without the engine technology developed for the Boeing 777 (such as contra-rotating spools).[19] The Trent 900 engine pictured, used on the Airbus A380 has a fan blade diameter of 116 inches (2.95 m), only slightly smaller than the GE90 engines on the Boeing 777. An interesting design constraint of the Trent 900 engines is that they are designed to fit into a Boeing 747-400F freighter for relatively easy transport by air cargo.[20]
[edit] Interiors
The interiors of aircraft, known as the aircraft cabin, have been undergoing evolution since the first passenger aircraft. Bar and lounge areas which were once installed on the Boeing 747 have mostly disappeared[citation needed], but a few have returned in first or business class on the Airbus A340-600[21] and on the Airbus A380.[22]
Emirates has installed showers for First Class passengers on the A380; twenty-five minutes are allotted for use of the room, and the shower operates for a maximum of five minutes.[23][24]
A comparison of interior cabin widths and economy class seating layout is below under widebody specifications. Further information can be found under external links.
Economy class on Boeing 777 in nine-abreast layout. |
[edit] Wake turbulence and separation
Aircraft are categorized by ICAO according to the wake turbulence they produce. Because wake turbulence is generally related to the weight of an aircraft, these categories are based on one of four weight categories:[25] light, medium, heavy, and super.[26]
Due to their weight, all current widebody aircraft are categorized as heavy, or in the case of the A380, super.
The wake-turbulence category also is used to guide the separation of aircraft.[27] Super and heavy-category aircraft require greater separation behind them than those in other categories. In some countries, such as the United States, it is a requirement to suffix a heavy (or super) aircraft's call sign with the word "heavy" (or super) when communicating with air traffic control in certain areas.
[edit] All wide-body airlines
Very few passenger airlines have been economically successful operating a fleet consisting solely of widebody aircraft.[citation needed]
The following companies operate an all-widebody fleet:
[edit] Special uses
Widebody aircraft are used in science, research, and the military. Two specially modified Boeing 747 aircraft, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, are used to transport the U.S. Space Shuttle. Some widebody aircraft are used as flying command posts by the military, such as the Boeing E-4, while the Boeing E-767 is used for Airborne Early Warning and Control. New military weapons are tested aboard widebodies, as in the laser weapons testing on the Boeing YAL-1. Other widebody aircraft are used as flying research stations, such as the joint German-U.S. Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. Both Airbus[28] and Boeing[29] four-engine widebody aircraft are used to test new generations of aircraft engines in-flight. A few aircraft have also been converted for aerial firefighting, such as the DC-10-based[30] Tanker 910 and the 747-based Evergreen Supertanker.[31]
Some widebody aircraft are used as VIP transport. Germany uses the Airbus A310, while Russia uses the Ilyushin Il-96 to transport their highest leaders. The specially modified Boeing 747-200 used by the President of the United States is known as Air Force One, or the Boeing VC-25. More information can be found under: Air transports of heads of state and government.
[edit] Future development
Airbus and Boeing are racing to market with two new wide-body designs, currently in development.[33] Both manufacturers have been under significant pressure to see which obtains the most orders.[34]
Currently, the Boeing 787 has received more orders than Airbus, and will be first to enter into service with the airlines. The 787 is also the first large commercial aircraft to utilize a monolithic composite fuselage.[35]
The initial Airbus A350 design was only a minor upgrade to that of the A330/A340 series, but Airbus was forced to make significant design changes in response to feedback from the airlines.[36][37] In addition to being a few inches wider than the Boeing, Airbus claims that the A350 final specifications will be better than that of the 787.[38][39][40]
The article on competition between Airbus and Boeing further discusses the rivalry, while order counts between the two aircraft can be compared under Airbus A350 orders versus Boeing 787 orders.
[edit] Widebody specifications
[edit] Gallery
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ginger Gorham, Ginger Todd, Susan Rice (2003). A Guide to Becoming a Travel Professional. Cengage Learning. p. 40. ISBN 1401851770, 9781401851774.
- ^ Paul J. C. Friedlander (1972-03-19). "the traveler's world; Test of a New Wide-Bodied Airbus". New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E15F93C59107A93CBA81788D85F468785F9&scp=133&sq=wide-body&st=p.
- ^ Doganis, Rigas (2002). Flying Off Course: The Economics of International Airlines. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 041521324X, 9780415213240.
- ^ Note: See table Widebody specifications in this article for all widebody passenger-aircraft fuselage widths. All widths are listed with an appropriate citation.
- ^ "Wide body cargo screening still a challenge". Impact Publications. 2008-11-18. http://www.impactpub.com.au/aircargo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2659&Itemid=60. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- ^ "narrowbody aircraft". http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/narrowbody-aircraft.html. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- ^ Royal Aero Club (Great Britain), Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom (1967). Flight International. IPC Transport Press Ltd.. p. 552. http://books.google.com/books?id=U3s7AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1.
- ^ Eric Pace (1981-05-24). "How Airline Cabins are Being Reshaped". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E3D61438F937A15756C0A967948260&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=all.
- ^ "Airline Seat Pitch". UK-Air.net. http://www.uk-air.net/seatpitch.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- ^ "Flying through a storm". Economist.com. 2008-10-22. http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=348873&story_id=12454133. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
- ^ Irving, Clive (1994). Wide Body: The Making of the Boeing 747. Coronet. ISBN 0 340 59983 9.
- ^ Rumerman, Judy. "The Boeing 747", U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved: 30 April 2006.
- ^ "The Airbus A300". CBC News. 2001-11-12. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2001/11/12/airbus011112.html. Retrieved 2009-08-24.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4183201.stm
- ^ Bor, Robert (2003). Passenger Behaviour. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. pp. 170. ISBN 0754609367, 9780754609360.
- ^ Note: As of 2008-11-30 published Airbus data, only a handful of Airbus A340-500 aircraft orders are still pending. See Airbus A340#Deliveries and [1]
- ^ Note: This fact can be viewed in the Specifications section; click arrows under MTOW to sort by weight.
- ^ See
- ^ Guy Norris, Mark Wagner (2005). Airbus A380: superjumbo of the 21st century. Zenith Imprint. p. 105-115. ISBN 076032218X, 9780760322185. http://books.google.com/books?id=KcaYjPhRnWUC&pg=PA105.
- ^ Guy Norris, Mark Wagner (2005). Airbus A380: superjumbo of the 21st century. Zenith Imprint. p. 111. ISBN 076032218X, 9780760322185. http://books.google.com/books?id=KcaYjPhRnWUC&pg=PA111.
- ^ http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/SiteCollectionDocuments/global/Documents/Call%20Centre/October07/A340-600%20FAM%20.pdf
- ^ http://www.emirates.com/uk/english/flying/our_fleet/emirates_a380/first_class/social_area_onboard_lounge.aspx
- ^ http://www.emirates.com/uk/english/flying/our_fleet/emirates_a380/first_class/shower_spa.aspx
- ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/09/01/315369/double-luxury-how-the-airlines-are-configuring-their.html
- ^ http://www.eurocontrol.int/eec/public/standard_page/EEC_News_2008_3_RECAT.html
- ^ http://propilotnews.com/2008/08/airbus-a380-requires-new-super-wake.html
- ^ http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Chap7/aim0703.html
- ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/09/26/316574/pictures-airbus-prepares-a340-600-testbed-for-gtf-ground-runs.html
- ^ http://www.geae.com/aboutgeae/presscenter/airshows/singapore/singapore_20020226c.html
- ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/03/30/324526/firefighting-dc-10-available-to-lease.html
- ^ Evergreen International Aviation - Supertanker Services Inc.
- ^ a b http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/12/09/319833/airbuss-boeing-787-dossier-could-have-wider-implications-for-both-airframers.html Airbus’s Boeing 787 dossier could have wider implications for both airframers, FlightGlobal.com, Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/10/business/airbus.php
- ^ http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/228341_qatar14.html
- ^ Norris, G.; Thomas, G.; Wagner, M. and Forbes Smith, C. (2005). Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Flying Redefined. Aerospace Technical Publications International. ISBN 0-9752341-2-9.
- ^ "Airplane kingpins tell Airbus: Overhaul A350." Gates, D. Seattle Times. 29 March 2006.
- ^ "Redesigning the A350: Airbus’ tough choice." Hamilton, S., Leeham Company.
- ^ Airbus's A350 vision takes shape Flight International December 2006
- ^ 787 fact sheet Boeing
- ^ http://www.eads.com/xml/content/OF00000000400004/7/19/41508197.pdf Taking the lead: A350XWB presentation] EADS
- ^ Note: Maximum MTOW of heaviest passenger version, in metric tonnes. Data have been rounded up to nearest tenth of a metric ton. Margin of error should be assumed. Use for comparison only.
- ^ a b Note: Original airframe manufacturer source data specified in feet, inches, or meters, without error margin information. Thus, due to rounding and conversion errors, a margin of error of 2 inches should be taken into account. Compare with automotive specifications, currently published to within 2 millimeters.[2] Maximum interior cabin width is measured at chest or eye level when seated, as is usually a few inches wider than the cabin floor.
- ^ Note: Airlines custom-configure the interior layout as per their objectives. Isle width and armrest width also affect layout but are not shown here.
- ^ Note: Seat-width specifications are not always represented accurately; multiple sources are encouraged, as well as the comparison of multiple airlines. Unexpected widths may be in error and should not be included here.
- ^ Note: The lightest widebody aircraft ever built was the Airbus A300B1 with a maximum take-off weight of 291,000 lb (132,000 kg).[citation needed]
- ^ a b c A300-600 specifications, Airbus
- ^ Note: There appears to be a unit conversion error on the Airbus webpage for the A300 O.D. specifications. 222 inches (5.64 m) is presumed to be correct.
- ^ [3]
- ^ TG New Fleet / Seat, Thai Airways
- ^ [4], seatguru.com
- ^ a b c A310 specifications, Airbus
- ^ Airbus 310-300 page, Air India
- ^ [5], seatguru.com
- ^ a b A330-200 specifications, Airbus, Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ [6]
- ^ A330-200 seating and specifications page, NWA
- ^ http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a330a340/a340-600/specifications.html
- ^ a b A340-200 specifications, Airbus
- ^ [7], Etihad Airways
- ^ A3550-1000 Specifications, Airbus, Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ a b A350 specifications, Airbus
- ^ Note: Possible error on original Airbus webpage, conversion of metric to imperial off by 1 inch on Airbus webpage.
- ^ a b 10-abreast A350 XWB 'would offer unprecedented operating cost advantage', Flightglobal.com
- ^ Note: Possible unit-conversion error in article, 48 cm used as source.
- ^ Note: Published article indicated most airlines will choose the 9-across configuration
- ^ a b c d A380 specifications, Airbus
- ^ [8]
- ^ [9], seatguru.com
- ^ [10], seatguru.com
- ^ http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/technical.html Boeing 747 specifications
- ^ Boeing 747 specifications, Boeing 747 airport planning report, Boeing
- ^ Note: Interior width for Boeing 747 main deck shown as 239 inches (6.07 m) or 240 inches (6.10 m) in different Boeing documents.
- ^ a b http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/acaps/7474sec2.pdf
- ^ [11], Thai Airways
- ^ [12], NWA
- ^ [13]seatguru.com
- ^ http://www.boeing.com/commercial/767family/pf/pf_400prod.html, Boeing 767-400 Specifications, Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ Boeing 767 specifications, Boeing
- ^ Note: An extensive Internet search did not reveal any original Boeing source for the actual O.D. of the B767.
- ^ [14]
- ^ [15], seatguru.com
- ^ [16]
- ^ [17]
- ^ "777 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning". Boeing. http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/777.htm. Retrieved on 2008-12-08.
- ^ a b Boeing 777 specifications, Boeing
- ^ Note: Boeing specifications for B777 O.D. do not convert precisely between inches and metric. Margin of error is unknown based on published Boeing material.
- ^ [18]
- ^ [19]
- ^ [20]
- ^ [21], seatguru.com
- ^ [22]
- ^ [23], seatguru.com
- ^ Note: Some Air France Boeing 777 aircraft seat 9 across. See http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/common/guidevoyageur/classeetconfort/plan_cabine_boeing.htm for specific aircraft.
- ^ "Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Fact Sheet". Boeing. http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/787-9prod.html. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
- ^ [24]
- ^ a b c [25]
- ^ http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/787-8prod.html Note: some Boeing B787 source material indicates 227 inches (5.77 m) outer diameter, while other Boeing sources indicate 226 inches (5.74 m)
- ^ a b http://www.airlines-inform.com/commercial-aircraft/Il-86.html
- ^ Note: Other references for the Ilyushin Il-86 MTOW ranged between 206 and 215 metric tonnes.
- ^ Gunston B, Aircraft of the Soviet Union, Osprey, London, 1984
- ^ Gunter Endres. "The Illustrated Directory of Modern Commercial Aircraft". Zenith Imprint, 2001. pp. 358. http://books.google.com/books?id=nA9UX1Az_k0C. "ISBN 0760311250, ISBN 9780760311257"
- ^ http://www.pulkovo.ru/en/about/fleet/AircraftFleet/?id4=108&i4=6
- ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/directory/detail.aspx?aircraftCategory=CommercialAircraft&manufacturerType=CommercialAircraft&navigationItemId=389&aircraftId=42&manufacturer=0&keyword=&searchMode=Manufacturer&units=Metric
- ^ http://www.aeronautics.ru/il96.htm
- ^ http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Aeroflot_Russian_Airlines/Aeroflot_Russian_Airlines_Ilyushin_IL-96-300_B.php
- ^ http://home2.swipnet.se/~w-26408/1011spec.htm L-1011 Specifications, Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/Publications/L1011.pdf
- ^ http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/tech_ops/read.main/191291/
- ^ http://www.saudiairlines.com/portal/site/saudiairlines/menuitem.d9a467d070ca6c65173ff63dc8f034a0/?vgnextoid=4e3b9f6412852110VgnVCM1000008c0f430aRCRD Saudi Airlines Seating Configuration, Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ a b c http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/acaps/dc10.pdf DC-10 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning, Boeing, Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ [26], eskyguide.com
- ^ Note: Retired from service in 2007.
- ^ a b c McDonnell Douglas (1998-08, Revision E). "MD-11 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning, Report MDC K0388". http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/acaps/md11.pdf.
- ^ [27]
- ^ [28] (Note: KLM's website does not include seat width information.)
[edit] External links
[edit] Wikipedia links
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