When choosing which plane to fly, many passengers prefer to know which airliners are statistically the safest. London-based insurance company Ascend compared the most used airliners in the world, the number of which exceeds 100 on lines. The number of flight hours was compared with fatalities. And in this case, incidents related to terrorism were not taken into account.
involving this airliner occurred in August 2008. Then a Boeing belonging to the carrier Aeroflot Nord crashed near Perm. The plane was 16 years old, and all 88 people on board crashed with it.
Airbus A320.
This European airliner has been produced from 1988 to the present. One crash occurs every 14 million flight hours. Currently, 4,467 such aircraft are in operation, and more than 5 thousand have been produced. The A320 assembly line even operates in China. This Airbus has several modifications - A321, A318 and A319. They are also very popular not only with low-cost carriers, but also with reputable companies. The number of aircraft of this model in the sky is huge, but over 20 years of use, only 8 accidents have been recorded. A total of about 750 passengers died in them. It was the A320 that pilots managed to land on the Hudson in January 2009 after a flock of birds hit the engine. And in July 2010, such a plane crashed in Pakistan while landing. Then 152 people died.
Boeing 767. One crash of such an aircraft occurs every 14.9 million flight hours. The Boeing 767 began production in 1982, and continues to do so today. 867 of the 1,005 vehicles produced are in operation. The model is one of the most popular long-haul for both American and European carriers. Over the past 20 years, Boeing 767s have only had three accidents, killing 536 people. It was these airliners that rammed the Twin Towers during the events of September 11th. The last accident involving a Boeing 767 occurred in April 2002 in Busan, Korea. Then, during landing, the plane crashed due to pilot errors, killing 129 people. Boeing 737 NG. The new generation of the 737 series is better and safer than its predecessors. One crash occurs every 16 million flight hours. This type of aircraft began production in 1982 and continues to this day. There are still 2,583 of these airliners in operation. In the entire history of its flights, only three disasters occurred, with the death of a total of 277 passengers. The latest one dates back to February 2009. Then the plane of the Turkish national carrier
Boeing 747. This plane has a bad reputation. After all, the collision of two Boeing 747s on the runway in 1977 claimed the lives of 583 people. That accident has the status of the largest in world aviation. However, in general, the airliner shows miracles of reliability. It has been produced from 1969 to the present. One crash occurs every 17.3 million flight hours. Of the 1,443 aircraft produced, about 935 are still in operation. For almost 40 years, the airliner was the heaviest, most spacious and largest passenger aircraft. In 40 years in the sky, fatal accidents happened to him only 18 times. The most recent major one happened with a China Airlines jet in May 2002. Then, due to improper engine repairs, a plane flying from Hong Kong to Taiwan fell apart in the sky. Its remains, along with 225 passengers, fell into the sea.
Airbus A330. This aircraft has been produced since 1993. Until 2008, there were no fatal accidents involving him. However, on June 1, the company's A330 airliner Air France , heading to Paris from Rio de Janeiro, fell and sank in the waters Atlantic Ocean
. The reasons were never really clarified, because the black boxes could not be found. The tragedy claimed the lives of 228 people. At that time, the A330 had already flown about 12 million hours without incident. Another major Airbus accident occurred in 2010 in Libya. The airliner coming in for landing crashed along with 103 passengers. A total of 830 of these aircraft were produced, of which 577 aircraft are in service.
Airbus A340. This newest Airbus has been in production since 1993. In total, about 30 vehicles are in operation, and the same number have already been ordered. There were no fatal accidents associated with this airliner. But he has already flown more than 13 million hours. True, such excellent statistics do not particularly tempt air carriers. The fact is that the model turned out to be quite uneconomical. Other models in this class, the A330 and the Boeing 777, turned out to be much more profitable. The only serious incident with this long-haul airliner occurred in 2005 in Toronto. When landing during a thunderstorm, the Air France plane landed unsuccessfully, resulting in 43 people receiving injuries of varying severity. British Airways aircraft at Heathrow Airport, London. The malfunction occurred due to ice crystals entering the heat exchanger. That accident resulted in injuries to 13 passengers, but no one was killed.
I often pay attention to planes flying above me, when I have access to a computer and the desire, it’s easy to determine on the Internet the type of plane, the altitude and speed of flight, even the flight number and destination, but if there is no computer and the Internet, what should I do? Gradually he developed methods for identifying a model by appearance, and in such a way as to confidently identify it in very unfavorable observation conditions.
In fact, if you take ordinary planes landing at major airports, then there are not so many models. Of course, there are all sorts of flying exotics, but they are not found so often, so most of the aircraft that you can see in real life come down to the following models:
Boeing:
Boeing747 has an easily recognizable “humpbacked” profile, it is impossible to confuse it with anyone, there is no other aircraft like it in the world.
The A380 is also an easily recognizable giant, with a two-story cabin (two rows of windows along the entire length), which does not require any special skill in recognition.
A340 - compared to the above aircraft, it’s just a long narrow plane, and that’s how we recognize it.
We have two aircraft with three engines - Boeing727 and DC10. They differ tremendously in the location of the engines; the first has them all in the tail (remember the Tu-154 or Yak-42).
The second one is generally exotic: two engines under the wings, the third one is skillfully built into the keel:
It looks pretty unsightly, in my opinion. IN this moment both are used almost exclusively as cargo vehicles (no windows).
Now let's pay attention to the location of the engines (there are only two left, I remind you). There are two standard designs - engines under the wings and engines at the end of the fuselage. If the engines are at the end of the fuselage, then we begin the next stage of differentiation. If the plane is very long, then it is a DC9/MD80/MD90 - I can’t help you distinguish them further, I didn’t work out the diagram myself, the process seems to be quite complicated, especially when viewed from afar, the designers didn’t care much about innovations.
If the plane seems rather small and nimble, then we have three options:
- Bombardier 100/200/440/700/900/1000
- Embraer ERJ135/ERJ140/ERJ145
Boeing's is lower, at the level of the windows:
Bombardier has them with a noticeable downward slope of the exhaust:
In addition, Boeing has them closer to the wings. Then we pay attention to the shape of the back. At Embraer it practically does not stand out in any way, at Bombardier the tail is noticeable, at Boeing the tail simply catches the eye. The shape of the cabin is also very different. Embraer has the most pointed, predatory panel covering the A-pillar (if, of course, it is open) and the largest. Boeing has a nose shape that is familiar to other aircraft, and the panel is small and barely noticeable. Bombardier has something average in all respects, plus flaps on the wings (but this is an unreliable sign; they can be added to other models).
Now let's deal with the most difficult part: two engines under the wings. The most common scheme in modern aircraft construction, so there are plenty of models. It is quite difficult to distinguish them from each other. The following aircraft belong to this class:
- Boeing737
- Boeing757
- Boeing767
- Boeing777
- Boeing787
- A318/319/320/321
- E-170/E-175/E-190/E-195
- Boeing737
- A318/319/320/321
- E-170/E-175/E-190/E-195
Airbus and Embraer have strictly round engines:
In flight, it is best to distinguish airplanes by the shape of their nose and tail. We look at the nose and visually see that the Airbus is more rounded:
Boeing has a pointed one:
and the Embraer has an elongated shape at the bottom, more reminiscent of the contours of a high-speed train:
The next clear sign is the shape of the tail. On Boeing and Embraer, it comes out of the fuselage at a very acute angle, increasing it after a while, this feature allows for clear recognition even from afar, so remember it:
Many travelers, even those who prefer air Transport, they rarely pay attention to the external and sometimes internal features of aircraft. There are many common features, which were mutually accepted by a wide variety of manufacturers passenger aviation. They are mandatory requirements and give the impression that there is not much fundamental difference between various types airplanes.
However, there are situations when knowledge of the appearance and design of a particular type of aircraft can be useful. In particular, you can watch the arrival of exactly the plane that will take you further, or you can easily find it on the runway. This article will help fill this gap.
It is worthwhile to carry out some clarification in advance. There is actually no such name as “Airbus”. IN English version This word is pronounced like “Airbus”. In Russian transcription it can be adapted as Airbus. This is somewhat unusual for a Russian-speaking ear, but subsequently the correct pronunciation of aircraft names can become extremely useful when you need to find out something at a foreign airport.
The Airbus A320 and Boeing 747 are recognized as the most popular and common aircraft at airports around the world. Possessing extremely successful design, efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness, they have been purchased by many carrier companies in various countries and parts of the world.
10 Characteristic Traits
Although these aircraft have much in common in terms of overall size and shape, there are entire 10 characteristic features , which can easily help you distinguish one aircraft from another even at a quick glance.
The first feature worth mentioning is the higher ground clearance of the Airbus compared to the Boeing. Although this will not be noticeable at first glance, the differences will be quite significant, especially if you look at lower edge of air intakes jet engines.
Next time, pay attention to this feature and, if the planes are standing nearby, it will definitely catch your eye. If you haven’t looked at the nose of Boeings before, it’s worth mentioning that almost all of them are distinguished by a pointed front fairing. At the same time, Airbus fully lives up to its bus name, featuring a more rounded and flatter nose shape.
Difference in tail designs
For a careful look, it will also be no secret that there is a certain difference in the characteristic tail designs. Although they both may look similar, Boeings are equipped with a root element that immediately precedes the tail on the fuselage. You won't find this typical Boeing kink on an Airbus.
For those who don't know where the auxiliary power units are located, they are usually located right at the end of the aircraft, behind the very tail. If we talk about Airbus, then it is usually quite elongated, while Boeing is characterized by its beveled shape.
When it comes to airplane nozzles, there are also certain and noticeable differences in shape. All Airbus aircraft traditionally equipped with conventional round engine fairings. In the case when you look at the Boeing from the front, they are certainly not round, as such. They are more oval, with the lower border somewhat flattened.
It is worth noting, however, that earlier models Boeing had round engines, but they were still unique. The 100 and 200 generations had cigar-shaped engines. Extremely thin, oblong, and unlike standard barrel-shaped options.
Take a closer look at the cabin. Airbus A side windows are traditionally straight, while Boeing aircraft are equipped with corner glasses, which also have additional sections on top. These sections were the result of a request to expand the pilots' overall viewing angle. Although significant improvements in overall aircraft avionics and electronics have eliminated the need for these elements, they are still installed on Boeing aircraft.
The difference between the main racks
If you look at an airplane in flight, then main racks Airbus is completely closed. Boeing lacks the doors of the corresponding main struts. The parts simply lift up and stow into the corresponding recesses in the fuselage.
There is virtually no difference in terms of aerodynamic drag because they are located deep within the hull. When entering the plane, you can take a closer look at the doors. All Airbuses are equipped with doors that push out and slide out of the way.
If we talk about Boeing, then it just swings open and turns around 180 degrees in relation to the fuselage. The winglets of the two aircraft are also different. If they are big and tall enough, then they are definitely Boeing. If you are watching an airplane at night, then a double flash with a short pause is typical for Airbus, while Boeing has a single flash with no pause.
An alternative is certainly a useful thing. However, in some cases it is perplexing. Today we will talk about more precisely, their most famous manufacturers and main competitors, such as Boeing and Airbus. You can consider and try to compare these two machines from different points of view: economic, industrial, technical, innovative, even historical. However, for many travelers (and especially those who have virtually no flying experience), interest in this topic is of simple curiosity. So what's better: Boeing or Airbus, how did it happen that there are two main players in the aircraft manufacturing market in the world, and
Excursion into history
Issues of competition between these global aircraft manufacturing giants take us back to the 90s of the last century. The fact is that before this period there were a large number of aircraft factories in the world. Many of them were located in the USA (for example, the legendary McDonnell Douglas or the not so famous Convair), others in Europe (British Aerospace, Fokker, etc.) What can we say, the Soviet Union was a significant player, famous for its Antonov, Tupolev, Yakovlev design bureaus etc. But soon the situation changed. The USSR sank into oblivion, which led to the complete collapse of the economy and industry of the once powerful and harsh country. Despite the fact that the production of An, Tu, Yak and other aircraft continued, the volume of exports decreased significantly as a result of the severe crisis. During these same years, European manufacturers also experienced difficult times and simply left the market as a result of a serious drop in demand. On this basis, Airbus was created as a union of European aircraft manufacturers into a single consortium. The Americans also could not withstand competition in conditions of low demand, and there were only two major players left in their market: Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. By the way, the latter turned out to be weaker: Boeing simply bought it and made it part of its company. Over time, these companies (Boeing and Airbus) only strengthened their positions, which allowed them to eliminate almost all competitors.
Who is there more?
But the main question still remains - which is better: Boeing or Airbus? Fierce competition is very useful, as it allows you to constantly be on your toes and improve the quality of your product. And Airbus and Boeing are really neck and neck. Judge for yourself: from 2005 to 2016, the Americans (Boeing) received 11,024 orders and sold 6,406 aircraft, and the Europeans (Airbus) received 11,830 orders and 6,456 aircraft. That is, the victory in this case is formally for the second, but it is so insignificant that it is not worth mentioning. At the same time, the parties constantly accuse each other of unfair competition, of receiving excessive subsidies from states and, of course, of artificially lowering prices. Innovative solutions and trying to get ahead of the competition is a long-standing strategy of every company in an attempt to conquer the market once and for all. Let's try to compare the characteristics of these winged machines and passenger reviews to understand which is better: Boeing or Airbus.
Specifications (in plain language)
Of course, we will not dive into this issue headlong and get confused in complex terms and incomprehensible numbers. On the forums of travelers or aviation enthusiasts, you can often see a question in the spirit of: “Which is better, Boeing 737 or Airbus 320?” Despite the fact that the line of both manufacturers is much wider, these two models are the most famous among ordinary people.
Except technical characteristics, the planes are different even in appearance. Thus, the “European” is taller than its competitor, it has a rounded nose, rather than a sharp, even tail, and round, rather than oval, engines. At the same time, many aviation enthusiasts believe that Boeings are still more beautiful and majestic, but here, as they say, it comes down to taste.
In terms of the number of seats, Airbus is the undisputed leader: 600-700 versus 500 for Boeing. At the same time, the Boeing is 3 meters longer. By the way, Airbus set a record - the world's largest double-deck aircraft for 850 passengers. There is a duty free shop, a restaurant and even a shower! When it comes to distances, Boeing wins here. There’s not even anything to say here, transatlantic flights Most of them are served by aircraft of this company. But Airbuses have a larger wingspan, which allows them to win in speed, although only slightly.
Safety
Anyone who wonders which plane is better: Boeing or Airbus, first of all has safety in mind. But it is impossible to give a definite answer here. For example, Airbus has 2 times less accidents, but Boeing is seen in fewer plane crashes and ranks first in the ranking of the safest aircraft in the world. Boeing also has a more thought-out system of emergency exits: they are conveniently located and cannot be opened by high altitude During the flight. But the Airbus also has some advantage: the aircraft has a very reliable control system, and therefore the possibility of putting the airliner into a completely manual mode is excluded. In any case, both companies care about the safety of their product and arguing about which is better: Boeing or Airbus in terms of safety is somewhat incorrect and, to some extent, even pointless.
Comfort in Economy Class
Finally, the second most important point after safety for all passengers. Here it is worth considering both aircraft from two points of view: economy class and business class.
Which plane is better: Boeing or Airbus 320 if you fly in economy? The answer is none. Or rather, both are good. Indeed, there are no obvious differences between the two giants of the aircraft industry when it comes to the economy class cabin. Both there and there is quite a bit of legroom. In both places, great attention is paid to service and maintenance, food quality and cleanliness.
Comfort in business class
What if you fly in business class? Which is better: Airbus or Boeing 737 in this case? Airbus clearly wins here. Let's compare: the Boeing of the German airline Lufthansa in business class is equipped with a wide and comfortable seat that can be lowered to a lying position, as well as a small personal locker where you can put something. At the same time, with Airbus in the Emirates company everything is much richer and larger: in addition to the usual wide sofa seat and wardrobe, you can order private apartments, one of two lounges, as well as a small SPA center with a shower! In addition, each sleeping place is separated from passages and neighbors by sliding “walls”, which allows you to create additional comfort and privacy.
Conclusion
Thus, answering the question of which is better: Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, it is impossible to give a definite answer. Specialists who devote their whole lives to the study of aviation and aircraft construction may try to draw parallels between each individual part of the airliners. You can also make many arguments in matters of safety and comfort, but all of them will ultimately equalize the score of these two largest aircraft manufacturers in the world. It is much easier to try both aircraft yourself and decide for yourself which one is better.
Every self-respecting traveler should know the difference between a Boeing and an Airbus! This is the alphabet of all those who fly, or rather its first two letters “A” and “B”. For some reason, everyone can distinguish a BMW from a Mercedes, but in the vast majority of cases the situation with airplanes is very bad. Today we will try to correct this shortcoming, 10 simple but expressive differences between aircraft that are so similar at first glance. Even if you don’t care about flying, such basic knowledge will simply broaden your horizons a little and help you while away the wait at the window at the airport, trying to identify the model of this or that aircraft.
But I’ll start with a small but important clarification... There is no such word in Russian as “Airbus”! In English transcription the name Airbus should be pronounced like “Airbus”, a little unusual at first, but that’s how it’s correct!
In this article, I will look at the main visual differences between the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737. It is these two aircraft models and their modifications that are the most popular in the world; they are the ones we fly most often. From short one-hour flights to six to seven hour flights over significant distances.
The Airbus A320 family has been in production since 1988, and currently more than 5,400 copies have been produced. Includes models A318, A319, A320, A321, A320-neo.
The Boeing 737 family is the world's most popular narrow-body jet passenger aircraft. More than 7,400 aircraft were produced.
Includes: 737 Original (B737-100,-200), 737 Classic (-300,-400,-500), 737 - Next Generation (NG -600,-700,-800,-900), 737-MAX .
Difference No. 1 - Clearance- Airbus is taller than Boeing.
Airbus:
Difference No. 2 - The shape of the nose. Airbus's is round, Boeing's is sharp.
Airbus:
Difference No. 3 - Tail shape. Boeing has a fork that gives a characteristic “kink” - the so-called. the transition is at an angle in the front part, Airbus does not have it, the tail is “smooth” on both sides.
Airbus:
Difference No. 4 - APU nozzle. Auxiliary power unit: Airbus's is elongated, while Boeing's is short and sloping. The APU nozzle is located behind the fork at the rear of the aircraft:
Three Airbuses and the farthest Boeing in the photo:
Difference No. 5 - Engines- on Airbus (front view) they are round, on Boeing they are flattened at the bottom.
Airbus:
Boeing, The air intakes of Classic and Next Generation aircraft engines have a non-circular shape. The engine units are located in the side bulges. This solution was called “hamsterisation”.
However, earlier Boeing models (Original generation) use engines of a different shape - thinner and more elongated. These are JT8D turbofan engines manufactured by Pratt&Whitney
Difference No. 6 - Cabin side windows: Airbus's are straight, Boeing's are angular at the bottom, sometimes with additional sections at the top.
The Airbus A320 is on the right (!) in this photo, the nose of the A330 is on the left in the background:
Boeing, additional windows above the windshield are borrowed from the Boeing 707. Their main task is to expand the viewing angle. With the improvement of avionics, windows have become redundant and are no longer installed, but they are still quite common:
Difference No. 7 - Chassis. Airbus has closed main strut niches, Boeing does not have them.
The Boeing 737 does not have main landing gear doors. The main landing gear is retracted into recesses in the center section of the aircraft, creating virtually no aerodynamic drag. If you watch the B737 take off while standing on the ground, it is easy to notice the black tire rings under the wings.
Difference No. 8 - Doors- for Airbus it moves to the side, but for Boeing it swings open with a turn of 180 degrees.
Airbus:
Difference No. 9 - Winglets/Sharklets. On the Boeing 737 they are tall and long. Airbus has small ones shaped like birds.
Winglets on the B737 are a form of wing tip that reduces aerodynamic drag, allowing fuel consumption to be reduced by up to 5%. Winglets can be installed even on aircraft that were originally produced without them.
