Landing speed a320. Airbus A320: photos and detailed specifications. At Aeroflot Airlines

Airbus A320 - is business card by Airbus S.A.S. This liner is known all over the world for the fact that along with the leading models of its main competitor - Boeing - it supplies a large number of aircrafts to air carriers. Today it is known that more than 11,000 aircraft have been ordered, of which 8,000 have already been produced, and most of of them are being successfully operated. This makes the liner fundamental in the world. civil aviation.

The highest reliability and total use of digital technologies, which are designed to ensure flight safety, have turned the Airbus A320 and the nearest models of the family into a real flying computer. This distinguishes the European liner from its main competitors in the sky.

History of creation

The first mentions of the development of a new aircraft in the Airbus concern date back to 1981. Then, all over the continent, there was intense debate about why the first models of the 737 family were firmly established in the sky. They needed to prepare a worthy response.

The French manufacturer focused on economy, but the size of the aircraft had to be fully consistent with its main competitors.

By the time of testing, two versions of the machines were prepared: one for 154 seats (A320-100), the other for 172 seats (A320-200).

Later, it was decided to abandon both options and create a 162-seat liner.

The final tests took place in February 1987, and the consortium received its flight license in 1988.

At that time, the Airbus A320 became the most technologically advanced aircraft of its time. It remains the flagship of the European manufacturer, and the plant constantly supports special programs aimed at systematic improvement not only of the digital filling of the aircraft, but also of the engines and structural elements of the fuselage, wing and cockpit.

The design of the liner and its cabin

Airbus A320 served as the founder of the manufacturer's entire family of aircraft. By its design, it is a classic version. civil aircraft.

This model is a monoplane with two engines under the wing.

The wing is swept and has delta winglets at the ends to reduce turbulence and save fuel, as well as increase lift on takeoff.

The special shape of the winglets (direction both up and down) is a characteristic feature by which the Airbus A320 can be distinguished. However, after 2012, the winglets were changed, turning them into a classic version (directed upwards).

Turbofan engines manufactured by CFMI (model CFM56-5B) or IAE (model V2500-A5). In the future, joint work is underway to develop Pratt & Whitney engines (model PW1000G), which can help increase the efficiency of flights.

The power plants are carried down the wing, as the consoles are thin and do not allow built-in options. Existing engines are the quietest in the class, producing no more than 82 decibels at takeoff.

Fuel tanks are located in the wing and fuselage. The landing gear is traditionally made tricycle - one pivot strut in the nose, the other two - in the central part of the wing. Each rack mounts two wheels, the front bogie has distinctive feature, it does not become vertical, but always has a slightly inclined forward position.

The undeniable competitive advantage of Airbus A320 aircraft is the most modern, advanced avionics on board.

The European manufacturer has been maintaining this concept for several decades and will use it in its developments. In terms of digital support, the aircraft is the most advanced in the world of civil aviation.
All information about the flight is displayed on liquid crystal monitors.

To improve the visibility in the cockpit, the use of devices unique to civil aviation has been envisaged. The A320 does not use steering wheels, but control sticks (as on military fighters).

The most important difference is the digital processing of all actions performed by the crew. The aircraft does not provide for direct mechanical communication between the steering wheel and the flaps, but for sending a signal to the computer, which drives the drive of the control systems. The level of automation made it easy to reduce the crew to 2 pilots.

But the same number of personnel is used by the main competitors - Boeing. However, for the Americans, the transition to 2 pilots was accompanied by fierce disputes and numerous commissions and tests, as well as strikes.

The Airbus salon is thought out to the smallest detail.

Engineers have provided for everything: from the distance between the seats, to individual lighting and adjusting the brightness of monitors. The interior of the salon and shelves for hand luggage increased attention was paid. The cladding used modern composite panels, and the shelves hold 11% more cargo than the previous versions of the European aircraft manufacturer. However, some measures went to the detriment of spaciousness.

The Airbus A320 is a narrow-body liner, so there is 1 passage between the seats. The classic layout includes seats for business passengers and economy class. These versions of the liner are the most popular, they can accommodate up to 150 people. Without business chairs, Airbus can carry up to 180 people. Standard Economy Sites assume a 3-3 layout. In business class, the seats are arranged in a "2-2" shape.

Airbus A320 has 4 standard exits and 4 emergency exits.

In general, the civil liner surpasses its competitors in terms of the comfort of all seats in the cabin. But there are places that can be safely called the best in terms of facilities. It is believed that, in addition to business seats, economic rows 4 and 11 in the common salon.

Flight performance

Production

Composite materials are used in the production of Airbus. They account for up to 20% of all materials that are used in the construction of the liner. The manufacturer prefers mainly fiberglass-reinforced plastic. Most of the composites are used in the construction of the wing and keel.

Until 2008, the aircraft were finally assembled exclusively in France, at the plant in Toulouse. But due to the unusually high demand, from March 2008 the German plant in Hamburg joined the work. Later, China also joined, which in the future will assemble up to 4 cars a month on its lines.

Exploitation

The first deliveries of the Airbus A320 began in 1988. First, they came to the disposal of European manufacturers, then to the United States. At the time of their release, they were the first in many aspects. So, they replaced the classic steering wheels with handles, which were placed to the left of the ship's commander and to the right of the co-pilot.

The aircraft was the first on which composite materials were so widely used in the manufacture of not only the interior, but also the main structures - the wing and keel.

In addition, the Airbus A320 differed from its competitors in that it used the best achievements of computer engineering in its management.

Modifications

The Airbus A320 is considered the founder of the French manufacturer's aircraft series. The success of the liner served as the foundation for the creation of more advanced aircraft models.

A318 is the smallest liner in terms of roominess, which took off in 2003. It can accommodate from 107 to 132 people on board, but has a low noise level (which makes it very convenient for use in airports within cities). This model can land and take off from short runways.

A319 - got a shortened (in comparison with A320) fuselage for 2 rows of seats. In count seats there are versions from 116 to 158 seats, but the flight range has increased. On the basis of this modification, options are being built for business or with increased fuel tanks (flight range - up to 8300 km).

А321 - has been in operation since 1994 and received a shorter flight range than the founder of the A320, but more spaciousness. It can accommodate from 170 to 220 people.

In July 2011, the Airbus S.A.S. signed a promising agreement with the famous American airline American Airlines on the supply of 130 Airbus A320 aircraft and 130 newest Airbus A320neo.

Almost all components of the A320 liners and the aircraft of the SU family closest to them are transported by transport ships.

Perspectives

The main hope of the company in the future is the A320 neo model. Changes in comparison with the predecessor concerned the wing design (winglets).

Also, the developers managed to increase the range by 950 kilometers, and the savings reached 16% in fuel, in comparison with the A320.

In 2016, these aircraft began to be supplied to airlines, but still most of the pre-orders have not yet been fulfilled, as the A320 neo became the most popular civil aircraft in the world in terms of the number of orders when it was shown to the public at the Le Bourget air show.

Pre-orders for models have broken more than one record. The Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia ordered most of all, which issued a deal for 200 airliners. European carriers, which own the lion's share of 1,029 pre-ordered models of the liner, also showed interest.

(Airbus A-320) is a family of narrow-body aircraft for short and medium-haul airlines developed by the European consortium Airbus S.A.S.

The Airbus Industry consortium, which focused on wide-body aircraft programs, undertook research in the early 1980s on narrow-body aircraft under conventions SA1, SA2 and SA3 with two CFM56 turbojet engines. From the SA family, options were chosen SA1 (130-140 seats) and a slightly elongated SA2 (150-160 seats). In February 1981, the first version was given the designation A320-100, and the second - A320-200. Subsequently, the passenger capacity of both projects became equal to 150, and they only differed in flight range and payload.

Officially, the A320 aircraft program began in March 1984. The first flight of the prototype A320 with CFM56-5A1 engines made on February 22, 1987. At the end of February 1988, the aircraft was certified in Europe, and in December - in the USA. In March 1988, Air France received its first aircraft.

The A320 is the world's first passenger aircraft with a fly-by-wire control system (EDSU), a cockpit equipped with side control sticks instead of conventional steering columns, and a horizontal tail made entirely of composite materials.

The aircraft is equipped with an EFIS digital avionics complex manufactured by the French company "TOMCOH-CSF", consisting of six color multifunctional displays for displaying flight and navigation information, as well as data on the operation of onboard systems and warnings about failures.

Until February 2008, the final assembly of the A-320 was carried out only in Toulouse (France), and since March 2008, due to high demand, it was also produced at the plant in Hamburg (Finkenwerder, Germany). In addition, an assembly line for the A320 family aircraft was opened in China with an estimated capacity of 4 aircraft per month (in 2011).

The A320 aircraft served as the basis for the development of a whole family of aircraft:

A320 - basic modification a liner that can accommodate from 150 to 180 passengers;

A321 - an extended version of the A320, accommodating from 185 to 220 passengers;

A319 - modification of the A320 with a shortened fuselage due to a decrease in the number of passenger seats by two rows, has the longest flight range in the entire family (6,850 kilometers);

A318 - the most little representative of the A320 family. It can accommodate from 107 to 132 passengers.

Compared to other airliners of similar dimensions, the A-320 series features a spacious passenger compartment with large hand luggage bins, large cargo capacity on the lower (cargo) deck and wide hatches for loading luggage.

Specifications A-320

Wingspan - 34.09 m.

The length of the aircraft is 37.57 m.

The height of the aircraft is 11.76 m.

Wing area - 122.60 sq. m.

Weight

empty equipped aircraft - 41,800 kg,

maximum takeoff - 73,500 kg.

Engine type - 2 turbofan CFM International CFM56-5-A1.

Thrust - 2 x 11 320 kgf.

The maximum speed is 925 km / h.

Cruising speed - 900 km / h.

Practical range - 4900 km

Practical ceiling - 11275 m.

Crew - 2 people.

Payload - 150 passengers in a two-class cabin or 164 passengers in economy class or 179 maximum or 19,200 kg of cargo.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

The Airbus A320 is a passenger jet with a narrow fuselage and the first side on which an electro-remote control system was used. It belongs to the short- and medium-haul type. Mass production a320 was launched in 1988. The liner is very popular with airlines. Until 2017, about 8 thousand cars were produced, of which 6.5 thousand are still in operation.

A320 versions

The first version of the airliner airbus a320-100, developed in the 80s of the last century and produced in a limited number: only 21 aircraft. The fact is that almost immediately the A320-200 model was developed, which became the leading modification of the Airbus. This aircraft is equipped with additional fuel tanks to increase the range. Its variations A 320-212, A320-214, A 320-232, A 320-231 did not undergo significant changes in flight characteristics. The updates were mainly related to the internal configuration.

In the early 2010s. As a result of deep modernization of the A320, the newest ultra-modern aircraft Airbus A320neo appeared, which made its first commercial flight on January 21, 2016 with Lufthansa.

The layout of the passenger compartment of the Airbus A320

The one who is going to fly on this airbus is undoubtedly worried about the question of what the A320 passenger cabin looks like? In its segment, it is distinguished by spaciousness and roomy niches for storing carry-on luggage. The cargo deck has a large capacity. The aircraft has various options for the configuration of the passenger compartment, inside which up to 180 people can be accommodated. However, more often the airbus has two classes of service: business and economic. The business sector can be designed for:

• 8 seats (carrier "EasyJet"),
• 12 seats (Rossiya Airlines),
• 20 seats (Aeroflot).

Thus, the total number of seats can be reduced to 134, and the capacity of the economy sector, respectively, to 114.

Passenger scheme of the Airbus cabin A320

Economy class

Seats in the economic salon start from rows 3, 4 or 6. They are located just outside the business sector partition. During eating, passengers in these places use folding tables. The armchairs are arranged according to the "3 × 3" type. They can be 43.2 cm wide and 45.7 cm wide. If the seats are narrow, then the aisle between the seats is quite wide and is 63.5 cm. This creates additional comfort for passengers taking seats from the edge. They will not be hurt by people passing by. The economy class salon has two bathrooms, which are located at the end of the salon immediately after the last row.

Business Class

From 1 to 2 (in a different configuration of 3 or 5 rows) there are business places of the "2 × 2" type. Wide armchairs (57 cm), an almost horizontally reclining backrest, and a footrest create comfortable flight conditions for passengers of this class of service. The distance between the rows is more than half a meter, so a passenger who wants to take a nap will not cause inconvenience to people sitting behind, even if he reclines the back of his seat at the maximum possible angle.

The best places

• seats C and D in the Airbus A320-214 are located in the immediate vicinity of the toilet;
• most people are not very pleased to see a wall in front of them (at a distance of 1-1.5 m) for several hours.

6 row (in other trim levels 3 or 4 row) - these are the first places of the economy. They have more legroom, and for passengers traveling with children under 2 years old, this is the most convenient row, because:

• cradles are attached to the wall in front;
• other passengers will not be disturbed here: there is no reclining backrest in front, and technical rooms (toilet and kitchen) are located at the end of the plane.

Salon photo

The 13th row (10 or 11 in terms of other trim levels) also has additional legroom, since here the seats are located just behind the escape hatch. However, the A320 has two escape hatches, and the second is located directly behind the 13th row, limiting the recline angle of the back.

The greatest comfort in the economy class cabin, of course, is possessed by seats in the 14th row (11 or 12 in other trim levels). The distance for their legs is increased due to the emergency hatch, and the reclining angle of the chair is not limited. However, according to the existing safety rules for air transportation, the seats in front of emergency hatches cannot be occupied by children, pregnant women, disabled people and passengers transporting animals.

Main characteristics

Technologies, advanced for the end of the last century, radically changed the equipment of the a320 airliner:

1. In the cockpit, the dashboard with arrows was replaced by an electronic one, which was equipped with ray displays (then they were replaced by LCD monitors).
2. The flight of the A320 aircraft is controlled by convenient side grips instead of the steering wheel. The trajectory set by them is first analyzed by the on-board computer, and only then fed to the steering surfaces.
3. Electro-remote control allowed the aircraft to be guided by a crew of only two pilots, as control of the airliner became much easier.

The A320 has other less striking, but still significant characteristics: an increase in the number of doors: 4 passenger exits and the same number of emergency ones.

Design features

The Airbus 320 is a low-swept monoplane with engines placed underneath.

Capacity, dimensions, weight

A 320 is able to accommodate 180 passengers, while the maximum payload of the aircraft is 16 600 kg.

The length of this aircraft is 37.57 m, while the length of the passenger compartment is only 27.5 m, and the width is 3.7 m.The wingspan of the liner is 34.1 m. They are quite thin and have improved aerodynamics, which contributes to economical fuel consumption. and a decrease in inductive resistance. Aeroflot was the first Russian carrier to operate the A320 with new aerodynamic Sharklets - wingtips.

How much the plane itself weighs, to a certain extent, also depends on its commercial weight. So the maximum take-off weight of the A320 is 78 tons, the landing weight is 66 tons, with a small dead weight of the aircraft - 42 100 kg.

Flight data

The A320 can reach speeds of up to 890 km / h at a take-off speed of 240 km / h. It is capable of covering distances of up to 6150 km with a maximum flight altitude of 11,900 m, but not every airfield can accommodate this airbus. Landing strip must correspond to the minimum length of its take-off distance, which is 2090 m. The design of the aircraft assumes fuel consumption at a cruising speed (840 km / h) of 2 600 l / h. At the same time, the volume of the fuel tanks is 24 210 - 27 200 liters.

The history of the creation of the Airbus A320

For the first time the board of the airbus industrie a320 took to the skies in 1987. It was tested and certified quickly enough, without any complaints. The well-known European airline Air France became the first customer of the developed airbuses. And in the early spring of 1988, the A320 liner made the very first regular flight.

After that, the car was repeatedly improved. A320neo is a representative of a new generation of narrow-body long-haul liners. On September 25, 2014, the A320neo was tested for the first time. By the end of the year, the car was certified. To do this, it took 600 times to raise the airliner into the sky. The total duration of the flights was 1700 hours.

Where is it produced

Components from the Airbus factories are transported to Toulouse for final assembly of the A320. In order to financially rehabilitate the company, in 2007 the production of the A320 was moved from France to Germany, and the production of these machines was additionally set up in China. Also in 2010, a contract was signed for the production of components for an airliner at an aircraft plant in Irkutsk.

The cost of different models

How much the airbus a320 costs depends on the year of manufacture, modification and wear and tear of the machine and varies from 65 to 105 million dollars. So onboard a320-200 2002 in. with a total flight time of 26435 hours can be purchased for $ 70,000,000, and a modernized used A320neo: for $ 102.8 million. New airliners are much more expensive. For example, the just released a320-214 will cost the buyer $ 93.9 million and more (configuration features only increase the cost of the car), and the A320neo - $ 107.3 million.

Last year, Airbus received a huge number of orders for 1,619 aircraft worth $ 240.5 billion.

News, modernization, prospects

The A320 has a great future. Such airbuses are in demand in the passenger aircraft market. According to a long-term thirty-year forecast made by Boeing, world airlines need 38,050 new aircraft, including 26,730 with a narrow fuselage.

The modern, modernized A320neo of various configurations is especially popular with airlines. And although in air parks the leading companies in the segment of medium-haul aircraft are still dominated by the a320-200 of all modifications, the future still belongs to the new version of this airliner.

Watch a video about the history of creation Airbus aircraft A320

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They have this model in their fleet. Aeroflot is one of them.

If you look at the characteristics of the A320, you can easily see why it is in such demand among all companies. The capacity of the Airbus A320 and the weight of the Airbus 320 are impressive in this aircraft. The passengers themselves speak of him more than positively.

They began to create this liner so that the company would have suitable competitor for and 727. Its developers wanted to make its similar size, but at the same time to improve the technologies that were used at that time in airplanes.

Airbus A320-200.

One of the innovations was fly-by-wire control system in the cockpit. This means that handles have been introduced instead of the steering wheels. Also, in the design of the Airbus itself, composite materials.

The liner was assembled in Toulouse and then in Hamburg, as it began to be in demand.

In March 1984 work began on the production of this aircraft. So the first flight of the new model was carried out in 1987. In 1988 Air France has acquired the first airliner of this type.

Features of Airbus A320

It refers to narrow-body types passenger liners , with enough wide fuselage... This plane was designed for routes near and far... Him two engines - turbofan which are located under the wings.

The same liner became the first on which the so-called sharklets. These are special wingtips that allow increase the aerodynamic characteristics of the wings, and also reduce fuel consumption.

Inside the cockpit.

In addition to innovations in the cockpit, he the cabin of the aircraft has also undergone changes... He more spacious, and the cabinets for carry-on luggage are large and roomy. There is also individual lighting for each passenger in the cabin. A photo of the Airbus A320 cabin is shown below.

The cargo deck has also been expanded as well as hatches for loading luggage.

Aircraft maintenance is also less expensive... This was one of the reasons for the popularity of this aircraft. The noise level of the aircraft has also been reduced.

Cabin.

Its flight range is 4900 km... Cruising speed reaches 840 km / h... The salon is able to accommodate up to 140-180 passengers. Empty plane weight - 42 100 kg.

It is easily recognizable and by one small feature - the front landing gear is slightly sloped.

Cabin layout

As a rule, the salon only has one central aisle... There is 4 passenger exits and 4 emergency exits.

A typical layout is software two chairs in a row in Business and three in Economy.

As you can see, thanks to its characteristics, the Airbus A320 has become very popular not only in Europe and America, but also in Russia and Asia. Currently, there are about 6 092 such aircraft in operation.

The Airbus A320 is a narrow-body passenger aircraft developed by the Airbus concern. Serial production of the liner continues from 1987 to the present day.

Interior overview and layout of the best seats

Airbus A320 with a two-class layout of the passenger compartment (business and economy) can accommodate 150 passengers.

The business class cabin accommodates (according to the passenger cabin layout) six seats, occupying rows with numbers from 1 to 3. There is a wider (compared to the economy class cabin) central aisle, and the seats are arranged according to the "2-2" layout. Business class is located in the bow of the passenger compartment of the Airbus A320, has softer seats and a slightly more varied menu than for economy class passengers. The distances between the seats are large, which provides adequate rest for the legs, even for tall people.

The best in Business Class are the seats in the second row, especially at the windows. The seats of the first and third rows are somewhat unfortunate. This is due to the fact that the seats of the first row, although they have more legroom, are at the same time located directly next to the toilet and utility rooms. This feature causes sometimes brisk traffic here, which can seriously interfere with quiet rest... The third row seats are located close to the partition separating the business class from the economy class. The movement of service personnel and the noise coming from Economy Class can also cause some inconvenience.

Behind the business class cabin, there is an economy class with a narrower central aisle, as well as seats arranged according to the "3-3" scheme. Economy class seats occupy (according to the scheme) rows with numbers from 4 to 27.

The best seats for Economy Class are in the fourth row. This is due to their some distance from the noisy middle and somewhat more legroom for passengers. The seats located at the very end (in the 27th row) are not the best for the economy class. Their inconvenience lies in the close location of the toilet and utility rooms, which can cause a lot of inconvenience. When booking tickets, these less-than-ideal seats should be avoided whenever possible.

Airbus A320 variants

Today there are 4 variants of the Airbus A320: A318, A319, A320 and A321.

The Airbus A318 aircraft is the most compact of the entire A320 family: its passenger capacity ranges from 107 people in a two-class version to 132 people in a single-class version. One of the most important qualities of this liner is that it can take off from shorter runways.

It is also worth noting that it was on the Airbus A318 that the improved on-board systems were installed for the first time, with which all aircraft of the A320 family are equipped today.

Commercial use of the aircraft began in 2003.

The Airbus A319 is a somewhat shortened version of the Airbus A320 due to the removed two last rows of passenger seats in the economy class cabin. This allows the aircraft to use a shorter runway. The basic model has a passenger capacity of 116, but there is another version that can carry up to 156 people.

Operation of the A319 began in 1996.

Airbus A319 has the following modifications:

• Airbus A319LR - the main difference from the base model is the additional fuel tanks, which allow to increase the flight range up to 8000 km.
• Airbus A319CJ is a business modification with an extended flight range.
• The Airbus A320 is a narrow-body aircraft with a maximum passenger capacity of 180 people. Commercial use has continued since 1988.
• The Airbus A321 is an extended version of the Airbus A320 with increased passenger capacity (up to 220 people). The aircraft is a medium-haul aircraft (flight range - up to 5950 km). Has been in operation since 1994.

A320 specifications

Structurally, the Airbus A320 is a low-wing aircraft. The wing is swept. Plumage - vertical single-fin. The power plant of the Airbus is represented by two turbofan engines, the brand of which depends on the aircraft model.

The Airbus A320 was created as a replacement for the outdated A300 aircraft of the Airbus concern, as well as to compete with the Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 aircraft that had gained at that time (mid-80s of the XX century). The main innovation was a complete modernization of the on-board electronics, as well as an improved dashboard: instead of dial gauges, cathode-ray tubes were used.

Another important difference between the A320 family and early aircraft. Airbus is that instead of the standard steering wheels for the pilots, a side stick (side control stick) was used, which, together with the electronics modern at that time, made it easier to control the aircraft and limit its crew to two pilots.

Flight specifications aircraft of the A320 family: