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in: Airliners, Aircraft configurations

Wide-body aircraft

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A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft[1][2] or twin-aisle aircraft.[3] The typical fuselage diameter is 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft).[4] In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast,[5] allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850[6] passengers. The largest wide-body aircraft are over 6 m (20 ft) wide,[7] and can accommodate up to eleven passengers abreast in high-density configurations.

By comparison, a traditional narrow-body airliner has a diameter of 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft), with a single aisle,[3][8] and seats between two and six people abreast.[9]

Wide-body 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.[10]

Wide-body aircraft are also used for the transport of commercial freight and cargo[11] and other special uses, described further below.

The largest wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, are known as jumbo jets due to their very large size.

History[]

File:Pan Am Boeing 747 at Zurich Airport in May 1985.jpg

Boeing 747, the first widebody passenger aircraft, operated by Pan American World Airways

The Bristol Brabazon was a widebody transatlantic design that first flew in 1949 but never reached production. Following the success of the 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.

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. Larger aircraft would have to be longer, higher (such as a double deck), or wider in order to accommodate a greater number of passenger seats. Engineers realized having two decks created difficulties in meeting emergency evacuation regulations, with the technology available at that time. They opted for a wider fuselage as one solution (the 747, and eventually the DC-10 and L-1011). By adding a second aisle, the wider aircraft could accommodate as many as 10 seats across.[12]

The engineers also opted for creating "stretched" versions of the DC-8 (61, 62 and 63 models), as well as longer versions of the B-707 (-320B and 320C models), B-727 (-200 model) and DC-9 (-30, -40, and -50 models), all of which were capable of accommodating more seats than their shorter predecessor versions. The full length double-deck solution had to wait until the 21st Century (A-380).

The widebody age began in 1970 with the entry into service of the first widebody airliner, the four-engined, double-deck Boeing 747.[13] New trijet widebody aircraft soon followed, including the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. The first widebody twinjet, the Airbus A300, entered service in 1974.[14]

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 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.[15]

Design considerations[]

File:Airbus A380 versus Boeing 747.svg

Cross-section comparison of Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-400

File:Airbus A300 cross section.jpg

Airbus A300 cross-section, showing cargo, passenger, and overhead areas

Although widebody 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:

  • 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[16]
  • 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 VC10 and Douglas DC-9, but with a widebody fuselage. The British Three-Eleven project never left the drawing board, while the Russian Il-86 widebody proposal eventually gave way to a more conventional wing-mounted engine design, most likely due to the inefficiencies of mounting such large engines on the aft fuselage.

Engines[]

File:Rolls-Royce Trent 900 AEDC-d0404084 USAF.jpg

Mechanic working on a Rolls Royce Trent 900 engine during testing. The Trent is a typical type of high bypass turbofan used in widebody airliners.

As jet engine power and reliability have increased over the last decades, most of the widebody aircraft built today have only two engines. A twinjet design is more fuel-efficient than a comparable trijet or four-engined aircraft.Template: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 effectively dismissed due to higher maintenance and fuel costs,Template:Citation needed and only the heaviest widebody aircraft today are built with four engines (the Airbus A340, Airbus A380 and Boeing 747).[17][18]

The Boeing 777 twinjet features the largest and most powerful[19] jet engine in the world, the General Electric GE90, which is 128 inches (3.25 m) in diameter.[20] This is almost as wide as the entire fuselage of a Boeing 737 at 148 inches (3.76 m).

The massive maximum takeoff weight of the Airbus A380 (560 tonnes (1,200,000 lb)) would not have been possible without the engine technology developed for the Boeing 777 (such as contra-rotating spools).[21] 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.[22]

Interiors[]

The interiors of aircraft, known as the aircraft cabin, have been undergoing evolution since the first passenger aircraft. Today, between one and four classes of travel are available on widebody aircraft.

Bar and lounge areas which were once installed on the Boeing 747 have mostly disappeared, but a few have returned in first class or business class on the Airbus A340-600,[23] Boeing 777-300ER,[24] and on the Airbus A380.[25] Emirates Airline 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.[26][27]

Depending on how the airline configures the aircraft, the size and seat pitch of the airline seats will vary significantly.[28] 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 class cabin are likely to continue.[29]

A comparison of interior cabin widths and economy class seating layouts is shown below under widebody specifications. Further information can be found under external links.

Wake turbulence and separation[]

File:Airplane vortex edit.jpg

This picture from a NASA study on wingtip vortices illustrates wake turbulence.

Main article: Wake Turbulence

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:[30] light, medium, heavy, and super.[31]

Due to their weight, all current widebody aircraft are categorized as heavy, or in the case of the A380 in U.S. airspace, super.

Main article: Separation (air traffic control)

The wake-turbulence category also is used to guide the separation of aircraft.[32] 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 the aircraft's call sign with the word "heavy" (or super) when communicating with air traffic control in certain areas.

Special uses[]

File:Space Shuttle Atlantis2.jpg

A U.S. Space Shuttle mounted on a modified Boeing 747

Widebody aircraft are used in science, research, and the military. Two specially modified Boeing 747 aircraft, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, were 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. Airbus A340,[33] Airbus A380,[34] and Boeing 747[35] 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[36] Tanker 910 and the 747-based Evergreen Supertanker.[37]

Some widebody aircraft are used as VIP transport. Canada uses the Airbus A310, while Russia uses the Ilyushin Il-96 to transport their highest leaders. Germany replaced their Airbus A310 by Airbus A340 in spring 2011. 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.

Future development[]

File:Boeing 787first flight.jpg

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first large composite aircraft, entered in service in October 2011[38]

Airbus and Boeing are racing to market with two new widebody designs, currently in development.[39] Both manufacturers have been under significant pressure to see which obtains the most orders.[40]

In 2005, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner had received more orders than Airbus, and was scheduled to be the first to enter into airline service. The 787 is also the first large commercial aircraft to utilize a monolithic composite fuselage.[41]

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.[42][43] 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.[44][45][46]

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.

Widebody specifications[]

Model EIS[47] -Final
Prod.
Year 		#
Eng. 		Maximum
Metric[48]
MTOW]] 		Inside Diameter,[49]
main passenger deck, upper passenger deck 		Outside Diameter,[49]
main passenger deck 		Number of seats across in economy,[50]
main deck (seat width)[51]
Airbus A300 1974–2007 2 132.0 tons[52]
171.7 tons[53] 		208 inches (5.28 m)[53] 222 inches (5.64 m)[53][54] 8 across (17.0" wide) in 2-4-2 on TG[55][56]
8 across (17.0" wide) in 2-4-2 on LH[57]
Airbus A310 1982–2007 2 164.0 tons[58] 208 inches (5.28 m)[58] 222 inches (5.64 m)[58] 8 across (17.4" wide) in 2-4-2 on AI[59][60]
Airbus A330 1994 2 233.0 tons[61] 208 inches (5.28 m) 222 inches (5.64 m)[61] 8 across (17.5" wide) in 2-4-2 on EK[62]
9 across (16.5" wide) in 3-3-3 on D7[63]
Airbus A340 1993–2011 4 380.0 tons[64] 208 inches (5.28 m)[65] 222 inches (5.64 m)[65] 8 across (17.3" wide) in 2-4-2 on EY [66]
9 across (16.5" wide) in 3-3-3 on D7[67]
Airbus A350 2013 2 298.0 tons[68] 221 inches (5.61 m) [69] 235 inches (5.97 m) [69][70] 8 across (19.0" wide) in 2-4-2 proposed[71][72]
9 across (17.7" wide) in 3-3-3 proposed[71][73]
Airbus A380 2007 4 560.0 tons[74] 259 inches (6.58 m) [74]
233 inches (5.92 m) [74] 		281 inches (7.14 m) [74] 10 across (18.6" wide) in 3-4-3 on SQ[75]
10 across (18.1" wide) in 3-4-3 on QF[76]
10 across (18.0" wide) in 3-4-3 on EK[77]
Boeing 747 1970 4 412.8 tons[78] 240 inches (6.10 m)

[79][80]
136 inches (3.45 m)[81]

256 inches (6.50 m) [81] 10 across (17.7" wide) in 3-4-3 on TG[82]
10 across (17.2" wide) in 3-4-3 on NW[83][84]
Boeing 767 1982 2 204.1 tons[85] 186 inches (4.72 m)[86] 198 inches (5.03 m)[87] 7 across (18.0" wide) in 2-3-2 on UA[88][89]
7 across (17.0" wide) in 2-3-2 on US[90][91]
Boeing 777 1995 2 351.5 tons[92] 231 inches (5.87 m) [93] 244 inches (6.20 m) [93][94] 9 across (18.0" wide) in 2-5-2 on UA [95][96]
9 across (17.9" wide) in 3-3-3 on CO[97][98]
10 across (17.0" wide) in 3-4-3 on AF[99][100][101]
Boeing 787 Dreamliner 2011[38] 2 245.0 tons[102] 215 inches (5.46 m) 227 inches (5.77 m)[103][104] 8 across (18.5" wide) in 2-4-2 on ANA[105] />
9 across (17.2" wide) in 3-3-3 proposed[103]
Ilyushin Il-86 1980–1994 4 208.0 tons[106][107] 224 inches (5.70 m) [106] 239 inches (6.08 m) [108] 9 across (18.0" wide) in 3-3-3[109]
Ilyushin Il-96 1992 4 250.0 tons[110] 224 inches (5.70 m) [111] 239 inches (6.08 m) [112] 9 across (18.0" wide) in 3-3-3 on SU[113]
L1011 Tristar 1972–1984 3 231.3 tons[114] 225 inches (5.72 m)[115][116] 237 inches (6.02 m) 9 across (17.0" wide) in 2-5-2 on SV[117]
MD DC-10 1971–1988 3 259.5 tons[118] 224 inches (5.69 m)[118] 237 inches (6.02 m)[118] 9 across (17.2" wide) in 2-5-2 on NW[119][120]
MD MD-11 1990–2000 3 286.0 tons[121] 224 inches (5.69 m)[121] 237 inches (6.02 m)[121] 9 across (17.5" wide) in 3-3-3 on KLM [122][123]


References[]

  1. ↑ Template:Cite web
  2. ↑ http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release/?tx_ttnews[cat]=152&tx_ttnews[pS]=1209592800&tx_ttnews[pL]=2678399&tx_ttnews[arc]=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1266&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1683&cHash=672c48e9a1
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Template:Cite book
  4. ↑ Template:Cite web
  5. ↑ Template:Cite book
  6. ↑ Airbus A380 Specifications
  7. ↑ Note: See table in this article for wide-bodied passenger-aircraft fuselage widths.
  8. ↑ Template:Cite web
  9. ↑ Template:Cite book
  10. ↑ Template:Cite web
  11. ↑ Template:Cite web
  12. ↑ Template:Cite book
  13. ↑ Rumerman, Judy. "The Boeing 747", U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved: 30 April 2006.
  14. ↑ Template:Cite news
  15. ↑ Template:Cite news
  16. ↑ Template:Cite book
  17. ↑ 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]
  18. ↑ Note: This fact can be viewed in the Specifications section; click arrows under MTOW to sort by weight.
  19. ↑ Eisenstein, Paul. "Biggest Jet Engine." Popular Mechanics, July 2004. Retrieved: December 2, 2008.
  20. ↑ Template:Cite web
  21. ↑ Template:Cite book
  22. ↑ Template:Cite book
  23. ↑ [2]Template:Dead link
  24. ↑ Template:Cite web
  25. ↑ Template:Cite web
  26. ↑ Template:Cite web
  27. ↑ Template:Cite web
  28. ↑ Template:Cite web
  29. ↑ Template:Cite news
  30. ↑ Template:Cite web
  31. ↑ Template:Cite web
  32. ↑ http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Chap7/aim0703.html
  33. ↑ Template:Cite web
  34. ↑ Template:Cite web
  35. ↑ Template:Cite web
  36. ↑ Template:Cite web
  37. ↑ Template:Cite web
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 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.
  39. ↑ Template:Cite web
  40. ↑ Template:Cite web
  41. ↑ Template:Cite book
  42. ↑ "Airplane kingpins tell Airbus: Overhaul A350." Gates, D. Seattle Times. 29 March 2006.
  43. ↑ "Redesigning the A350: Airbus’ tough choice." Hamilton, S., Leeham Company.
  44. ↑ Airbus's A350 vision takes shape Flight International December 2006
  45. ↑ 787 fact sheet Boeing
  46. ↑ Template:Cite web
  47. ↑ Note: Entry into Service through Final Production Year
  48. ↑ 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.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 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.[3] Maximum interior cabin width is measured at chest or eye level when seated, as is usually a few inches wider than the cabin floor.
  50. ↑ Note: Airlines custom-configure the interior layout as per their objectives. Isle width and armrest width also affect layout but are not shown here.
  51. ↑ 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.
  52. ↑ Note: The lightest widebody aircraft ever built was the Airbus A300B1 with a maximum take-off weight of 291,000 lb (132,000 kg).Template:Citation needed
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 A300-600 specifications, Airbus
  54. ↑ 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.
  55. ↑ Template:Cite web
  56. ↑ TG New Fleet / Seat, Thai Airways
  57. ↑ [4], seatguru.com
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 58.2 A310 specifications, Airbus
  59. ↑ Airbus 310-300 page, Air India
  60. ↑ [5], seatguru.com
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 A330-200 specifications, Airbus. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  62. ↑ Template:Cite web
  63. ↑ AirAsia X Airbus A330-300, Seatguru.com
  64. ↑ [6]Template:Dead link
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 A340-200 specifications, Airbus
  66. ↑ [7], Etihad Airways
  67. ↑ AirAsia X Airbus A340-300, Seatguru.com
  68. ↑ A3550-1000 Specifications, Airbus. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 [8], Airbus
  70. ↑ Note: Possible error on original Airbus webpage, conversion of metric to imperial off by 1 inch on Airbus webpage.
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 10-abreast A350 XWB 'would offer unprecedented operating cost advantage', Flightglobal.com
  72. ↑ Note: Possible unit-conversion error in article, 48 cm used as source.
  73. ↑ Note: Published article indicated most airlines will choose the 9-across configuration
  74. ↑ 74.0 74.1 74.2 74.3 A380 specifications, Airbus
  75. ↑ Template:Cite web
  76. ↑ [9], seatguru.com
  77. ↑ [10], seatguru.com
  78. ↑ Boeing 747 specificationsTemplate:Dead link
  79. ↑ Boeing 747 specifications, Boeing 747 airport planning report, Boeing
  80. ↑ Note: Interior width for Boeing 747 main deck shown as 239 inches (6.08 m) or 240 inches (6.10 m) in different Boeing documents.
  81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 Template:Cite web
  82. ↑ [11], Thai Airways
  83. ↑ [12], NWA
  84. ↑ [13] seatguru.com
  85. ↑ http://www.boeing.com/commercial/767family/pf/pf_400prod.html, Boeing 767-400 Specifications. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  86. ↑ Boeing 767 specifications, Boeing
  87. ↑ Note: An extensive Internet search did not reveal any original Boeing source for the actual O.D. of the B767.
  88. ↑ Template:Cite web
  89. ↑ [14], seatguru.com
  90. ↑ Template:Cite web
  91. ↑ Template:Cite web
  92. ↑ Template:Cite web Retrieved on 2008-12-08.
  93. ↑ 93.0 93.1 Boeing 777 specifications, Boeing
  94. ↑ 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.
  95. ↑ Template:Cite web
  96. ↑ Template:Cite web
  97. ↑ Template:Cite web
  98. ↑ [15], seatguru.com
  99. ↑ http://www.airfrance.fr/common/image/PlansCabine/en/B777300_nev_325pax_maxi_en.gif
  100. ↑ [16], seatguru.com
  101. ↑ 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.
  102. ↑ Template:Cite web
  103. ↑ 103.0 103.1 Template:Cite web
  104. ↑ 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)
  105. ↑ {{cite web|url=http://www.airlinequality.com/Experience/NH_B787.htm%7Ctitle=Sktyrax ANA Seatmaps 787-8
  106. ↑ 106.0 106.1 Template:Cite web
  107. ↑ Note: Other references for the Ilyushin Il-86 MTOW ranged between 206 and 215 metric tonnes.
  108. ↑ Gunston B, Aircraft of the Soviet Union, Osprey, London, 1984
  109. ↑ Template:Cite book
  110. ↑ Template:Cite web
  111. ↑ Template:Cite web
  112. ↑ [17]Template:Dead link
  113. ↑ Template:Cite web
  114. ↑ Template:Cite web
  115. ↑ http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/Publications/L1011.pdf
  116. ↑ Template:Cite web
  117. ↑ Template:Cite web
  118. ↑ 118.0 118.1 118.2 http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/acaps/dc10.pdf DC-10 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning, Boeing. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  119. ↑ [18], eskyguide.com
  120. ↑ Note: Retired from service in 2007.
  121. ↑ 121.0 121.1 121.2 Template:Cite web
  122. ↑ Template:Cite web
  123. ↑ [19] (Note: KLM's website does not include seat width information.)

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