The Airbus A380 is a passenger double-decker (double-decker) jet aircraft. Today it is the largest and most spacious airliner in the world. Officially, its development began in 2000, the first flight was made in 2005, and in 2007 it was fully put into operation by the companies that pre-ordered it.

Airbus A380 review

The Airbus A380 has several modifications:

  • Basic models Airbus A380-800, 842, 861, 862. The length reaches about 73 meters. The difference lies in the installed engines: GP72XX and Trent 900. The ability to vary the on-board temperature from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius, thanks to internal 16 temperature zones, has become unique;
  • A380-800F. Cargo model of an airplane. For some time, Airbus S.A.S. accepted orders for the supply of such a modification, but its production was shelved until the design of the passenger version was fully adjusted. The specific timing is still unknown;
  • A380-900. Currently in the design stage. It is 7 meters longer than the original version, and if the aircraft goes into mass production, it will be the longest and most powerful. The possible flight distance will reach 14,200 km;
  • A380-1000. It is planned to be the most spacious airliner. In the future, it will be able to accommodate 1,073 passengers exclusively in economy class and 757 people in three classes. The start of use is expected to date from 2020-2025. The length of the aircraft is 87 meters;
  • A380plus. IN this moment This modification is being tested. On board it will be able to accommodate 80 more people than in the basic version, and also reduce fuel consumption and operating costs.

Airbus A380 passenger cabin design

Airbus a380-800 Emirates interior diagram

The aircraft has an upper and lower deck, which are connected by two staircases, at the nose and tail of the aircraft. Various modifications of the A380 accommodate first class, business economy and premium economy classes.

First grade

On an Airbus A380 passenger aircraft, as a rule, first class seats are located at the very beginning. Everyone already knows that these places are the best, and the attitude towards the passenger is as if he were a guest of a five-star hotel. Each chair here can be converted into a small bed. The first class section may even have a shower, which is widely used by some airlines.

However, not everything is so smooth and the “suite” also has its drawbacks: these are seats located in the 1st and 4th rows, located in close proximity to the toilet. Also, opposite the 1st row there is a staircase connecting the two decks of the plane, and not every passenger will like such a neighborhood.

Business Class

Business class in the Airbus A380 is located immediately behind the first. There are also comfortable armchairs that can be turned into a bed if desired. The distance between the seats is sufficient, so you can easily stretch your legs to their full length. Passengers are provided with a minibar, which is usually included in the ticket price.

Economy class

On the bottom or main (if the plane consists entirely of one class) there is an economy class. It amounts to 399 seats in the classic layout offered by the manufacturer. The seats here do not lie flat, as in first and business class, but they are quite comfortable. According to the world standard, the distance for the legs between the rows reaches 80 cm. Each passenger has his own screen installed in the back of the previous seat, the ability to watch video, listen to audio, a connector for USB and paid internet. Availability of the latter will depend on the airline.

Best places

As stated earlier, ideal places on this airliner they are in first and business class. In economy you can also get a good job on rows 45, 54 and 82. The seats are located far from the toilets and technical areas, there are no seats in front, which means there is plenty of legroom. Rows 68 and 81 would also be good. They are located near the windows and are considered one of the most comfortable in economy class.

Rows 43, 52, 67 and 80 are considered “average” in terms of convenience. There is enough space between the seats, but technical rooms and a toilet are located nearby, which can cause inconvenience. The worst seats are in row 88. This is where the wall is located, because of which the seat and the toilet room do not recline, where passengers scurry back and forth. It is better to buy tickets here when there are no other options.

Photo of the cabin in economy class:

Main characteristics

The Airbus 380 has a wide fuselage (aisle). It is unique in its kind, which is why it is in great demand among many airlines, both domestic and foreign. The cockpit is the same for all models. Airbus S.A.S. uses this tactic. used to save on crew training.

The Airbus 380 airliner has the following technical characteristics:

  • Number of seats as standard - 525;
  • Capacity - 853;
  • Cabin width - 6.5 m;
  • Length - 72.7 m;
  • Height - 24.1 m;
  • Wing span - 80 m;
  • Wing area - 845 sq. m;
  • Empty aircraft weight - 276.8 thousand kg;
  • Takeoff weight - 560 thousand kg;
  • Landing weight - 386 thousand kg;
  • Weight without fuel - 361 thousand kg;
  • Fuel tank capacity - 310 thousand liters;

Aircraft flight data:

  • Maximum flight altitude - 13.1 thousand m;
  • The maximum flight distance with a full load is 15 thousand km;
  • Run length - 2.9 thousand m;
  • Take-off run length - 2 thousand m;
  • Engines - 4 R-R Trent 970 or 4 Alliance GP7270.

History of creation

Development of a wide-body aircraft project has begun by Airbus S.A.S. back in 1994. Then it was planned to compete with the then monopolist Boeing with its Boeing-747 airliner. Initially, the future brainchild of Airbus had the code name A3XX. The designers wanted to combine two fuselages of the company's largest aircraft at that time, the A340, but this would have led to a significant reduction in flight parameters, increasing the acceleration length and total mass.

It was decided to use a two-deck model, which gave the car a number of advantages. The project started in 2000, and the amount of planned costs reached 8.8 million euros. The name of the aircraft also has interesting story. Instead of A340, it received the number A380. In a number of Asian countries, eight is considered a lucky number and this probably served as a positive impetus for customers to purchase an airliner.

Construction was completed in 2005 and the aircraft was demonstrated at the airfield in Toulouse. During the tests, engineers identified errors in the design of the wing and it had to be changed in a timely manner. Full tests on the ground and in the air were completed at the end of 2007 and the A380 received European certificates of conformity.

Where is it produced?

Fuselage cross-section

The aircraft is manufactured by the European company Airbus S.A.S., based in Toulouse (France). It also has several offices in Germany, Spain, France and the UK and two factories in Blagnac (a suburb of Toulouse) and Hannover (Germany). The company's activities began in 1969 after the merger of several small European aircraft manufacturing companies. Not only is development being carried out here passenger aircraft, but also trucks, as well as vehicles adapted for military needs.

Cost of different models

The price of different modifications of the A380 can vary greatly. Its growth is also affected by the unstable economic situation in the world. Recently, there has been a steady trend towards higher prices for aircraft. And in general, the airliner itself of this model is considered the most expensive in the entire Airbus family.

The current price of the Airbus A380-800 is US$428 million. The company is still silent about the cost of the models, the production of which is planned to begin in the near future, and the final figure is known only to airlines that have placed pre-orders. Every year prices rise by about 2-3%. A total of 219 vehicles were sold and put into operation, and another 317 are under construction. This information is provided by the official Airbus representative office.

News, modernization, prospects

There are several cases where the order for the A380-800 was placed by important people and famous people. For example, the most common story was about the prince Saudi Arabia, who bought the company's own A380 Super Jambo, whose final cost was $488 million.

There was an opinion that this plane was capable of damaging airport runways, but this turned out to be untrue. The landing gear pressure turned out to be much less than that of its main competitors Boeing 747 and 777. In Russia, the first airport adapted to receive the wide-body A380 was Moscow Domodedovo. The order to rebuild the runway was issued by the agency for air transport in Russia.

The A380 is a true world record holder. It has the quietest noise level in passenger compartment, it is the most economical and largest aircraft to date.

Because of big size To paint an aircraft, 597 kg of paint have to be spent, and the total surface area reaches 10 thousand square meters. m. Also, thanks to the expanded wing area, the airliner's speed is 35 km/h lower than that of its main competitor. This allows you to reduce possible noise at the airport during landing or takeoff.

At the moment, the development of the A380-1000 and A380plus is actively underway. A huge number of airlines have already issued pre order on newest aircraft and passengers can only wait for modern cars to go into operation and delight us with their reliable build quality and speed.

Watch a video about the Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world.

The largest aircraft in the world is the An-225. They built the plane in Ukraine and use it to transport huge amounts of cargo. The An-225 is also called a military transport aircraft. The height of this aircraft is 24.1 meters, the length is also amazing - 73 meters. The wingspan is 88.4 meters. The weight of the aircraft is 250 thousand kg, and it can take off with a total weight of 600,000 kg. It was built back in 1988. The plane is equipped with six engines. There is only one An-225 in the whole world, which belongs to Antonov Airlines. Construction of the second An-225 is also underway, but it is not completely finished.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules, or as it is also called the NK-1 Goose, is the second largest aircraft. This wooden plane was built back in 1947, the project was developed by Hughes Aircraft, from America. As conceived, the aircraft was designed to transport 750 soldiers, plus their equipment. To this day, the aircraft's wingspan is the largest in the world - 98 meters. The length of the aircraft is 66.45 meters, height - 24 meters, maximum take-off weight is 180,000 kg. The maximum speed of the aircraft is 351 miles per hour, and the distance that the aircraft could cover is 5634 kilometers. About $13 million was allocated for its production. Nowadays, the plane is located in an exhibit museum in the state of Oregon, which is located in the northwestern United States.

The Airbus A380 is a passenger aircraft capable of carrying up to 525 people. It was created by the company "Airbus S.A.S", the height of this aircraft is 24 meters, length - 73 meters, wingspan - 79.75 meters. The maximum flight range without refueling is 15,400 km. The maximum take-off weight is 560,000 kg, and the weight of the aircraft itself is 280,000 kg. This aircraft is by far the largest passenger airliner in the world. It is also the most economical in terms of fuel combustion, for 1 passenger - 3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. The entire development of the A380 construction program cost about 12 billion euros.

The An-124 or Ruslan is one of the largest cargo-lifting aircraft in the world. Its main and initial purpose when created was: transportation of intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, transportation of paratroopers, and heavy military equipment. The An-124 was used in military operations in Afghanistan in 1987, a total of 56 aircraft were involved. A film was also made about this plane called “Ruslan, who united the world.” The An-124 is currently in service with the Russian Air Force and is also used for NATO military transport in areas Central Asia, Afghanistan, Persian Gulf. The length of the aircraft is 69.1 meters, the wingspan is 73.3 meters, the height is 21.1 meters, the weight is 173,000 kg.

We continue to consider the most large planes in the world. Fifth on the list is an aircraft called the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. It is one of the American heavy-duty military transport aircraft. Until 1982 - the largest production cargo aircraft in the world. Capable of carrying up to 270 soldiers on board, 118,300 kg of additional weight. Maximum take-off weight - 348,300 kg, maximum speed- 920 km/h, flight range - 5,600 km, maximum altitude - 10,100 meters.

The Boeing 777-300ER is a large passenger aircraft that can fly a record distance of 21,601 km without refueling. Used for long-haul airlines. It was developed in 1990, had a test flight in 1994, and began operating in 1995. Can accommodate from 305 to 550 passengers. It is also the world's largest twin-engine passenger jet. The engines that are installed on it are also record holders; they are the largest and most powerful in the history of aviation.

The Airbus A340 is a four-engine passenger aircraft developed by Airbus S.A.S. To date, about 389 of these aircraft have been ordered. The development program began back in 1987. The A340 is a new four-engine aircraft designed for intercontinental flights. Previously, all aircraft below the A340 class had two engines, and were forced to stay at a minimum distance from the emergency airfield in case of breakdown. They had to spend more fuel, and it was inconvenient. In 1991, a significant error was noticed, the wing of the A330 and A340 was no different, and this was a problem, since the A330 used only two engines, while the A340 used four. The length of the aircraft is 75.3 meters, height - 17.3 meters, wingspan - 63.5 meters, maximum flight with passengers without refueling is 14,600 km.

At the time of its creation, the Boeing 747 was the largest, heaviest and most spacious passenger aircraft in the world, and it held the record for 37 years until the A380 appeared. The plane has two decks where passengers are seated - upper and lower. The top one is much smaller than the bottom one. The record set by one of the Boeings is a flight from London to Sydney, which is 18,000 kilometers and took 20 hours and 9 minutes from takeoff and landing. Also, the Boeing 747 is one of the most common aircraft in the world. From the inception of the aircraft until September 2010, 1,527 units were ordered. Its length is 70.6 meters, wingspan is 64.4 meters, maximum take-off weight is 412,770 kg, height is 19.4 meters.

It is the ninth largest of all aircraft in the world. Boeing 777-200ER is nothing more than a modification of the Boeing 777. Compared to the Boeing 777, the Boeing 777 200ER class has increased its take-off weight and fuel capacity. Designed for international transport, it holds the record for an emergency flight on one engine - 177 minutes, with 255 passengers on board. The first purchase was made by British Airways in 1997. As of September 2010, 415 of these aircraft were sold.

Lasts the list of the most large aircraft in the world - Airbus A330-300. It was designed to replace the A300 aircraft. This aircraft can carry up to 295 passengers. The maximum flight distance is 10,800 km. The plane can also be used as a cargo carrier; its volume is equal to that of a Boeing 747. The plane has two engines, so it is forced to fly close to emergency airfields, spending a lot of fuel.

Top 10 Very Large Airplanes Video

A hundred years ago, no one would have thought that huge colossus weighing tens of tons would be able to rise into the air and carry gigantic loads. Now this is a reality, but still, every time we see these giants, we are surprised how the design idea made their flight possible.

An-225 "Mriya"

In 1985, the Soviet Union was looking for solutions to create transport system for its reusable spacecraft Burana. There was an urgent need for an aerial vehicle capable of transporting multi-ton spacecraft parts to the place of its assembly and launch. As a result, a project for a cargo aircraft was proposed, called the An-225.

The creation of this giant became possible thanks to the hard work and cooperation of design bureaus throughout the USSR. In Voronezh, Kyiv, Moscow, Tashkent and dozens of other cities, thousands of scientists and engineers implemented the most daring project in the history of aeronautics. It took a huge country three years to turn the idea of ​​the An-225 into reality: the first flight of the An-225 Mriya aircraft, assembled at the Kiev Mechanical Plant, took place on December 21, 1988.

“Mriya” is translated from Ukrainian as “dream”. And thanks to the efforts of thousands of people, this dream became a reality.

The parameters of the An-225 are amazing: its wingspan is 88.4 meters, its length is 84 meters, and it can carry a cargo weighing 250 tons!

The An-225 Mriya was built in a single copy and is currently in working condition, regularly performing flights.

Stratolaunch Model 351

On May 31, 2017, the Stratolaunch Model 351 aircraft with a record wingspan of 117.3 meters was presented to the general public, which is only slightly inferior in maximum take-off weight to the An-225: 590 tons versus 640 tons. The vehicle has a double-fuselage design and is equipped with six jet engines.

The creation of the giant aircraft Stratolaunch Model 351 is also associated with space launches. It is assumed that during the flight this aircraft will launch rockets intended for launch into low-Earth orbit.

So far, the Stratolaunch Model 351 has never flown and is being tested on the surface. Just the other day, to test the operation of the landing gear and braking system, the plane made a test run on the runway, during which it accelerated to 74 km/h. It is planned that the machine will make its first flight in 2019.

Ever since people learned to design flying vehicles, they began to be used to transport heavy and bulky cargo. Over the history of aeronautics, many transport aircraft have been created that are impressive with their huge size. In today's selection we present to your attention the 11 largest cargo aircraft in the world.

11 PHOTOS

The An-225 is currently the largest aircraft in the world; it has an extremely large payload and can lift about 250 tons into the air. The An-225 was originally designed and built to transport components of the Energia launch vehicle and the Buran reusable spacecraft.


This transport aircraft is a modified version of the Boeing 747, it was built and used exclusively to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft. What makes the Dreamlifter special is its unusual appearance.


The Super Guppy cargo plane was produced in five copies and today only one of them is in use. It is owned by NASA and is used to deliver large cargo and spacecraft parts.


The An-124 is a heavy military transport aircraft for long-distance transport, the largest of all serial commercial cargo aircraft in the world. It was developed primarily for air transportation launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as for transporting heavy military equipment. The carrying capacity of the An-124 is 120 tons. Aircraft maintenance can only be carried out in a special hangar built for the company that owns the An-124 from metal structures (a similar principle http://ctcholding.kz/uslugi/bystrovozvodimye-zdaniya/iz-metallokonstruktsij/promyshlennye-zdaniya).


American military transport aircraft, second in terms of payload capacity after the An-124. The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is capable of carrying six helicopters or two large tanks in its cargo bay. The total weight that the aircraft can transport is more than 118 tons.


A jet cargo aircraft for transporting large cargo, which was developed on the basis of the Airbus A300 series. The main purpose of creating the A300-600ST is to replace transport aircraft Super Guppy. Beluga owes its name to its body shape, which resembles a beluga whale. The Beluga's carrying capacity is 47 tons.


Soviet-made heavy transport aircraft, the largest turboprop aircraft in the world. Currently, the aircraft is used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian cargo airline Antonov Airlines. The carrying capacity of the An-22 is 60 tons.


The C-17 Globemaster III is one of the most common military transport aircraft of the US Air Force and is still in use today. The aircraft is designed to transport military equipment and troops, as well as perform tactical missions. The C-17's carrying capacity is more than 76 tons.


The A400M Atlas was designed and built as an international project for the air forces of France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and several other countries. It is a four-engine turboprop aircraft with a payload capacity of up to 37 tons.

A twin-engine military transport aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, created as a replacement for the Kawasaki C-1 and Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The C-1's lifting capacity is 37 and a half tons.

Modern man cannot imagine his existence without airplanes. To date, more than two thousand aircraft have been designed, which have their own characteristics and purpose. They differ in size, functionality and support. The difference is amazing. If we compare a small aircraft designed for one pilot and passenger airliner, then the first one will seem like just a speck of dust against the background of the second one. Today there is the largest Boeing in the world - the Boeing 747.

The Boeing 747 is the first large passenger aircraft to become popular around the world. Pilots and passengers even come up with various nicknames for it; for almost 40 years, the Boeing 747 has held the record for passenger transportation. To date, there is only one record left behind him - this is the maximum length for an aircraft. The Boeing 747 first saw the light of day in 1969, and its history began from then on. Specialists and designers are still designing and improving this model to this day.

Background to the Boeing 747

In the early 1960s, the world began to actively develop in terms of trade, large, large-scale air transportation was needed. The predecessor of the Boeing 747, the Boeing 707, could no longer cope with the volume of traffic. The flow of people wishing to fly quickly and comfortably increased every day, Boeing designers began to develop an analogue.

Joe Sutter in 1965 was the main developer who explored the consumer market as much as possible. After his research, he was the senior designer in charge of the Boeing 747. In those years they did not bet on Passenger Transportation, inventors dreamed of sonic airplanes. Therefore, from the very beginning, the Boeing 747 was a cargo aircraft and only then a cargo-passenger aircraft. The designers designed all the aircraft as cargo planes, and this is precisely what they focused on. They freed up space as much as possible, and even moved the cockpits to accommodate more cargo.

In 1966, Boeing designers first showed a mock-up of a new aircraft labeled 747. In its original form, the aircraft had two decks, but many problems arose with this design. Soon an option was proposed: to make it in the form of a capsule, enlarging the sides. After the final version was presented, an order was received for the production of the Boeing 747 from PanAm in the amount of 25 units.

This company made some changes to the design of the aircraft, thanks to it the length of the wings and the design of the landing gear were changed, and it was also decided to increase the weight to 308,443 kilograms.

Main characteristics

The Boeing 747 has four jet engines, an interesting body and large dimensions. The main advanced characteristics set Boeing apart from other aircraft, and, undoubtedly, today it is the leader in transportation and the most sought-after aircraft in the world. It is worth highlighting some perfections:

  • Aerodynamics have been improved.
  • New solutions make it possible to reduce inductive resistance.
  • The interior design has been changed, a comfortable cabin for the crew and a comfortable cabin for passengers.

One of the noticeable improvements of this aircraft wings that have changed in size and become more functional are considered. After a number of changes, the wings became 6 feet high, the airfoil was slightly turned up and protruded outward. After all the innovations, flight duration has increased and fuel consumption has decreased. Due to these savings, Boeing has reduced fuel consumption by up to 4%. If you calculate the total amount for all time, it turns out to be a huge amount. The Boeing 747 is the fastest passenger aircraft, whose speed can reach 940 km/h.

Specifications

The Boeing 747 is much more spacious than its counterparts due to the modified deck. These innovations make it possible to accommodate 1,075 passengers, with high levels of comfort in both business and economy class. Today, the cockpit has also been completely changed: all instruments have been replaced with new digital elements, due to which the number of pilots has been reduced to two people, and the control of the aircraft has become simplified. All important information displayed on the LCD screen.

On board the aircraft, for ease of movement, straight staircases were designed rather than spiral ones, which made movement as easy as possible.

The interior of the aircraft has also changed. Now passengers had more free space, which made flights more comfortable. Shelves for luggage and personal items have been increased in volume. In addition, special broadcasting systems for watching films and videos were installed on board the aircraft.

Due to upper deck was lengthened, and several additional exits were installed on it. The parts of the new Boeing are updated engines from well-known manufacturers, characterized by good quality and endurance. Thanks to this, they received a Boeing with a maximum speed of 940 km/h and a weight of 350 tons.

Boeing 747 technical data:

  • The total length of the aircraft is 70.7 meters.
  • The height of the aircraft is 19.5 meters.
  • The wingspan is 120 meters.
  • The width of the cabin for passengers is 6 meters.
  • Wing area – 1022 sq.m.
  • Speed ​​– 940 km/h.
  • Flight range – 12500 km.
  • Weight without passengers - 175,000 kg.
  • The height inside the aircraft is 13755 m.

For economy class there is 580 seats. The aircraft crew included two pilots and one engineer. Due to the popularity of the model, Boeing was invented for cargo transportation and Boeing passenger, but with a shorter flight duration.

The purpose of the Boeing 747

Since the start of Boeing production, carrier companies have been distrustful of the airliner. At the same time, some organizations began to develop smaller aircraft with three engines. Many believed that they would be able to displace the Boeing, because the large dimensions of the Boeing called into question its efficiency on long-haul routes. Also, due to its large dimensions, the infrastructure of some airports could not match the record holder. Of course, passenger transportation companies were concerned about the high fuel consumption that the Boeing required to fly. Some airlines immediately refused to purchase the aircraft, fearing that ticket prices would rise due to high fuel consumption.

Boeing 747 – king in the sky

Companies' concerns about this were justified, because in 1970, during the fuel crisis, fuel prices jumped sharply. Due to this, passenger traffic has been reduced to the maximum extent possible. The Boeing 747 went on flights half empty. Some airlines resorted to a trick: it was decided to remove several rows of passenger seats and install bars and musical instruments in the hope of attracting as many passengers as possible this way. But, as practice has shown, this turned out to be not enough. Many of the airlines converted the planes into cargo planes or resold them to other owners.

In populated countries today, the Boeing 747 is used on short-haul flights or to destinations that are in high demand. Of course, the Boeing 747 is still used for long flights. The national company of Japan had the largest number of Boeings, namely 73 units. At the moment, all the equipment has been written off, and last flight Boeing took place in March 2011.

In Russia, the Boeing 747 was operated by the largest private airline, Transaero, which ceased operations in 2015, and by the largest cargo carrier, AirBridgeCargo.