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How many people can fit on the largest plane. The biggest planes in the world

Today, not a single person can imagine life without the existence of aircraft, and in fact, before people could only dream of flying in the sky. Thanks to the colossal work done by scientists and design engineers from different parts of the world, the world got acquainted with the first aircraft. And on October 25, 2007, it went into operation Airbus A380- the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the photo of which to some extent reflects the real size of the giant.

We will not dwell on one model, but will introduce you to other airliners capable of carrying a considerable number of passengers on board.

Introduced in 2005, the Airbus A380-800 supplanted the 36-year-old aviation giant, the Boeing 747.

Technical specifications:

  • Vessel length: 73 m
  • Passenger capacity: 525 people
  • Wingspan: 79.75 m
  • Wing area: 845 sq. m
  • Height: 24.09 m
  • Weight: 280 tons
  • Maximum speed: 1020 km/h
  • Takeoff run: 2050 meters

The development of Airbus had to spend one decade and 12 billion euros. The maximum distance covered by an aircraft without in-flight refueling is 15,400 km. In terms of the amount of fuel used, the Airbus A380-800 is much more economical in comparison with other aircraft of this class.

It was possible to reduce fuel consumption thanks to the correctly designed shape of the wing and fuselage. To achieve such accuracy in Japan, milling machines used in the manufacture of aircraft were specially developed. It takes 3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers for three passengers.

Despite the large capacity of Airbus compared to the Boeing 747, its production is 15 percent cheaper. For the first time, the air giant began to be operated by Singapore's national airline, Singapore Airlines, serving the Singapore-Sydney route.

Boeing 747-8

In 2005, the Boeing 747-8, another modification of a passenger aircraft, appeared in the American corporation The Boeing Company. The main differences from previous liners are an elongated hull and economy. By changing the deviation of the wing in plan from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and reducing its thickness, the manufacturers managed to improve the quality of aerodynamics. Thanks to this shape of the wing, fuel consumption has decreased.

Boeing 747-8

This modification was preferred by the governments of 19 states, using the liner for flights by the country's top leaders.

At 76.25 meters long, the Boeing 747-8 is the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States of America. In addition, the Boeing 747-8 is the leader in orders for VIP versions, which are intended for politicians in government.

The largest passenger aircraft in history is the Hughes H-4 Hercules. The giant received this title in 1947. Against the background of the flying "machines" of that period, the Hughes H-4 Hercules stood out with a 98-meter distance between the edges of the wings, due to which this modification was considered the most wide-body.

In total, 2 aircraft of this type were produced, today only one remains. The Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft with a capacity of 750 passengers was brought to the Long Beach Museum in 1993, where it is still located. More people in one flight were not transported by any aircraft.

The Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft, designed in 1990, can fly 20,000 km without in-flight refueling. A test flight took place in 1994.

The Boeing 777-300ER is the first passenger aircraft to be designed using virtual computer assembly rather than paper drawings. Thanks to new computer technologies, or rather the program for creating three-dimensional models CATIA, it was possible to avoid typical connection errors not during production, but at the design stage.

The liner is equipped with the most powerful bypass turbojet engines with a high bypass ratio and is equipped with additional fuel storage tanks. The introduction of such a modification reduced fuel consumption by 1.4 percent. On board the liner, 305-550 passengers can fly at the same time.

Il-96M with a capacity of 435 passengers is recognized as the largest airliner produced in Russia. Its design was carried out by domestic and Western companies. The aircraft model was exhibited more than once at specialized air shows, but mass production has not yet begun. In 2009, the aircraft was destroyed due to wear and tear.

An aircraft with a length of 63.7 m and a capacity of 400 people holds the absolute world flight record on one serviceable engine. In 2003, in the month of March, after the failure of one of the engines, the airliner flew 2 hours 57 minutes with 255 passengers. Despite the appearance of improved quality modifications, the Boeing 777-200 EP is still in demand. There are more than 400 aircraft of this modification in the world.

The Airbus A340-600 aircraft is one of the long-haul liners. At one gas station, he is able to cover a distance of 14,800 kilometers. The Airbus A340-600 has been in operation on international and intercontinental lines since 2002. The capacity of the aircraft with a length of 75 meters and a wingspan of 63.5 meters is 380 people.

A total of 97 Airbus A340-600 models were assembled. In 2011, the production of the liner in series ceased.

The wingspan of the Russian aircraft "Ruslan" reaches 73 meters with a length of 69 meters. The main difference between the aircraft is a colossal cargo compartment with a volume of 1050 cubic meters. meters. The aircraft with a cruising speed of 850 km / h was used for cargo transportation (carrying capacity - 120 tons), if necessary, military personnel could be transported on it. The flight life of the An-124 model does not exceed 45 years.

The military model aircraft Lockheed C-5 "Galaxy" is also worthy of competing for the title of the largest passenger aircraft. The liner was used both to transport people and goods. On board the aircraft, 270 military personnel can simultaneously fly, in addition, if necessary, you can equip the car with additional passenger seats in the amount of 75 units. Due to its impressive size (the length of the vessel is 75.5 meters, the width is 68 meters), the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was classified as a giant aircraft.

Without refueling, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy covers a distance of 5,600 kilometers at a speed of 920 km/h. The maximum height to which the giant climbed is 10,100 meters.

From the moment the first passenger was taken on board to the appearance of spacious airliners, 60 years have passed. And today we can no longer be surprised either by huge aircraft with excellent flight characteristics, or transcontinental flights, or many hours of travel on airliners.

The history of aviation begins at the end of the eighteenth century - after all, it was at the turn of the eras that the English designer developed the design of the aircraft. Modern airliners bear little resemblance to their predecessors. Today, the leaders of the aviation industry are competing in the production of giants. The largest aircraft in the world, the An-225 Mriya, impresses with its size and carrying capacity. Let's study the rating of the largest airliners in more detail.

Let's start with a brief description of the leader of the list among the boards civil aviation which specialize in passenger flights. Today, in this area, the first place is held by the invention of the European company Airbus - the A380 board. The ship was developed over 10 years, and in 2005 this giant successfully completed its first voyage.

With a fuselage length of 72.75 m, a wingspan of 79.75 m and a hull height of 24 meters, this aircraft is capable of lifting up to 853 people into the air.

A distinctive feature of the model was economical fuel consumption - the flight range of this airliner is 15,400 kilometers. It is noteworthy that in order to achieve this goal, the engineers ordered a batch of machines specially created for the model. After all, a reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved only with an ideally adjusted shape of the wing and fuselage. The actual consumption of aviation fuel here is 855 liters per 100 km at full load..

Note that the Airbus A380 800 replaced the thirty-five-year-old leader in this area -. Moreover, the current record holder is able to carry 7% more passengers while reducing the cost of producing an aircraft within 15%. However, the designers spent about 2,000,000,000 euros to create the first model.

For the first time, the aircraft was put into operation by Singapore Airlines. The vessel successfully completed the first intercontinental voyage from Singapore to Sydney, which made an excellent effect on customers. In addition, such a model carries up to 150 tons of cargo at a distance of up to 10,370 kilometers. Note that in this case, an empty aircraft weighs 280 tons, and the maximum take-off weight of the board reaches 560 tons.

Leaders in size

The world's longest aircraft passenger traffic- the predecessor of the side described above, the Boeing 747 aircraft. This is a wide-body double-deck airliner, whose body length reaches 76.3 meters with a side height of 19.4 m and a wingspan of 68 and a half meters.

Such a successful project was launched in the early seventies of the last century by an American company. And right up to the Airbus A380, the aircraft remained the largest passenger airliner in the world.

At the time of the appearance of the model, the project to create this aircraft became so expensive that the company had to take out loans. However, all costs have fully paid off - and today these vessels are in demand and popular. The hallmark was the "hump" in the front of the hull - it was there that the designers placed the upper deck of the side. The aircraft also remains the leader in terms of speed characteristics in the class among passenger subsonic liners. The speed of this board reaches 910–950 km/h.

Heavyweights in the world of aviation

Now let's define the largest cargo aircraft in the world - the photos presented in the article will help readers see the true scale of this technique. Let us describe the characteristics of global leaders in more detail.

Freight record holder

The most load-lifting aircraft in the world is the development of the Antonov Design Bureau, the An-225 Mriya model. The airliner successfully passed flight tests back in 1988, and from 1989 to the present time it has been operated in the field of cargo transportation. The length of the hull of this vessel reaches 84 meters, and the wingspan is 88.4 m. In terms of these parameters, the modification is second only to the Hughes H-4 board, which was designed back in 1947.

The weight of an empty An-225 aircraft is 250 tons, and the takeoff weight of an airliner reaches 640 tons.

In 2004, the modification entered the Guinness Book of Records, as it leads immediately in 240 parameters. It is noteworthy that the aircraft was designed on the basis of the project of another giant, which was the world's largest cargo aircraft An-124 Ruslan. And to this day, only a single copy of the Mriya heavyweight has been designed. True, even one airliner is actively used for commercial purposes and rescue operations.

Although at the end of 2016 an agreement was signed between Ukraine and China on the joint release of the second updated experimental model and further cooperation in this industry.

The An-255 is designed to carry up to 88 passengers accompanying the cargo and six crew members. Initially, the aircraft was planned to be used for the space industry, so the Mriya project is a technique that is universal in quality. This is a record holder in terms of weight and carrying capacity, a leader in the transportation of mono-cargoes and overall equipment..

Biggest serial heavyweight

The largest cargo aircraft in Russia, which was mass-produced and is used today, is the . It is on the basis of the project of this airliner OKB im. Antonov and developed "Mriya". Concerning "Ruslana", the first such board appeared in 1982. Initially, the function of technology was the transportation of intercontinental and ballistic missiles, but today the ship is used as a military transport aircraft.

An-124 "Ruslan" is slightly inferior to "Mriya" in size and carrying capacity

Since 1987, the modification has been actively used by the Russian Air Force and the Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines. Throughout the history of the production of such airliners, the world has seen 55 Ruslan models. The vessel has a length of 69.1 meters. At the same time, its height is 24.5 m, and the wingspan is 73.3 m. The economy of the liner allows it to fly 4,800 km when the board is fully loaded, and the maximum flight range here is 11,600 meters.

The cruising speed of the vessel is 800–850 km/h with a maximum permissible acceleration of 865 km/h. The weight of an empty airliner is 178.4 tons, and the maximum take-off weight of this modification is 392,000 kilograms.

The design features of the vessel allow loading through the bow compartment

There are two decks on board the equipment. The upper tier of the liner is designed to carry 21 passengers accompanying the cargo, a fixed and a change cabin for the crew. The lower deck of the vessel is a pressurized cargo compartment with a capacity of 1,060 m³. If we talk about the records of this model, in 1985 the aircraft became the leader in 21 positions in the transportation of goods over long distances. During the entire period of operation, 4 such aircraft were lost.

Western analogue of An-124

If we consider popular Western projects that compete with Ruslan, here aviators call the airliner Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. This modification occupied a leading position in the world until the appearance of the An-124 project in 1982. However, such US Air Force airliners are successfully used today. Moreover, the manufacturer produced 131 units of such equipment.

The third largest heavyweight in the world is the American model Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport airliner that has the characteristics of an increased payload and occupies the third place in the world rating of aviation heavyweights. After all, an empty airliner that weighs 169.643 tons has a maximum takeoff weight of 379,657 kilograms. At the same time, the dimensions of the aircraft are very impressive. The height of the hull here is 19.85 m, the length is 75.54 m, and the wingspan is 67.88 m.

The transport is capable of simultaneously transporting 270 soldiers and 118,387 kg of cargo over distances of 5,526 km. Moreover, the maximum practical range ceiling of this model is 10,895 m.

This modification of the double-deck side, power point which is provided with four engines. The cruising speed that the ship is capable of developing reaches 888 km / h. Here, on the upper tier of the aircraft, there is a crew cabin for 5 people and seats for passengers. The lower sector of the airliner is intended for the carriage of goods. This deck is 36.91 meters long and 5.79 meters wide.

Leader in wing length

Since the current record holder Mriya was unable to break the world aviation record in terms of wingspan, we will describe the characteristics of the aircraft that holds this position. Model Hughes H-4 is a wooden structure designed for the American military in 1947. The only copy of this modification can be seen in the Oregon State Museum. Moreover, in the history since the appearance of the aircraft, it has been operated only once, having carried out an experimental flight.

Today, the only copy of the Hughes H-4 airboat is in the Oregon State Museum.

The dimensions of the airliner are impressive - the length of the hull here is 66.45 m, and the height is 24.08 meters. Moreover, the record wing span here is 97.54 m. The ship was designed to transport the military and is designed to transport 750 soldiers in full gear and three pilots. The maximum takeoff weight of the giant is limited to 180 tons, and the payload that the board is capable of lifting is 59,000 kg.

The project of this airboat appeared at the beginning of the Second World War, but the designer did not have time to bring the equipment to readiness on time. The development and manufacture of the aircraft took 13,000,000 US dollars, and the storage of the board cost the designer $ 1,000,000 annually.

As you can see, aviators are constantly competing to produce the best aircraft that is capable of performing universal tasks. In the near future, the release of the modernized Mriya giant is expected. Perhaps this modification will break a personal record and become the largest airliner in the history of aviation. Details on the classification of flight equipment are available at this.

Airbus A380 - the largest passenger aircraft in the world
The cabin of this giant will fit up to 853 passengers
Among the aircraft for passenger transportation, the most long liner Boeing 747 remains
AN-225 "Mriya" - the world record holder in terms of dimensions
With a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tons, the Mriya becomes the world's heaviest airliner.

The double-deck giant of the aviation industry is one of the unique aircraft. It was developed back in the mid-eighties, and even then it was popular. Today, passengers of Rossiya Airlines can get on board this liner. Let's get acquainted with the parameters of the aircraft, determine the capacity of the Boeing 747 and best places in the cabin.

Options

This model entered service in 1985. When developing this airliner, the designers took the Boeing 747 300 project as a basis, repeating its unique modification. The new aircraft has received recognition due to more economical fuel consumption and improved sound insulation. In addition, until 2005, the capacity of the Boeing 747 was the largest among all the aircraft that existed at that time in the world. The cabin of this giant can accommodate 524 people.

Unfortunately for the Boeing company, in 2005 the Airbus company launched its new A380 airliner, which today is the leader in terms of the number of seats in the cabin.

The Boeing 747 400 we are considering, whose capacity is today in second place after the Airbus A380, has the following technical characteristics:

  1. Length: 70.6 meters.
  2. Wingspan: 64.4 m.
  3. Cruise speed: 885 km/h.
  4. Maximum range: 14205 km.

A unique feature of the liner is the engines (4 pieces) that emit a minimum of noise. Until 2009, the Boeing Company produced 1,358 such aircraft, which are successfully operated by various airlines around the world. Despite the fact that the ship has not been produced for 8 years, even today it is one of the most popular among Boeings.

Russian Airlines Owners of Boeing 747 400

The capacity of the aircraft makes it popular, including in Russia. Until 2015, only the Transaero company could boast of having this airliner in the park. However, as you know, on September 13, 2017, the company was declared bankrupt by the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg. Consequently, the bankruptcy procedure was put in place. All 7 aircraft went to Rossiya Airlines. It is she who is currently the only owner of aircraft of this class.

The airline offers its passengers 4 aircraft modifications:

  1. 4 liners with 522 passenger seats.
  2. 2 aircraft with seats in the amount of 477 pieces.
  3. One model for 461 seats.

And although it was said above that the maximum capacity of the Boeing 747 is 524 people, there are fewer seats in these modifications. This is logical, since the total number of available seats is determined by the class and the number of seats of increased comfort. These chairs require more space than the standard version. Actually, now you can move on to considering the layout of these boards.

layout

Many passengers try to find the best seats on the Boeing 747 before the flight so that their flight is as comfortable as possible. This is by no means a useless exercise, because there really are more convenient and successful places in the cabin.

The lower tier of the vessel provides 470 seats - all of them belong to the tourist class. To put it simply, these are economy class seats, the price for them is usually low.

In the standard cabin, several variations of the configuration of the seats are possible, but the main scheme here is 3:4:3. In the rear of the cabin, a 2:4:2 scheme can be used, and in the nose of the aircraft - 2:3:2. Note that the most inconvenient places are located precisely in the tail due to the location of the toilet nearby. They are never in demand, because people constantly pass near them, and the queues nearby can be annoying.

Quite convenient are the places that are in the middle block along the axis of the aircraft. In this sector, many passengers work comfortably without being distracted by other people. You can even sleep there, but it is worth considering that there are no portholes near these places, so it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy a beautiful view from the window. But this does not play a big role if the flight is night.

On the lower deck there are 3 blocks of bathrooms: in the tail, between lines 43 and 44, and also at rows 20-22. Between sectors 31-35 and 54-59 there are food blocks and dressing rooms, so chairs with similar extensions are clearly not the best choice. Oh yes, at line 31 there is a descent from the upper tier, on which people can walk from time to time.

On the uppermost deck, the first three rows are for passengers who have bought business class tickets, and in lines 5-9 there are seats of the increased economy category. In the bow of the aircraft on the upper deck there is a platform on which there is a staircase to the common cabin, and two blocks of latrines. This is what the layout of this liner looks like. In the diagram above, you can see the location of all the seats and choose the most optimal location for yourself.

Features of choice

Considering the huge capacity of the Boeing 747, choosing a seat for a passenger becomes difficult. Before buying a ticket, it is advisable to estimate how comfortable the future seat may be or, on the contrary, inconvenient. Remember that Rossiya Airlines has 7 boards of this type, which may differ in different layouts (three layouts are available), therefore, at the registration stage, it is advisable to clarify such a question and, if necessary, ask the employee to provide a window seat, for example, or away from the bathroom . Usually, airport employees at check-in counters meet passengers and provide seats that passengers request. Of course, seats can be selected within the ticket class. For a more accurate representation of interior details, it is necessary to consider the arrangement of seats.

Upper tier

Given the huge capacity of the Boeing 747 400, it is possible to arrange seats in comfort and economy classes in the cabin. The best of them are always on the upper deck. The first lines are reserved for passengers with business class tickets, and a little further (5-9 rows) are less comfortable seats for customers who prefer an economical flight. However, in any case, seats on the upper deck are more expensive than those on the lower deck. It should be noted that the seats in the business class are paired, each of them is made taking into account ergonomic criteria, so you can really relax here. These chairs are quite wide, there are reclining backs, there are displays, and the distance between the sectors is quite large. For all these benefits, passengers are willing to pay extra, and a lot.

The seats in the very first row stand out especially, because there is a lot of space in front of these chairs. The disadvantage is the location in the immediate vicinity of the bathroom, all passengers will pass to him through these places.

From the fifth to the ninth line there are convenient economy class seats. The most comfortable seats are on the fifth line, as there is a lot of legroom due to the large distance to the screen that separates the business class. In this sector, there are displays in the seats, the tilt function is available on the backs, and the free space between the seats is 75 cm.

There are standard seats in rows 6-9, however, passengers planning a flight are strongly discouraged from choosing seats in the ninth row. Behind these seats there is a staircase and a bathroom, which can cause inconvenience during the flight.

lower tier

The main salon of the lower compartment starts from the 10th row. Seats from lines 10 to 11 are located in pairs, so the airline classifies them as a class of increased comfort. Most often, tickets for these chairs are bought by families with babies. On line 12, seats are arranged according to the 2:3 principle, and for seats 12 with the designations "L", "K", "H" they require an increased payment.

In rows 14-16, places are arranged according to the classic 3:3 scheme, and in lines 17-19 - according to the 2:3:2 scheme. When choosing seats in these rows, it is worth noting that additional payment is possible for seats 14 "A", "B", "C" and 17 "E", "F". Of course, these are comfortable comfortable chairs, but behind row 19 there are evacuation hatches. Consequently, the seatbacks on this row are not equipped with an adjustment function at all, which should be taken into account when reserving these seats.

For the same reason, it is undesirable to buy tickets for seats in rows 29, 43, 54, since it will not be possible to expand the chair due to the proximity of technical blocks, hatches and bathrooms. Impressions from the flight can deteriorate dramatically when choosing such seats in the cabin.

Near the seats in rows 20-22 (“D”, “E”, “G”, “A”, “B” and “C”) there are restrooms, which will not bring pleasure from the flight for tourists. But the seats "D", "E", "G", "H" and "K" in sector 29 are located near the emergency exit - you have to pay extra for them, but there is a lot of space around them, which will allow you to sit comfortably. And being closer to the emergency exit during an emergency is like an added bonus. Also, the seats "D", "E", "G" and "F", located on the 23rd line, will be a good choice.

From the 31st row, the next block begins. Here, the locking of the backs and the proximity of the bathroom can be called an inconvenience. There are also stairs, hatches nearby, but all the negative can compensate for the large space nearby. But the only seat in this row has a crooked seat (very uncomfortable) due to being near an emergency exit. It is inconvenient, although there are many places around.

The best choices are chairs "D", "E", "G" and "F". They are quite comfortable, but there is a staircase in front of them, along which people will constantly go down / up. And the seats in rows 32-34 are located near the bathroom, so people in those chairs constantly complain about the noise. It's unlikely to sleep there.

It is also undesirable to choose seats on lines 43, 54, 70 and 71. Due to the location of the emergency exit, the backs on these seats cannot be adjusted, which causes discomfort during the flight. Rows 44 and 55 are also located near the toilet, but this disadvantage is compensated by more legroom. If you choose places at the very end of the cabin, then you should consider that there is a restroom and service rooms. Naturally, the backs there will also not recline.

Despite the fact that the cabin capacity of the Boeing 747 is huge, the designers failed to create the same conditions for everyone to fly. Even seats for the same price can vary greatly in terms of comfort and convenience during the flight.

When buying a ticket on the official website of the airline, you can find the necessary form to familiarize yourself with the layout of this board. If you wish, you can call the airline manager, who will not refuse to help you choose the right seat. It is advisable to notify the employee of personal preferences and the desire to sit, for example, near the window.

You should not buy a ticket for a seat that is located near the office space. Usually, queues form near such premises and people are constantly moving, which creates unnecessary noise. It is necessary to reserve seats where you can recline and stretch your legs - this is very important on a long flight.

A very bad option is to book a seat next to the partition. And if the flight is scheduled for the morning or at good weather, then it is advisable to reserve a seat near the porthole in order to enjoy the scenery outside the window during the flight.

Considering how large the capacity of the Boeing 747 is, the layout of the seats on the liner needs to be studied in more detail. There you can determine better zones and places, finding technical blocks, latrines. Try to choose a place away from these rooms. Remember that this can determine the overall experience of the flight. In addition, good conditions are especially important for people who are afraid to fly. After all, comfort reduces passenger stress and nervous tension. A person after a flight can get out of the plane full of energy, or he can be severely exhausted by constant noise.

Indeed, the passenger capacity of the Boeing 747 allows you to put this aircraft on the busiest flights. The carrier tries by all means to ensure that its boards are filled with people as much as possible, so you should not count on the fact that the plane will be half empty and you can take any seat. With huge liners of this level, this happens extremely rarely.

How to buy a ticket cheaper?

When there are only a few days left before the flight, and many tickets are not sold out, the airline offers big discounts even on business class seats. Therefore, keep an eye on the number of tickets available, and if there are a lot of them, then you can postpone the purchase. There is a possibility that discounts will appear soon.

Occupying the wrong place

If it suddenly turns out that you have chosen an unfortunate place where you are uncomfortable, and there is a more comfortable chair nearby, then you can safely transfer to it. It is unlikely that the flight attendants will ask you to go to your seat. But even in this case, you can ask permission to change the place, complaining of discomfort.

Of course, you can only take a free seat within your class, although according to some passengers it is clear that sometimes it is even possible to take a seat in a higher class if there are no people there.

Other aircraft with similar passenger capacity

The Boeing 747 400 has competitors that also boast huge capacity. The very first in the world is the Airbus A380 - a double-deck aircraft that can carry 525 passengers at once in three classes of cabins. There is a configuration of this liner that accommodates only economy seats. This configuration provides 853 seats. The flight range is 15400 km.

Less interesting is the Boeing 747 800 airliner with a capacity of 581 passengers in the presence of two classes in the cabin. There is also a modification with a cabin divided into two or three classes, in which 467 passengers can be accommodated.

However, Rossiya Airlines does not have such aircraft. "Boeing 747 400" with a passenger capacity of up to 552 people is the only modification leading in this parameter among other models.

Finally

The capacity of the Boeing 747 makes anyone wonder. Despite the fact that the aircraft was created a long time ago, even today it is one of the largest and most advanced airliners in the world. Traveling on it is a pleasure even when landing in economy class. Unfortunately, not all airlines can purchase such aircraft. Some low-cost airlines simply do not need them due to the lack of such a huge passenger flow. The maximum capacity of the "Boeing 747 400" of "Russia" allows you to put these aircraft only on the busiest destinations, which makes it possible to load the liners to the maximum. Naturally, the more people buy a ticket for the flight, the more money the company will be able to earn.

The Airbus A380 is a passenger double deck (double deck) 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 commissioned by companies that pre-ordered it.

Overview of the Airbus A380

Airbus A380 has several modifications:

  • Base models Airbus A380-800, 842, 861, 862. It reaches about 73 meters in length. The difference lies in the installed engines: GP72XX and Trent 900. Unique was the ability to vary the temperature on board from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius, thanks to the internal 16 temperature zones;
  • A380-800F. Cargo aircraft model. For a while, 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. Specific dates are still unknown;
  • A380-900. Now it is 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 14200 km;
  • A380-1000. It is planned as the most capacious airliner. In the future, it will be able to accommodate 1073 passengers exclusively in economy class and 757 people in three classes. The start of use presumably dates from 2020-2025. The length of the aircraft is 87 meters;
  • A380plus. This modification is currently being tested. On board will be able to accommodate 80 more people than in the basic version, as well as reduced fuel consumption and operating costs.

The design of the passenger compartment of the Airbus A380

Airbus a380-800 Emirates cabin map

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

First grade

In 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 is a guest of a five-star hotel. Each chair here can be laid out in the form of a small bed. A shower may even be provided in the first class compartment, which is widely used by some airlines.

However, not everything is so smooth and the “suite” also has disadvantages: these are places 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 aircraft 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 full length. For passengers, a mini-bar is provided, which is usually included in the ticket price.

Economy class

On the lower or main (if the aircraft consists entirely of one class) there is an economy class. It is 399 seats in the classic scheme offered by the manufacturer. The seats here are not laid out, as in the first and business class, but they are quite comfortable. According to the world standard, the legroom 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 USB connector and paid Internet. The availability of the latter will depend on the airline.

Best Places

As mentioned earlier, the ideal seats in this airliner are in first and business class. In the economy, you can also get a good job on the 45th, 54th and 82nd rows. Seating is far away from toilets and technical areas, there are no seats in front, which means that there is enough legroom. Rows 68 and 81 will also be good. They are located near the windows and are considered among the most comfortable in the economy class.

"Average" in terms of convenience are considered 43, 52, 67 and 80 rows. There is enough space between the seats, but technical rooms and a toilet are located nearby, which can cause inconvenience. The most disastrous places in the 88th row. It is here that a wall is placed, because of which the seat and the toilet room do not recline, where passengers scurry back and forth. It is better to take tickets here when there are no other options.

Photo cabin in economy class:

Main characteristics

"Airbus 380" has a wide fuselage (passage). 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. This tactic, Airbus S.A.S. uses in order to save on crew training.

The Airbus 380 airliner has the following specifications:

  • Number of seats as standard - 525;
  • Capacity - 853;
  • Cabin width - 6.5 m;
  • Length - 72.7 m;
  • Height - 24.1 m;
  • Wingspan - 80 m;
  • Wing area - 845 sq. m;
  • The weight of an empty aircraft is 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;
  • Takeoff run - 2 thousand m;
  • Engines - 4 R-R Trent 970 or 4 Alliance GP7270.

History of creation

The development of the wide-body aircraft project was started by Airbus S.A.S. way back in 1994. Then it was planned to compete with the then monopoly Boeing with its Boeing-747 liner. Initially, the future brainchild of Airbus had the code name A3XX. The designers wanted to combine the two fuselages of the largest A340 aircraft at that time, but this would lead to a significant decrease in flight parameters, an increase in the acceleration length and total mass.

It was decided to use a two-deck model, which gave the car a number of advantages. The launch of 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, he received the number A380. In a number Asian countries the 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, the engineers found errors in the wing design and it had to be changed in a timely manner. Fully testing on the ground and in the air was completed at the end of 2007, and the A380 received European certificates of conformity.

Where is it produced

Fuselage in 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 activity of the enterprise began in 1969 after the merger of several small European aircraft manufacturing companies. Here, not only passenger aircraft are being developed, but also cargo aircraft, as well as vehicles adapted for military needs.

The cost of different models

The price of various modifications of the A380 can vary greatly. Also, its growth is affected by the unstable economic situation in the world. Recently, there has been a steady upward trend in aircraft prices. And in general, the liner of this model is considered the most expensive in the entire Airbus family.

The Airbus A380-800 is currently priced at $428 million. The company is still silent about the cost of 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%. In total, 219 machines were sold and put into operation, and another 317 are under construction. This information is provided by the official representation of Airbus.

News, modernization, prospects

There are several cases where the order for the A380-800 was issued by important people and famous people. For example, the most common story was about the prince of Saudi Arabia, who bought his own A380 Super Jambo from the company, whose total cost was 488 million US dollars.

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

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

Due to the large size of the aircraft, 597 kg of paint have to be spent on painting it, and the total surface area reaches 10 thousand square meters. m. Also, thanks to the expanded wing area, the speed of the airliner is 35 km / h lower than that of its main competitor. This allows you to reduce the possible noise on the territory of the airport during landing or takeoff.

At the moment, the development of the A380-1000 and A380plus is being actively carried out. A huge number of airlines have already made reservations for latest aircraft and passengers have to wait until modern cars come into operation and will delight us with their reliable build quality and speed.

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

The giant double-deck Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in the history of world aviation, with a maximum capacity of 853 passengers in a single-class layout. The first copy was handed over to the customer in 2007, more than 110 machines have been built to date! Today I want to show the A380 assembly line at the factory in Toulouse, the scale and dimensions of what I saw are impressive ... Well, and a big plane - great photos in the report!

Many spotters, and not only them, consider the aircraft aesthetically unattractive. I categorically disagree with this statement, moreover, I consider it especially beautiful and elegantly heavy. The slowly taking off A380 is beautiful!

Now let's go to the factory...


This is a layout of production facilities at a factory in the town of Balagnac near Toulouse, orange is the A380 assembly shops.

Each A380 consists of approximately 4 million individual components and 2.5 million parts, manufactured by 1,500 companies in 30 countries

The main elements of the A380 fuselage cannot be transported by air, so they are transported by sea and by river on specially adapted barges, and then twice a month by car - this is called the "night convoy".

Especially for this aircraft, Airbus has developed a unique logistics system that involves sea, river, air and road transport. From the town of Lisle-Jourdain, about 30 km from Blagnac, at exactly 22:00, the night convoy begins to move at a speed of 15-20 km / h, so as not to interfere with traffic - six trailers, which accommodate all parts of the aircraft, depart in a two-hour way to the final point - the final assembly line in Blagnac.

Fuselage sections with a diameter of 7 meters are driven straight through the narrow streets of the town. But this is the only possible and most optimal point for delivering the elements of the liner to the plant.

At the first station, the fuselage sections are assembled and connected to each other

Then the wings and vertical stabilizer are mounted:

The wing area of ​​the A380 is 845m2, which is 54% more than that of the Boeing 747-400!

And it's not just a tail... it's FIVE giraffes! :)

Preparation of engine pylons:

The aircraft is assembled, the passenger cabin and cockpit are being installed at the following positions:

Each of the main landing gear is capable of withstanding loads of up to 260 tons, which is equivalent to the weight of 200 Golf cars.

And finally, the last assembly station, where the installation of engines and passenger seats is carried out:

The A380 can be equipped with two types of engines: Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7000. Only two of the four engines are equipped with thrust reversers.
Noise reduction was an important requirement in the design of the A380, which was partly reflected in the design of the engines. Both engine types allow the aircraft to meet the QC/2 departure and QC/0.5 arrival noise limits set by London Heathrow Airport.

The A380 is the most economical aircraft in its category. This is the only long-haul airliner that consumes less than 3 liters of fuel to transport a passenger per 100 km (typical layout of 525 seats)

The total area of ​​the A380 cabin is 554 m2. Two full-fledged decks: the main deck - the widest passenger cabin in the world (6.5 m); the upper deck is a full-fledged cabin for a wide-body aircraft (5.8 m). The air conditioning system of the aircraft is equipped with the most modern filters that provide uniform air supply to all parts of the aircraft. The air in the aircraft cabin (volume 1570 m3) is completely replaced every three minutes! The A380 has the quietest passenger cabin in the history of world aviation, I was convinced of this personally on the way from Frankfurt to Singapore.

This A380 is expected to be handed over to a private customer. And behind it, the A300B is the first aircraft produced by Airbus. This aircraft made a revolution in civil aviation in the 70s, becoming the first wide-body twin-engine aircraft.

The circular structure on the right is the static engine test area, with barriers around the circle that limit the distribution of the sound wave.

To date, more than 110 A380 aircraft have been produced, and an average of 2.5 aircraft are produced and handed over to customers every month. The order backlog is 160 more boards! The A380 is currently operated by 20 airlines.
Here are some interesting B777/B747 replacement statistics on some flights:

And the occupancy of the A380 is also not lower than 80%:

Emirates has the largest A380 fleet:

Five A380s were built for demonstration and testing purposes. The first A380, serial number MSN001 and registration F-WWOW, was presented at a ceremony in Toulouse on January 18, 2005, and first flew on April 27, 2005. Here is the very first A380:

Assembly shops of the Airbus plant can be visited by everyone! 2-3 hour tours are organized both in Hamburg and Toulouse at a cost of 10-15 euros. Reservation is required (!) especially if it is important to get into a group with an English-speaking guide, read the links for additional and current conditions.