The largest plane in the world. The largest Boeing in the world

Before you is the Airbus A380 - the largest passenger aircraft in the world today. Its length is 80.65 m, its height is 24.08 m, and its wingspan is 79.75 m. It has a large number of seats- either 853 passengers in a single-class configuration, or 525, but in a three-class cabin. It also differs in that it is capable of performing long flights without landing over a distance of more than 15 thousand kilometers.

The airliner is equipped with four turbojet engines, but two different types to choose from: Engine Alliance GP7000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 900. The aircraft weight is 280 tons, and the maximum take-off is 560 tons. There is also a cargo modification called the A380F - it can transport 150 tons of cargo at once over a distance of no more than 10 thousand kilometers.

In total, the development of this colossus from Airbus S.A.S. (formerly Airbus Industrie) took about 10 years. According to the developers, the main design problem was weight reduction. To solve it, we had to resort to the use of special composite materials, both in the structure itself and in the interior, units, and so on. In addition, aluminum alloys, carbon fiber, and hybrid materials are widely used.

Interestingly, among its competitors, this aircraft is one of the most economical - it consumes about three liters of fuel per passenger. According to the manufacturer, the Airbus A380 burns almost 20 percent less fuel than “another modern airliner” (here, apparently, we are talking about the Boeing 747, which is the main competitor of this model).

In total, about 12 billion euros were spent on the development of the aircraft. In order for the model to fully pay for itself, it is necessary to sell 420 airliners (this is stated by the manufacturing company). According to other sources, this figure is underestimated by at least half. Be that as it may, to date only 68 Airbus A380s have been produced.

There was a time when people only dreamed of flying in the sky; people did not imagine that they could soar in the sky like a bird. But with the advent of airplanes, flying among the clouds became a reality. Scientists and designers around the world did a colossal amount of work before the world saw the first samples of flying “machines.” So, among them there are leaders, models that are superior to their competitors in transporting people or equipment. Let's talk about what are the largest planes in the world flying nowadays.

It’s hard to believe that these multi-ton machines fly at such great speed.
Now the largest aircraft in the world is passenger transportation called Airbus A380-800. It appeared in 2005, displacing the Boeing 747, which had been in the lead for 36 long years. The length of the Airbus A380-800 is 73 meters, the wingspan is almost 80 meters, the height of the giant is 24 meters, and the weight of the machine is 280 tons. The maximum number of passengers carried on an Airbus A380-800 can reach 853 people on a charter flight!

Before Airbus was released, about 12 billion euros and 10 years of painstaking work by designers were spent on its development. Without refueling, this aircraft can fly a distance of 15,400 kilometers. The Airbus A380-800 is a very fuel-efficient aircraft among airliners of its class. To ensure low fuel consumption, the shape of the wing and body must be made very precisely. To achieve such precision, the world's most precise milling machines from Japan are used, which were developed specifically for the production of this aircraft. Fuel consumption per 100 km for 3 passengers is only three liters.

It should be noted that the Airbus has more capacity than the Boeing 747, while its production costs 15% less. The first airline to operate the largest passenger aircraft in the world was Singapore Airlines. The airline served the Singapore-Sydney flight with this aircraft.
Below you can see in the photo Airbus salon A380-800 economy class.

Record holder for flights without refueling

The Boeing 777-300ER, developed in 1990 and made its first test flight in 1994, can fly over distances of over twenty thousand kilometers without refueling. This is the world's first airliner, during the design of which not a single drawing was drawn on paper. Virtual computer assembly was used for the first time, which made it possible to avoid typical joining errors at the design stage. With the old technology using drawings, these errors were identified at the stage of pilot production, and full-scale modeling, which was very expensive for aviation. The software used was CATIA, one of the first 3D modeling programs.

The airliner has the most powerful GE90-115B turbofan engines known to date; this model has an increased maximum take-off weight and has additional fuel tanks. The introduction of this modification made it possible to reduce fuel consumption by 1.4%, which was especially important at the height of the fuel crisis.
It also holds the record for the largest twin-engine jetliner to carry passengers, which it can accommodate 305-550 people.

The airplane with the largest wingspan

The aircraft with the largest wingspan, the Hughes H-4, was built from wood in 1947 for military use. The plane is built entirely from birch plywood. Structural elements were cut out and bent according to templates. The aircraft's capacity is 750 people, not including equipment. The wooden giant is now on display in a museum in Oregon, its parameters are:

Aircraft height - 24 meters;
The length of the aircraft is over 66 meters;
The wingspan is 98 meters.

Largest cargo plane

The largest cargo aircraft in the world has been the An-225 Mriya for many years. This huge machine was designed in Ukraine back in 1988, and is still used in military transport cargo transportation. The first flight of the Mriya took place on December 21, 1988.

Characteristics of this aircraft the following:

the length of this giant is 73 meters;
height is just over 24 meters (the height of an eight-story building);
weight is 250 thousand kilograms;
the total carrying capacity is 600 thousand kg.

The largest cargo plane in the world

The plane has six engines. On this moment Only one copy of the An-225 has been built in the world; it is at the disposal of Antonov Airlines. It was originally planned that the An-225 would help deliver rocket parts to the cosmodrome, because At that time, the Buran space program was actively developing. Now they are building another one just like it aircraft, but its construction has not yet been completed.

On board the An-225, up to 88 people can easily be accommodated to accompany the cargo. The cockpit can accommodate 6 people. As they say, which aircraft is the largest in the world in size will not be as cool in performance. In Mriya, absolutely all control systems are repeated (duplicated) four times.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of production of some elements, after 25 years it is impossible to produce another such aircraft. But even one copy allows you to constantly earn money from transporting goods that previously could only be delivered by land or sea. In addition to commercial transportation, the aircraft is used in cargo delivery for emergency situations, disasters, earthquakes, etc.

The largest mass-produced cargo aircraft

Military transport aircraft C-5 Galaxy

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was considered the largest transport and cargo aircraft until 1982. it is now operated by the US Army and can accommodate up to 270 soldiers. The aircraft was put into service back in 1968. Over the years, it has proven its effectiveness and excellent performance properties. A lot of improvements were made to the design, the most important change being the development of a completely new wing, because the old design showed rapid wear and tear.

The aircraft will continue to be produced; a complete transition to digital modern technologies of control systems and all avionics is planned. The aircraft without refueling can fly over five thousand kilometers and rise to a height of 10 km, the maximum speed developed by the machine is 920 km.

In contact with

The creation and start of production of the double-deck wide-body airliner Airbus A380 put an end to the undivided monopoly of the aircraft, which lasted for several decades. The machine is the largest passenger airliner in the world.

Reliability and reduced operating costs ensure good demand for the machine, despite its high cost. The most expensive option was supplied to the king's family Saudi Arabia, and cost the customer 488 million US dollars.

History of creation

Work on a new large-sized Airbus airliner began in the late 80s. The aircraft was created as a competitor to the Boeing 747 airliner, which had a monopoly on the niche of such aircraft since the 70s. In parallel, a similar aircraft was being developed by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, but its project was a failure.

The management of Boeing and Airbus realized the limitations of the market for high-capacity aircraft, so in 1993 attempts were made to enter into a partnership agreement that would allow them to divide the market. In parallel, the development of projects was underway, called “Airbus” 3XX and “Boeing” 747X.

For the Airbus, several fuselage options were developed, including a twin-length fuselage from the 340 model. The Boeing aircraft was supposed to be equipped with a fuselage with a nose section increased in height.

The development of the Boeing project was stopped in early 1997 due to the outbreak of the economic crisis in East Asia, which has reduced the market for large aircraft.

Airbus decided to continue development of the project, concentrating on reducing operating costs while increasing capacity. It was then that the decision was made to use a double-deck fuselage, which ensured the maximum capacity of the aircraft.

The A380 designation appeared at the end of 2000, when the project was approved by the then management of Airbus. Assembly of the first aircraft began in 2002. A special feature of the production of the A380 aircraft was the use of the production facilities of several dozen enterprises scattered throughout Europe.

The first flight of the Airbus A380 took place in the spring of 2005, and already at the beginning of 2006 the first test flight across the Atlantic Ocean was carried out.

Finalizing the design and solving problems that arose with suppliers shifted the start of aircraft production to 2007, in which only one copy was delivered. Actual deliveries began only the following year, in which 12 A380 aircraft were assembled.

At the beginning of 2017, there were 207 Airbus A380 aircraft in active operation, owned by twelve airlines. During the operation of the aircraft, several minor flight accidents were recorded.

In particular, in the fall of 2017, on one of the Air France airliners, elements of a turbojet engine separated in flight. The cause of the incident was determined to be a manufacturing defect in the fan hub of the GP7200 engine.

Fuselage and cockpit

The fuselage of the Airbus A380-800 aircraft is equipped with two decks to accommodate passenger seats. Between the decks there are stairs located in the bow and tail of the passenger compartment. When laying out the stairs, it was possible to ensure a width sufficient for the free movement of passengers towards each other.

Carbon fiber composites are widely used in the fuselage structure.

The end section of the fuselage is entirely made of composite. A tail horizontal and vertical stabilizer is attached to it. Inside there is a service compartment and an auxiliary gas turbine unit with a generator.

In the forward part of the fuselage there is a pilot's cabin equipped with two seats. To display data, the cockpit is equipped with liquid crystal monitors (the “glass cockpit” concept) of a unified design that allows devices to be replaced.

Pilots do not have a traditional helm. The steering wheel is replaced by joysticks located with outside chairs Joysticks are connected to electric drive controls. The cockpit contains more than 100 thousand wires connecting various electronic and electrical components.

In front of the pilots there is a folding table with a keyboard. Between the seats there are controls, including four throttle levers for controlling engine operating modes.

The Airbus A380 wing was created based on a take-off weight of at least 650 thousand kg, which is considered achievable on future versions.

In addition, this weight was planned for the cargo version of the A380-800F aircraft, which never went into production.

Engines

Depending on the modification, the Airbus A380 airliner can be equipped with Trent 900 family turbojet engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce or GP7200 developed by Engine Alliance.

Power point The GP7200 is a collection of components developed by several major engine manufacturers. Both types of engines meet modern noise requirements during takeoff and landing.

The table shows some engine characteristics.

Parameter	Trent 900	GP7200
Type	Turbofan three-shaft	Twin-shaft turbofan
Combustion chamber type	Single	Single with reduced emissions of harmful substances
Turbine design	One stage each for high and medium pressure, 5 stages for low pressure	Two stages of high pressure and 6 stages of low
Compressor	One fan wheel, 8-stage medium pressure stage and 6-stage high pressure stage	Fan, 5-speed low pressure and 9-speed high pressure
Length, mm	5478	4920
Diameter, mm	2950	3160
Weight, kg	6246	6712
Take-off thrust, kN	310-340	311

To reduce the travel distance, two engines have a thrust reverser (one under each wing). The engines use aviation kerosene as fuel.

Exploration work is underway to operate power plants using a mixture of kerosene and natural gas converted into liquid fuel. The fuel supply is located in 13 caisson tanks located in the wings and horizontal tail.

IN fuel system There are 41 pumps that constantly move fuel between tanks to ensure alignment and reduce drag.

Passenger compartment design

The pressurized passenger cabin of the Airbus A380 aircraft has improved sound insulation. The width of the fuselage allows for 11 rows of passenger seats.

All places are connected to communication lines built on the basis of fiber optics.

Passengers board and disembark through two doors located in the forward fuselage on the lower deck.

First grade

The seats are located in the bow of the lower deck. There are 14 seats in total, 4 of which are located singly on the sides, the remaining 6 are located in the central row in pairs. A special feature of first class seats is the ability to be fully reclined. sleeping area.

At the beginning and end of the compartment there is a bathroom and a kitchenette. In addition, first class has a shower facility (not available on all Airbus A380s).

Business Class

Business class seats are located immediately behind first class. The seats are arranged in eight rows at a fairly large distance from each other. The design of the chairs allows the backrests to be folded out to form a sleeping area.

There are a total of 20 rows of seats, the total capacity of the business class cabin is 76 seats.

At the beginning and end of the salon there are kitchenettes and a bathroom. A bar counter is located in the area of the first emergency exit. The second emergency exit is located towards the rear of the Airbus A380.

Economy class

Economy class seats on the Airbus A380 are located on the upper deck in three rows. The side rows have three seats, the central row has four. There are two aisles between the rows. There are bathrooms in the bow, stern and middle parts.

The cabin is designed for 399 passengers. Passenger seats are equipped with an individual screen mounted in the backrest. The economy class cabin has two kitchenettes and three bathrooms.

In the event of an emergency, economy class passengers can leave the Airbus A380 cabin through 10 emergency exits.

It is possible to expand the economy class cabin to the second deck. In this case, the capacity of the Airbus A380 reaches a record 853 passengers.

Chassis

In the scheme for extending and retracting the landing gear on the Airbus A380, a combined drive is used - from hydraulic systems (duplicated) and from electric actuators (also duplicated). Electric actuators operate the chassis via hydraulic systems.

In this way, it was possible to install four independent control systems, which increased the safety of the aircraft and reduced the risk of dangerous situations. The landing gear niches are closed with landing gear doors made of composite materials. The design of the doors is monolithic.

Flight performance compared to competitors

Parameter	A380	A380 Plus	Boeing 747-8F
Wingspan, mm	79 800		68 450
Length, mm	73 000		76 250
Height, mm	24 100		19 350
Empty weight, kg	276 800		191 100
Maximum take-off weight, kg	560 000	578 000	442 000
Fuel capacity, l	325 000		-
Total takeoff thrust, kN	1244-1360	At least 1244	1188
Maximum speed, km/h	1020		988
Cruising speed, km/h	Up to 945		908
Flight range, km	15 200	15 756	14 100
Ceiling, m	13 115		13 000
Crew, people	2
Number of seats, persons	853	933	581

Prospects

In mid-2017, Airbus announced the creation of an improved A380 Plus. The main direction of improvements was to reduce the cost of the aircraft, which in theory should increase demand for the aircraft.

At the same time, the redesigned cabins are designed to accommodate a record 933 passengers. Capacity has been improved due to a tighter cabin layout and a reduction in the area of service compartments.

Externally, the A380 Plus is not very different from its predecessor - the main changes affected the design of the wing, which should have reduced drag.

Modified Rolls-Royce and Engine Alliance power plants have reduced fuel consumption and increased thrust by 7%, but there is no official data on them in the public domain.

Video

Air travel is considered a safe and affordable means of travel. To lift one airliner into the air, a decent amount of fuel is required, so designers are constantly fighting to reduce fuel consumption. Large-capacity airliners have proven themselves to be an effective means of transporting large volumes of cargo and serving large passenger traffic.

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Largest passenger aircraft

The largest passenger aircraft in the world is the Airbus A380. The airliner is produced by a group of European companies in several EU countries. The wingspan of this giant is 80 meters, which frees up space for large fuel reserves and makes it possible for long non-stop flights.

The A380 has incredible technical characteristics:

Number of passengers: 850 people.
Max. flight speed: 1020 km/h.
Max. flight distance: 15,200 km, more than any representative of this class.
Max. take-off weight: 575 t.

The use of composite materials allows the aircraft to weigh significantly less, which helps to gain the desired altitude with minimal acceleration.

In the aircraft project, engineers managed to combine knowledge in the field of engineering and aerodynamics.

Aircraft capacity

The model has a large number of modifications, but on average an Airbus can accommodate about 555 people. The aircraft features the highest level of comfort. The liner is operated on all continents. Airbus is famous for its good handling and almost zero accident rate.

Not every engine is suitable for lifting such a colossus into the air, because in addition to passenger seats, the airliner has:

Recreation areas.
Sleeping cabins.
Bars and more.

Only 4 Rolls-Royce engines, manufactured to special order, are capable of lifting this mass to heights.

In Russia, the largest passenger aircraft is actively operated by the country's main airline, Aeroflot. The A380 has a significant share in the carrier's fleet.

Largest cargo plane

An 225 – “Mriya” rightfully holds the title of the most big plane in the world. The length of the aircraft is 73 meters, and the wingspan is an incredible 88 meters! The plane exists in a single copy and is operated by the Ukrainian company Antonov Airlines. In theory, this aircraft can be classified as a transport aircraft, but its original purpose was transportation spacecraft reusable "Buran".

After the collapse of the USSR, the largest cargo aircraft in the world went to Ukraine, but was not used for a long time. The engines and all valuable equipment were removed from the liner. It was only in the early 2000s that the need for such an “air truck” arose and the aircraft was modernized to meet international aviation standards.

Now the largest An aircraft has been adapted for commercial transportation. The aircraft's carrying capacity is about 250 tons.

Important: in fact, there is a second copy of Mriya, but it is not completed. The project readiness is estimated at 70%. To complete the construction, about $100 million is required, which no investor is yet ready to provide.

Liner records

An-225 broke many load-carrying records. The largest cargo plane in the world has an absolute record for lifting cargo into the air - 253.5 tons. The air record holder has been included in the Guinness Book of Records more than once.

In the next ten years, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to build a project of this scale, so the airliner will hold the palm in the categories “largest aircraft in the world” and “heaviest aircraft” for the next ten to fifteen years.

The largest military aircraft in the world

The world's largest aircraft is used only for peaceful purposes, but many of its smaller brothers are used to transport military cargo. The most successful countries in this area are Russia and the USA. Cold War spurred the arms race and a flood of government funding poured into the defense industry.

The production of one model required huge amounts of money, so each project was thoroughly tested before flights. The commissioning time for this type of equipment is about 5 years from the start of design.

An 124 "Ruslan"

This military transport aircraft is one of the few representatives of aircraft manufacturing giants in Russia. The development of the project and the first flights were carried out back in the era of the Soviet Union, but the technological solutions of the designers were really ahead of their time and therefore remain relevant to this day.

The name “Ruslan” was given to the airliner by combat pilots, but journalists liked it so much that it appears in all the tops and ratings with this abbreviation. The nickname became an integral part of the aircraft.

The aircraft has a wingspan of about 80 meters and a length of 73 meters. The maximum flight range is more than 15 thousand kilometers. More than once during their flights these airliners went around Earth with a minimum number of refills.

The Ruslan is operated in Russia and Ukraine, and not only for military cargo transportation.

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

The Lockheed C – 5 Galaxy model is the American response to domestic projects of super-lift aircraft. The scale of this monster is impressive: in military configuration it is capable of transporting 275 fully equipped soldiers, and when used in civil aviation carries 75 passengers. The initial design assumed that the aircraft was capable of carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles.

10 largest planes in the world

Since the birth of aviation, aircraft have become more reliable and increased in size. In every era there has been an aircraft that is a technological breakthrough. For you, we present the top 10 aircraft that influenced the development of world aviation.

Tupolev ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky"

Built in honor of a significant event in the biography of M. Gorky - the 40th anniversary of the beginning of his literary career, the plane was striking in size. This eight-engine giant housed a printing house, laboratory and library. For full use a flight staff of 20 people was required.

The fate of the only released copy was tragic - on May 18, 1935, an accident occurred that led to disaster. However, this aircraft became the prototype for the creation of heavy domestic aircraft, such as Ruslan and Mriya.

Important: in the mid-30s of the 20th century it could rightfully be called not only the largest Russian aircraft, but also the largest cargo aircraft in the world.

Hughes H-4 Hercules

It is no coincidence that “Hercules” occupies a place in our top. To this day, it is the largest transport aircraft with the ability to take off and land on water.

The project was financed by the American tycoon Howard Hughes, but was completed only in a wooden version. This is due to the fact that the construction period fell on the Second world war, so all the metal went to military needs. Its estimated capacity of 750 people would make it the largest passenger aircraft ever built.

Boeing 747

Each of us has seen this plane in one way or another: live, in photos or on video. For 37 years, the Boeing 747 held the title of the largest civil aircraft, until the Airbus A380 appeared. Used all over the world. Used to deliver the space shuttle from its production site.

Characteristics:

Length from nose to tail: 76.4.
Wingspan: 68.5.
Crew: 2 pilots.
Number of passengers: 600 people.
Max. flight speed: 1100 km/h.
Flight range: about 14,000 km.
Max. take-off weight: 448 tons.

The following models are also included in the top 10 most large aircraft world, but their place on the list is deserved primarily by their reliability and performance.

Boeing 777-300ER

Boeing's largest aircraft. The device has a wide space inside the casing and is capable of transporting up to 70,000 tons of commercial cargo.

Airbus A340-600

It was produced in the amount of 97 copies, which allows it to be called one of the most popular aircraft, capable of carrying 450 passengers. Discontinued in 2011, but continues to be used everywhere.

Boeing 747-8

The extended version of the airliner tops the honorable list of the longest aircraft (76.4 meters). In the international classification it is called “Intercontinental”.

Tu-134

A medium-passenger long-haul airliner, which is rightfully considered one of the best in Russia. This model attracts not with its huge volume inside, but with its decent speed for its size - it can reach up to 950 km/h.

Sukhoi Superjet-100

The Russian aircraft is the forefront of the domestic aircraft industry. It has the latest digital technology and is capable of transporting 100 people. It is actively purchased in Asia, and the Sukhoi company plans to enter the US market.

Irkut MS-21

This airliner is not yet in production and receives a place on our list in advance. Despite the not very large dimensions of the project (length - up to 40 meters), which will not allow it to displace the most large planes The West, he is able to save Russia from the dominance of foreign producers.

Concorde

The plane marked the beginning of a sharp surge in the construction of supersonic passenger airliners. The recognizable silhouette with a pointed nose can be easily recognized in photos and videos. It was used for 27 years, which allowed it to become a record holder for transporting passengers - 3 million people.

Every manufacturer wants to be called an industry giant. In the aircraft industry, Airbus has no equal yet with the A380 model. The largest passenger aircraft in the world has been in production for several years and is constantly being modified. The time is not far off when one plane will carry more than 1,000 people.

The Russian heavy aircraft market is experiencing better times. Old Soviet models are in use. Russian manufacturers are gradually trying to catch up with their colleagues from Europe and America, but this takes time.

Each of the described liners can weigh tens of tons, but the efficiency factor is estimated using the formula: 1 kg of dead weight per amount of weight lifted.

Passenger cabin Airbus aircraft The A380 has two decks and can be had in two variants. The first option is when the cabin is divided into three classes (first and business class on the upper deck and economy class on the lower deck, thus the capacity is from 516 to 525 people). The second version of the passenger cabin layout of the A380 aircraft provides only economy class, located on the upper and lower decks with a capacity of more than 644 people.

Interior layout and best seats

The three-class version of the passenger cabin provides for the location of the first class in the front part of the upper cabin. There is no point in proving that the places here are the most comfortable, and the staff service is no worse than in a five-star hotel. Each seat in the first cabin of the A380 aircraft looks like a closed separate compartment with a convenient door. The passenger seat can be folded out and turned into a comfortable bed. Services such as Internet and the ability to charge mobile devices are offered. In addition, each of these “mini-compartments” has a large, convenient monitor and a mini-bar. For first class passengers, there are showers (as, for example, on Emirates Airline aircraft), and an exquisite restaurant menu is also provided.

However, it should be noted that even in first class there are places that have their drawbacks. These are seats in the first and fourth rows (according to the diagram), located close to the toilets. Most likely, passengers will visit the toilet at any time of the day, so the noise of the doors can seriously interfere with the rest of passengers. The close proximity of the service areas also means that staff will often walk past the first and fourth rows of first class, creating additional inconvenience. And of course, in addition to everything, directly opposite the first row of seats there is a staircase leading down to the main deck, which also will not contribute to proper rest, especially at night.

Business class also has very comfortable seats for passengers (although not as good as first class). Each place here is equipped with a comfortable chair, which, if necessary, can be unfolded and turned into a comfortable bed. In addition, there is a good bar here, and the distance between the seats allows you to absolutely not worry about legroom. However, in the business class of the A380 aircraft there are seats with less comfort. These, as in first class, are seats near the bar and near the toilets - usually in the first and last rows. On the diagram of the upper passenger cabin of the Airbus A380 aircraft, these seats are indicated by rows 6, 21, 22 and 26. As for first class, the inconvenience of these seats is explained by the intense flow of passengers to bars and toilets at any time of the day, as well as the movement of service personnel. When booking tickets, you should take this factor into account and take seats in the rows listed above only in cases where there are no more tickets for other seats.

On the lower (or main) deck of the passenger cabin of the Airbus A380 aircraft there is an economy class, usually designed for 399 seats and, as a rule, occupying rows numbered from 43 to 88 (according to the diagram) with two large aisles. The backs of economy class seats cannot recline 180 degrees, but they are very soft and comfortable. The distance between rows is approximately 80 centimeters - according to generally accepted standards. Each economy class seat has its own screen mounted in the seat in front and an audio/video system. Just like for seats in other classes, economy class seats are equipped with USB charging systems and the Internet, which, by the way, is paid on the Airbus A380 aircraft.

The most successful and convenient places here are seats with the letters D, E, F and G, located in rows 45, 54 and 82. The convenience of these seats is explained by the fact that there are no seats in front of them, which means there is ample legroom, in addition, toilets, a bar and office premises are located quite far from them. Of course, the absence of seats in the front does not mean that these seats are not equipped with electronic displays for entertainment.

Also very good for relaxation and viewing in economy class are the seats with the letters A and K, located in rows 68 and 81. Their advantage is due to the fact that these seats do not have other seats in front of them, and also because they are located near the windows , which makes them seem to be “aside” from general movement passengers, so they are considered the most profitable and comfortable in the entire economy class.

The seats in rows numbered 43, 52, 67 and 80 are also good. These seats also have more space in front of them, but at the same time they have the serious disadvantage of being close to service areas and toilets with all the associated inconveniences.

The most unfortunate for economy class, and therefore for the entire Airbus A380 aircraft, are the seats located in the 88th (rearmost) row and the seats designated by the letters C and H. Their inconvenience lies, as in many cases, in the fact that that there are toilets right behind them. The fact that the backs last places blocked, which limits passenger comfort.

The history of the Airbus A380

The beginning of the 90s of the last century in aviation industry was the time of complete dominance of the Boeing 747 in the field of wide-body aircraft. Boeing managed to maintain an advantage for almost 30 years, which forced many companies, such as, for example, McDonnell Douglas or Lockheed to look for a solution that could replace the Boeing 747 and gain a monopoly in the wide-body airliner niche.

Summer 1994 Airbus company began developing its own wide-body aircraft, codenamed A3XX. Initially, options were considered for the possible combination of two fuselages of the Airbus A340 aircraft. This solution would have made it possible to significantly increase the passenger capacity of the aircraft, since the A340 was the company’s largest aircraft at that time. However, such a decision would also lead to a serious reduction flight characteristics aircraft, increasing its mass and the required take-off run.

The development of the A3XX was carried out in partnership with Boeing, which was developing its own model, the Boeing 747X, also aimed at increasing passenger capacity and reducing operating costs. This partnership ended in 1996. And already next year 1997 Boeing company closed its project due to the economic crisis that erupted in East Asia. Meanwhile, Airbus decided to use a double-deck design for the A3XX, which would provide the aircraft with a number of advantages.

In December 2000, they decided to launch the A3XX project, which initially required costs of about 8.8 billion euros. The plane received a new name - A380. There are many hypotheses explaining why Airbus decided to “jump” from number 340 to 380. For example, one of them says that the number 8 is lucky in a number of Asian countries, which were potential customers for the future aircraft.

In the spring of 2001, the design of the Airbus A380 was finally approved, and already at the beginning of 2002, production of the first parts for the aircraft began. They were produced in 4 countries of the European Union, and the delivery of components to the assembly site in Toulouse was carried out by ground and by water transport, as well as by air.

At the beginning of 2005, the first Airbus A380 was built and demonstrated in Toulouse, and in April its first flight was carried out. During testing of the aircraft in early 2006, flaws in the design of its wing were identified. After this, the A380 wing structure was urgently changed.

Ground and flight tests of the aircraft were completed in December 2007, and the Airbus A380 received certificates from EASA and FAA.

Design and characteristics of the Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is a wide-body jet passenger aircraft. The passenger cabin of the aircraft consists of two decks. Due to its size and large capacity, the aircraft is the largest passenger airliner in the world. The aircraft's power plant consists of 4 engines. Depending on the modification, this is the Trent 900 from Rolls-Royce (for Airbus A-300-800), or the GP7000 from Engine Alliance (for other modifications of the Airbus).

Characteristics of the Airbus A380 aircraft:

Length, m – 72.7
Wingspan, m – 79.8
Height, m – 24.1
Wing area, m2 – 845
Weight:
- Max. take-off, kg – 560,000
- Max. landing, kg – 386,000
- Empty weight, kg – 276,800
- Max. weight without fuel, kg – 361,000
Fuel tank capacity, l – 310,000
Flight range with max. load, km – 15,000
Ceiling (max. flight altitude), m – 13,100
Run length, m – 2,050
Run length, m – 2,900
Engines:
- R-R Trent 970 – 4 x 31780 kgf
- Alliance GP7270 – 4 x 31780 kgf
Passenger compartment:
- Number of seats (single-class option) – 700
- Number of seats (three-class version) – 555
- Interior width, m – 5.9-6.6

Airbus A380 modifications

There are the following modifications of the Airbus A380:

Airbus A380-800 is the base model of the airliner. A380-841 and A380-842 have a Trent 900 engine. Modifications A380-861 and A380-862 have a GP72XX engine.
Airbus A380-800F is a cargo modification of the A380 aircraft.
Airbus A380-900 is an extended modification of the airliner, currently under development. It will have increased passenger capacity (more than 900 people) and more powerful engines. Potential buyers will include airlines such as Emirates Airline, Lufthansa and others.
Airbus A380-1000 is a modification that will be larger in size than the A380-900 and accommodate more than 1,000 passengers. The project was proposed in 2010.

Airbus A380 operation

Operation of the Airbus A380 aircraft began in 2007. By the end of 2014, the number of Airbuses was already 139 aircraft, and the number of companies operating the aircraft was 10. Emirates Airline operates the most A380 (67 aircraft). Other airlines use from 5 to 19 aircraft of this type, which, of course, cannot compare with Emirates Airline.

The aircraft can be found mainly on intercontinental flights. Large quantity Airbuses are operated by Asian airlines (Emirates Airline, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air and others). Due to operating costs, which are 10-15% less than those for the Boeing 747, the Airbus A380 is a very popular aircraft today. Due to the good price and optimal characteristics of the A380 Emirates airline Airline plans to purchase several dozen more aircraft. At the same time, Emirates Airline also pays attention to cargo modifications of the Airbus. In addition, the air carrier orders more comfortable aircraft (for example, with shower cabins for first class).

Conclusion

Airbus A380 is the largest by passenger plane in the world, accommodating from 519 to 800 people. Reliability, reduced operating costs compared to other wide-body airliners and comfort provide this aircraft with good demand in the market, especially in Asia. The main operator of the aircraft is currently Emirates Airline, which has appreciated the Airbus. In addition, Emirates Airline, albeit indirectly, is helping to further modify the aircraft by showing interest in its new capabilities.

However, the Airbus Group in December 2014 announced a possible stop in production of the Airbus A380 aircraft. This is explained by the fact that the demand for this aircraft, according to the company’s management, is not great enough.

However, it is worth recognizing that due to its performance and reliability, the Airbus A380 is a really good aircraft.

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