Airbus A320 is an alternative to Boeing 737

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Developing and designing the Airbus A320, the European consortium Airbus S. A. S sought to oust the American company Boeing, whose aircraft by that time dominated small and medium-sized airlines. It was not possible to conquer the entire market, but considerable success has been achieved, this aircraft is second in popularity in the world after the Boeing 737.

A-320 was the first airliner to use a fly-by-wire control system in its design. There are no familiar steering wheels in the cockpit, they are replaced by small handles like joysticks used for computer games. At the same time, the signal from the manipulator, called the "sidestick", is processed by the on-board computer, which evaluates the correctness of the pilot's actions, which gives a signal to the service engines that deflect the slats, flaps and rudder.

The instrument panel has also become different, instead of the usual scales, most of it is occupied by cathode ray monitors, which display flight parameters and sensor readings.

A new technological solution in the world aircraft industry was also applied - all horizontal planes and wing mechanization elements are made ofcomposite materials. In general, plastic is used in the design of an unprecedented wide, it is a fifth of the weight of an empty aircraft.

A design feature is wide luggage compartment hatches, which facilitate loading and unloading operations.

Airbus A320 is a narrow-body aircraft, but this does not mean that it has a small capacity. The number of passengers is 150-180 people. The internal volume of the fuselage is divided into two cabins - business class and economy. Since the purpose of this airliner does not provide for hours-long flights, it is the economy class that is most popular, so the seating arrangement here is simple - six seats in a row with a passage through the center, in contrast to the more prestigious and expensive "business" cabin, where there are four of them.

In the field of security, aircraft designers from the Euroconsortium also tried their best - four emergency exits, which are equipped with the Airbus A320, a cabin lined with fireproof plastic, the most simplified exit scheme through the main doors.

The scheme, which has become classic for Airbus S. A. S, is also used in this case: a monoplane with a low swept wing and engine nacelles suspended under it. It is easy to recognize the Airbus A320 on the ground - its front landing gear is tilted forward.

Aircraft of this type were produced about four thousand, and most of them (3,945) are now in the air, they are rare. Orders for the Airbus A320 are another two thousand copies. The first cars were assembled in Frenchthe city of Toulouse, but then, due to the increase in production, it was transferred to Hamburg-Finkenwerder, in Germany. In recent years, Airbuses have also been installed in China.

Aircraft of this type have been sold since 1987, the first of them were acquired by Air France, then deliveries began around the world. A320s are also operated in Russia. A photo of an Aeroflot aircraft with a tricolor on its tail shows one of the twenty-six Airbuses of this series that it owns.