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HowtoknowyourAirbusfromBoeing

HowtoknowyourAirbusfromBoeing
Manyofusadmireairplanesforthegraceful,elegantandsleekflyingmachinesthattheyare.Howmanyofyou
havewonderedaboutthetypeorkindoftheaircraftthatyouaretravelinginorflyingoveryouinthesky?Isita
BoeingoranAirbus?IsitanA330oraB777?

Heresasimpleaircraftidentificationguideforthosewithabuddinginterestinaviation.Illtrytomakethispost
asvisualaspossiblesinceplanespottingworksbestbyobservingasmanydifferenttypesofaircraftas
possibleanddrawingyourowninferences.Nowsitback,relaxandenjoythisjourney!
Howtoknowyourplane?

Firstandtheeasywayout,lookforthenameoftheaircrafttypetobewrittenontheaircraftfuselage.Most
airlinesstillretainit.Thisshouldbeeasyifyouareclosertotheaircraftparkedontheapron.Nowforthe
secondpart.Forpracticalpurposes,wewillfocusonlyonthebig2giantsofaviationAirbusandBoeing,and
closethegatesonLockheed,McDonnellDouglas,Antonov,Ilyushin,Bombardier,Embraer,Sukhoietc.Wewill
alsoonlyconsiderairplanesthatarecurrentlyflyingaroundtheworldinlargenumbers,whichmeansno
clearancefor707or727totakeoff.Aquick101onthetwogiants:

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BoeingisAmericanandthelargestglobalaircraftmanufacturerbyrevenue,ordersanddeliveries.Airbusis
EuropeanandasubsidiaryofEADS,andmanufactureshalfoftheworldsjetliners.Boeingaircraftstartwiththe
#7series.Youhave737,747,757,767,777andthenew787Dreamlineralongwiththe7478Intercontinental
currentlyunderdevelopment.Airbusaircraftstartwiththe#3series.SoyouhaveA300,A310,A318,A319,
A320,A321,A330,A340,A380andtheA350currentlyunderdevelopment.AirbusorBoeingATeamvs.B
Team

AirbusnoseBulbous,curved.

Boeingnosepointed.Checkoutthenoses.BoeingwillhavemorepointednoseswhileAirbuswillhave
bulbous,curvednoses.Checkoutthecockpitwindows.Airbuscockpitsidewindowsruninastraightlinealong
thebottom,whereasmostBoeingsidewindowsruninaVshapealongthebottom.AlsoAirbusaircraftcockpit
sidewindowslooklikeoneoftheircornershavebeencut.

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AirbusA330APUareacircular.

BoeingB777APUareasawedoff.HavealookattheAPUExhaustunitbeneaththetail.BothAirbusesand
BoeingshaveacircularoutletwiththeonlyexceptionwithB777havingasawedoffunit.AllAirbuswidebodies
apartfromthe380haveafuselagetopthatcontinuesstraightallthewaytotheAPUexhaust.Boeingshavea
taperdownwards.TheendofBoeingsaretaperedandslopeonthetopandbottom,whereasonAirbusthe
topisstraightandthebottomisverysloped.
NarrowbodyorWidebody

Theshorterandsmallerplanesarecallednarrowbodies,astheyhaveasingleaisle.Airbus:A318,A319,
A320andA321.Boeing:B737andB757.Thelongerandlargerplanesarealsocalledwidebodies,asthey
havetwinaisles.Airbus:A300,A310,A330,A340,A380andA350. Boeing:B747,B767,B777,B787
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DreamlinerandB7478Intercontinental.2enginesor4enginesOnlyA340s,A380sandB747shavefour
engines.Allotheraircrafthavetwinengines.ThebigonesB747orA340orA380

Ifithastwodecksofwindowsandfourengines,itisanA380.

Ifithasoneandhalfdecksandfourengines,itisaB747.

Ifhasasingledeck,longerfuselageandfourengines,itisanA340.TheintermediatesB777orA330

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Checkoutthe3pairsofwheelsoneachmainlandinggearoftheaboveB777.AB777willneverhavea
winglet.TheB777has14wheelsina662configuration.TheeverhelpfulSandyWardfromFutureofFlight
hasthisgreattiptoidentifyBoeing777s3sevenshave3wheels.EdKaplanianfromFutureofFlighthasmore
tipstodifferentiatebetweenA330sandB777s.

TheA330with2pairsofwheelsoneachmainlandinggear.Wheels:ThemainlandinggearonanA330has
twosetsofwheels,whattheycallintheindustry(atwowheeltruck).ThemainlandinggearonaB777has
threesetsofwheels,whattheycallintheindustry(athreewheeltruck).

B777withsawedoffAPU.

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A330withconicalAPU.Tailend:TheAPU(auxiliarypowerunit)exhaustoutletismountedinthemiddleofthe
tailconeonanA330.TheAPU(auxiliarypowerunit)exhaustoutletismountedontheleftsideofthetailcone
ontheB777.Wingtips:TheA330wingincorporatessmallwingtipsonthewings.TheB777wingdoesnothave
wingtips.ThesmallbirdsA320svs.B737sIntermsofcapacity,thishowtheAirbusairplanesintheA320family
competewiththeBoeing737family.A318vs.B737600A319vs.B737700A320vs.B737800A321vs.B737
900

TheB737700isontheleftandtheA320isontheright.NotehowthetailfinoftheB737risesfromthemain
bodyatasharpangle.

TheA320isattopandtheB737isatthebottom.The320fuselageisroundedatthefront,pointedattheback.
The737fuselageispointedatthefront,roundedattheback.

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CanyouguesswhoisA320andB737intheabovepic?Ineachcase,theBoeingversionislighterandseats
morepeople.TheAirbusversionsitshigheroffthegroundcomparedtoBoeing.TheA320shaveflybywire
technology,whichmeansthecomputerplaysalargerroleinflyingtheplanewhilepilothasthefinalsayinflying
aBoeing737.A320sarelongercomparedtoB737sbuthavelesserrange.Lookatthetailfintoknowyour737
fromA320.Ifthetailfinrisesfromthemainbodyatasharpangle,itisaB737.Ifitislarger,hasrounder
enginesandalongerfuselage,itisanA320.Ifithasaflatterengineatthebase,itisaB737.Boeing
Focus:KnowyourB737sTheB737scomein9versions:100,200,300,400,500,600,700,800,and
900ER.The300,400and500fallintothecategoryofClassicswhilethelast4areNewGenerationBoeings.
The300saretheshortestwhilethe900ERisthelongest.Theonlyexceptiontotheruleis400,whichis
longerthanthe300,600and700versions.

B737100classic.

B737200classic.
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B737300classic.

B737400classic.

B737500classic.

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B737600newgeneration.

B737700newgeneration.

B737800newgeneration.

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B737900newgeneration.The100and200havecigarshapednacelles.The100sareoutofservice.If
thefrontoftheenginenacelleisflattenedandhasanalmosttriangularshape,itisaClassic.Ifthefrontofthe
enginenacelleisalmostroundshaped,itisaNewGeneration737.IfyoucanlookattheAPUexhaustatthetail
andspot2holes,itisanNG.Ifithasasinglehole,itisaClassic.Also,allClassicshaveeyebrowwindows.Ifitis
astubbylookingClassic,itisa500.IfitisastubbylookingNG,itisa600.Ifitlooksnormallyproportionedand
itisaClassic,itisa300.IfitlooksnormallyproportionedanditisanNG,itisa700.Ifitlookslonganditisa
Classic,itisa400.IfitlookslonganditisanNG,itisan800.Ifitlooksreallylongandhas3doorsoneach
side,itisa900.IfyouarecheckingoutaB737belongingtoOmanAir,flydubai,JetAirwaysorAirIndiaExpress
itwillbea700or800.KnowyourB747sB747scomeinfiveversions100,SP,200,300,and400.All
versionsare70.6mlongexcepttheB747SPfromthe100familywhichisaround15mshorter.Thereareafew
subvariantsbutwewillprimarilyfocusonthebig5.

TheB747100&200havetenwindowsoneachsideoftheupperdeck.Someofthefirst100soffthe
productionlinehaveonly3windowsoneachsideoftheupperdeck.

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TheB747200hastenwindowsoneachsideoftheupperdeck.

TheB747300hasanextendedupperflightdeckcomparedtothe200and100.Italsohasadooronthe
upperdeckbetweenwindows.

OnlytheB747400haswingtipextensionsorwinglets.

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TheB747SPfuselageisshorterthanallotherB747variantsbutcompensatesforitwithatallertail.Knowyour
B757sB757scomeintwoversions200andthelonger300.Thedroopingdolphinshapednoseandthin,
sweptbackwingsofthisaircrafttypeisadistinctgiveaway.

The200comeswith3doorsoneachsidewithasmalleremergencyexitwindow.

The300comeswith4doorsand2overthewingemergencyexitwindowsoneachside.
KnowyourB767sTheB767comesin3variants200,300and400withrespectiveExtendedRange
versions.The200istheshortestwhile400isthelongest.

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TheB767200

TheB767300

TheB767400WhatarethekeydifferencesbetweenaB757andaB767?TheBoeing767wingspanis48
metres,10metresgreaterthantheB757.Thepositionofthenosewheelrelativetotheflightdeckismuch
furtherforwardonthe767thanonthe757.Also,themainlandinggearisalongwaybackontheB767.Know
yourB777sTheeasiestwaytoidentifyaB777istolookatitstailareaforabladeshapedtailcone.Alsocheck
outthemainlandinggear.Ifyouspot6wheelsoneachlandinggear,itisa777.Thereare4passenger
versionsofthe777:B777200,B777200ER(ExtendedRange),B777200LR(LongerRange),B777300and
B777300ER(ExtendedRange).Thesevariantsaredistinguishedonthebasisoftheirfuselagelengthand
nauticalrange.The300sarelongerthan200sbyover10m.Fuselagelengths:
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B77720063.7mB777200ER63.7mB777200LR63.7mtheworldslongestrangecommercialairliner.
BoeingnamedthisaircrafttheWorldliner,highlightingitsabilitytoconnectalmostanytwoairportsintheworld.

B77730073.9mB777300ER73.9mAirbusFocus:KnowyourA300s

TheA300B2

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TheA300B4

TheA300600TheA300comesin4mainvariantstheB1,B2,B4andthe600.TheA300600isalater
versionoftheearlierA300B4andfeaturesawingtipthatisshapedlikeatriangleaboveandbelowtheendof
eachwing.

TheA300vs.A330ThebasicfuselagedesignoftheA330isderivedfromtheA300.Sohowdoyoudifferentiate
betweenthetwoaircraftswhentheyareparkednexttoeachother?TheA330comeswithwingletsandis
longerthantheA300.(AwingletisawingtipextensionthatextendsUPWARDfromtheendofthewing).The
A300mayormaynothaveawingtip.Also,theA330hasalargerwingspan(thedistanceinastraightlinefrom
onewingtiptoother).TheA310

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TheA310isbasicallyababyA300.Itcomesintwomainvariants:200and300.Ithasashorterfuselage,a
new,higheraspectratiowing,smallertailwhencomparedtotheA300.Also,theA310hasonlytwodoorson
eachside,whereastheA300shave3doorsoneachside.KnowyourA320sTheA320familyofjetsincludesthe
A318100,A319100,A320200andtheA321200.Intermsoffuselagelength,theA318istheshortest(aka
BabyBus)andtheA321isthelongest.

A31810031.44m

A31910033.84m

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A32020037.57m

A32120044.51mTheA320willusuallyhavetwoemergencywindowexitsoverthewingswhereastheA318
andA319haveonlyoneemergencywindowexitoverthewing.TheA321willhavefourexitdoorsoneach
side.KnowyourA330sTheA330comesin2passengerversionstheA330200andA330300.The300
versionislongerthanthe200versionbuthasashortertailheight.The300carriesmorepassengersbuthas
ashorterrange.Also,notethe4wheelsoneachmainlandinggearandthesmoothercurvatureofthetailto
distinguishitfromaB777.Fuselagelengths:

A33020058.8m

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A33030063.6mKnowyourA340sIfitissingledeckandhasgot4engines,youbetitistheA340.TheA340
comesin4passengerversionstheA340200,A340300,A340500andA340600.Thefuselagelengths
shouldhelpyoudistinguishbetweenthem.TheA340600isthesecondlongestairplaneintheworldafterthe
B7478Intercontinental,currentlyunderdevelopment.Boththe500and600comeinHighGrossWeight
(HGW)Versions,withenhancedrange,fuelcapacity,weightamongstotherfeatures.Fuselagelengths:

A34020059.39m

A34030063.60m

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A34050067.90m

A34060075.30mWewilldiscussmoreabouttheB787Dreamliner,B7478Intercontinental,AirbusA350(all
currentlyunderdifferentstagesofdevelopmentandnotyetflyingcommercially)alongwiththeA380inanother
post.Nowthatyouaredonereadingthispost,youareofficiallyonyourwaytobeanaviationgeek.Pleasefeel
freetoletmeknowyoursuggestionsandfeedbackaswellassharingitwiththeworld.Copyright/credits:Many
thankstoAirliners.Net&itscontributorswhoseimagesIhaveusedinthispost.Theyarethefinestsourceof
aviationimagesontheNettoday.
Irecommendyoureadthroughthecommentsasmorereaderssuggestinterestingwaystoidentifybetween
Airbus&Boeingjets.
IfyouwouldliketoconnectwithmeonTwitter(@arun4)formyaviationtweets,clickhere.

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