subject: Airbus- A discussion on Airbus 320 [print this page] Airbus- A discussion on Airbus 320 Airbus- A discussion on Airbus 320
This article intend to describe the specifications of Airbus Family and should not be consider as an advertisment. although the writer ( S.HOssein MOrtezaei) has mostly described the advantages of this aircraft, it should not be forgot that there are also some disadvantages.
Airbus A320 Family
TheAirbus A320 Familyis a series of narrow-body commercial passenger jets manufactured byAirbus Industries. Designed for short to medium hauls, the aircraft pioneer fly-by-wire technology and regularly compete with theBoeing 737 series. The series includes the Airbus A318, the A319, the A320, and the A321. The"A320 Enhanced" program aims to further improve the A320 family with longer range and better fuel economy.
TheAirbus A320 was the third aircraft type to be developed by Airbus and represented its entry in the market for 150-seat single-aisle airliners. The A320 quickly established itself and gave Airbus leadership of the 150-seater market hitherto dominated by the 737 series.
The Airbus A320 family, comprising the stretched 199-seat A321 and shortened 134-seatA319 and 107-seatA318, were the world's first passenger airliners to be equipped with a digital fly-by wire flight control systems. The central column is replaced by sidestick controls, pilot inputs being sent to the flight surfaces via computers which ensure the aircraft flies efficiently and cannot exceed operating limits. Fly-by-wire also enables all Airbus aircraft to be given similar handling characteristics, greatly reducing pilot training time.
The first airline to order the Airbus A320 wasAir France, which received its first aircraft in March 1988.
The Airbus A320 represented a milestone in thehistory of Airbus and laid the foundation for all subsequent models developed by the consortium. Central to the philosophy were the A320's fly-by-wire flight control system and an all-new "glass" cockpit incorporating six identical, fully integrated colour displays, features which still form the basis of the latest Airbus types.
The A320 was launched in March 1982 and flew for the first time in February 1987. The A320-100 was superseded by theA320-200 which incorporated winglets and had a higher maximum take-off weight and more range. The A320 was the first production airliner to use composites in primary structures, the main structural components of its horizontal tail and fin being constructed from carbonfibre.
