Data | Image Gallery

- - - -

Airbus A320 Airbus
A320
Short to Medium-Range Jetliner

DESCRIPTION:
Designed to compete with the Boeing 737 and McDonnell Douglas MD-80, the A320 was the first Airbus entry in the narrow-body market. Although the aircraft borrows features from the larger A300 and A310, it is essentially a new design equipped with many state-of-the-art engineering innovations.

The A320 was the first commercial jetliner with a full fly-by-wire control system. Other advanced features include widespread use of composite materials to reduce weight, sophisticated avionics including a gust-alleviation system for a smoother ride, advanced cockpit warning systems, and high-technology engines to reduce noise and fuel consumption. The primary variant, the A320-200, also incorporates winglets to improve aerodynamic efficiency.

Thanks to these innovations, the A320 has proven to be very reliable and economical in service. The A320 has become the most best selling Airbus design to date and is so successful that it has spawned three related aircraft. Relatives of the A320 includes the stretched A321 and shortened A319 and A318. Over 4,000 examples of the A320 family had been delivered out of more than 6,400 ordered by September 2009.

Data below for A320-200
Last modified 02 May 2011


HISTORY:
First Flight 22 February 1987
Service Entry 28 March 1988 (with Air France)

CREW: two flight crew: pilot, co-pilot

PASSENGERS: 150 in two classes, 180 in one class

COST: $76.9 million [2008$]

DIMENSIONS:
Length 123.25 ft (37.57 m)
Wingspan 111.83 ft (34.09 m)
Height 38.58 ft (11.76 m)
Fuselage Diameter 12.92 ft (3.94 m)

CABIN:
Length 89.83 ft (27.38 m)
Width 12.08 ft (3.68 m)
Height 7.29 ft (2.22 m)
Main Passenger Door 6.08 x 2.67 ft (1.85 x 0.81 m)

CARGO CAPACITY:
Baggage Volume unknown
Cargo Volume 1,321.1 ft³ (37.41 m³)
Container Capacity 7 LD3
Freight Doors unknown

WING:
Root Airfoil Section unknown
Tip Airfoil Section unknown
Area 1,317.5 ft² (122.4 m²)
Aspect Ratio 9.50
Sweepback Angle 25° at quarter chord
Control Surface Areas ailerons: unknown
flaps: unknown
leading-edge slats: unknown
spoilers: unknown

TAIL:
Tailplane Span 40.83 ft (12.44 m)
Tailplane Area unknown
Tailfin Area unknown
Control Surface Areas tailplane: unknown
elevators: unknown
rudder: unknown
Thrust/Weight Ratio unknown

PROPULSION:
Powerplant two CFM International CFM56-5 turbofans or
two International Aero Engines V2500-A turbofans
Engine Rating 2 x 25,000 lb (112.2 kN) [CFM56-5A1 or V2500-A1]
2 x 26,500 lb (117.9 kN) [CFM56-5A3 or CFM56-5B4 or V2527-A5]
Engine Intakes Two nacelles on wing pylons
Fuel Type Jet A, Jet A-1

PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed
(at altitude)
560 mph (900 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,140 m), Mach 0.82
Max Level Speed
(at sea level)
unknown
Cruise Speed 525 mph (845 km/h) at 37,000 ft (11,275 m), Mach 0.795
Takeoff Speed 170 mph (275 km/h)
Landing Speed unknown
Takeoff Distance 6,700 to 8,000 ft (2,335 to 2,440 m)
Landing Distance 4,300 to 4,600 ft (1,310 to 1,400 m)
Maximum Climb Rate unknown
Service Ceiling 39,000 ft (11,890 m)
Range 2,600 to 3,000 nmi (4,815 to 5,555 km) with 150 passengers
g-Limits unknown

SYSTEMS:
Avionics ARINC 700 digital suite including SFENA autopilot, Honeywell flight management system
Flight Controls Electronic Flight Control System with digital fly-by-wire control of wing and tail surfaces
Electrical 115/200 volt, 400 Hz AC supplied by 90 kVA generators attached to each engine and an APU, DC supplied by transformer rectifiers
Braking Carbon wheel brakes

COMPOSITION:
  • Aluminum: majority of structure made of improved aluminum alloys
  • Composites: nosecone, tail unit, wing control surfaces, wing and fuselage junction fairings, engine nacelles and pylons, landing gear doors and fairings, floor panels

  • VARIANTS:
    A320-100 First production model; 21 built
    A320-200 Primary production variant featuring winglets and an extra fuel tank for increased range
    MMA Maritime Multirole Aircraft based on the A320 developed by EADS and Alenia as a military surveillance model and equipped with surveillance radar, sensors, and communications gear as well as an internal weapons bay and wing pylons

    OPERATORS:
    Civil A&F Aviation
    ACES Colombia
    Adria Airways
    AerCap Holdings
    Aer Lingus
    Aeroflot
    Aerolineas Argentinas
    Aero Lloyd
    AerVenture
    Afriqiyah Airways
    Air 2000
    Air Arabia
    Air Arabia Egypt
    AirAsia
    Air Astana
    Air Berlin
    Air Blue
    Air Cairo
    Air Canada
    Air China
    Air China Group Import and Export Trading Company
    Air Comet
    Air Deccan
    Air Europe Italy
    Air France
    Air Inter
    Air Jamaica
    Air Lease Corporation (ALC)
    Air Luxor
    Air Macau
    Air Malta
    Air New Zealand
    Air Nippon Airways
    Air One
    Airtours International
    Alitalia
    All Nippon Airways
    Altitude Aircraft Leasing Trust
    America West Airlines
    Ansett Australia
    Armavia
    Austrian Airlines
    Avianca
    Aviation Capital Group
    Aviation Lease and Finance Company (ALAFCO)
    Avolon
    AWAS
    Azerbaijan Airlines
    Bahrain Air
    Balkan Bulgarian Airlines
    BOC Aviation
    Braniff
    British Airways
    British Caledonian
    British Mediterranean Airways
    British Midland Airlines
    Canada 3000
    Canadian
    Capital Lease Aviation
    Cebu Pacific
    China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group
    China Eastern Airlines
    China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation
    China Northwest Airlines
    China Southern Airlines
    CIT Aerospace
    CNAC-Zhejiang Airlines
    Condor Berlin
    Conquest Vacations
    Croatia Airlines
    CSA Czech Airlines
    Cyprus Airways
    Delta Air Lines
    Dragonair
    Dubai Aero-space Enterprise (DAE), DAE Capital
    East Star Airlines
    Edelweiss Air
    Egyptair
    Etihad Airways
    Eurocypria Airays
    Finnair
    Fly FTI
    Frontier Airlines
    GB Airways
    GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS)
    Genesis Lease
    GMT Global Republic Aviation
    GoAir
    Gulf Air
    Hainan Airlines
    Hellas Jet
    Hong Kong Airlines
    Iberia
    Iberworld
    Indian Airlines
    IndiGo
    Israir
    Jazeera Air
    JetBlue Airways
    Jetclub
    Jetstar
    Jetstar Asia
    JMC Airlines
    Juneyao Airlines
    Kingfisher Airlines
    Kuwait Airways
    Lacsa
    LAN Chile
    LAN Ecuador
    Libyan Airlines
    Lionhart Aviation Limited
    Lotus Air
    LTU International
    Lufthansa
    Mandala Airlines
    Mauritania Airways
    MenaJet
    Mexicana
    Middle East Airlines
    Monarch Airlines
    MyTravelLite
    NASair
    National Air Services (NAS)
    Nepal Airlines
    Niki
    Northwest Airlines
    Nouvelair
    OceanAir
    Pakistan International Airlines
    Philippine Air Lines
    Premiair
    Qantas
    Qatar Airways
    Royal Jordanian
    Ryan International
    Sabena
    SAS Scandinavian Airlines
    Saudi Arabian Airlines
    Shanghai Airlines
    Shenzhen Airlines
    Shorouk Air
    Siberia Airlines
    Sichuan Airlines
    Silkair
    Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise
    Sichuan Airlines
    Skyservice
    South African Airways
    Spanair
    Spring Airlines
    Srilankan Airlines
    Star Airlines
    Swissair
    Swiss International Air Lines
    Syrianair
    TACA
    TAM Brazil
    TAM Linhas Aereas
    TAME
    TAP Air Portugal
    Ted
    Thomas Cook Airlines
    Tiger Air
    Trans Aer
    Trans Asia Airways
    Transgulf Express
    Transmeridian Airlines
    Tunisair
    Turkish Airlines (THY)
    United Airlines
    Ural Airlines
    US Airways
    Uzbekistan Airways
    Vietnam Airlines
    Virgin America
    Virgin Sun
    Volare Airlines
    Vueling Airlines
    Wataniya Airways
    Wind Jet
    Wizz Air
    Yes Charter Airlines
    Zest Airways
    Government/Military Oman, Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman (Royal Oman Air Force)

    3-VIEW DIAGRAM:

    Airbus A320

    SOURCES:
    • Aboulafia, Richard. Jane's Civil Aircraft. Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996, p. 30-31, Airbus A320.
    • Airbus A320 site
    • Donald, David, ed. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. NY: Barnes & Noble, 1997, p. 35-36, Airbus Industrie A320.
    • Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 1999, p. 35-41, Airbus A320.
    • Müller, Claudio. Aircraft of the World. NY: Muddle Puddle Books, 2004, p. 30-31, Airbus A320-200.
    • Rendall, David. Jane's Aircraft Recognition Guide, 2nd ed. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999, p. 204, Airbus A320.
    • Taylor, Michael. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1996/1997. London: Brassey's, 1996, p. 288, Airbus A320.
    • Taylor, Michael J. H. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000. London: Brassey's, 1999, p. 271-272, Airbus A320.
    -----------------









    Back Aircraft | Design | Ask Us | Shop | Search Home
    About Us | Contact Us | Copyright © 1997-2023