Airbus A340
| Airbus A340 | |
|---|---|
| |
| A Cathay Pacific A340-600 in 2007 | |
| Role | Wide-body jet airliner |
| National origin | Multi-national |
| Manufacturer | Airbus |
| First flight | 25 October 1991 |
| Introduction | March 1993 (delivery began in January 1993) |
| Status | Active service |
| Primary users | Lufthansa Iberia Virgin Atlantic Airways South African Airways |
| Number built | 375 as of 31 December 2010 [1] |
| Variants | Airbus A330 |
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engined wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner manufactured by Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It seats up to 375 passengers in the standard variants and 440 in the stretched -600 series. Depending on the model, it has a range of between 6,700 to 9,000 nautical miles (12,400 to 16,700 km). It is similar in design to the twin-engined A330 with which it was concurrently designed. Its distinguishing features are four high-bypass turbofan engines and three-bogie main landing gear.
Airbus manufactured the A340 in four fuselage lengths. The initial variant, A340-300, entered service in 1993, measured 59.39 metres (194.8 ft), followed by the shorter -200; the stretched A340-600 was a 15.91 metres (52.2 ft) stretch of -200. This particular variant was developed alongside the shorter A340-500, which would become the longest-ranged commercial airliner until the arrival of the Boeing 777-200LR. The two initial models were powered by the CFM56-5C, rated at 151 kilonewtons (34,000 lbf), while Rolls-Royce held exclusive powerplant rights to the extended-ranged and heavier -500/-600 models, through the 267-kilonewton (60,000 lbf) Rolls-Royce Trent 500. Initial A340 versions share the fuselage and wing of the A330 while the -500/-600 models are longer and have larger wings.[2]
Launch customers Lufthansa and Air France placed the A340 into service in March 1993. As of October 2010, 379 orders have been placed (not including private operators), of which 374 have been delivered, with a backlog of five aircraft. The most common type were the A340-300 model, with 218 aircraft delivered. Lufthansa is the biggest operator of the A340, having acquired 59 aircraft. The A340 is used on long-haul, trans-oceanic routes due to its immunity from ETOPS; however, with reliability in engines improving, airlines are progressively phasing out the type in favour of more economical twinjets such as the Boeing 777.
Development
The first published studies for the A340 were coded as the TA11 in 1981, as shown in the November issue of Air International Magazine (coinciding with the display of the A300 at that year's Farnborough Airshow). Concept drawings of the A320 (SA 9) and A330 (TA9[3][4][5][6] were also published, along with estimated performance figures by Airbus Industrie. The last Airbus A340 was delivered to Iberia in 2010.
The A340 was launched in June 1987 as a long-range complement to the short-range A320 and the medium-range A300. At the time, Airbus's twinjets were at a disadvantage against aircraft such as the Boeing 747 because of the ETOPS problem as defined by the regulations: twin-engined aircraft had to stay within 60 minutes' flying distance of a suitable diversion airport, which prevented them from competing on long over-water routes. Furthermore, the existing ETOPS-immune widebodies in the 250-300 seat range, the trijet DC-10 and L-1011, were aging, as they had been in service since the early 1970s.
The A340 was designed in parallel with the twin-engined A330: both share the same wing and similar fuselage structure, and borrow heavily from the advanced avionics and composite structure technology developed for the A320. Both the A330 and A340 are assembled on the same final assembly line at Toulouse-Blagnac, France.
The A340 was intended to use the new superfan engines of International Aero Engines, but the engine's development was stopped. The engine nacelles of the superfan engine consisted of provisions to allow a large fan near the rear of the engine. As a result of the superfan cancellation by IAE, the CFM International CFM56-5C4 was used as the sole engine choice instead of being an alternate choice as originally envisioned. The longer-range versions, the A340-500 and -600, are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines.
When the A340 first flew in 1991, engineers noticed that the wings were not strong enough to carry the outboard engines at cruising speed without warping and fluttering. To alleviate this, an underwing bulge called a plastron was developed to correct airflow problems around the engine pylons and to add stiffness. The modified A340 began commercial service in 1993 with Lufthansa and Air France.[citation needed] During the 1990s, when airlines were looking for replacement aircraft for their 1970-era Boeing 747-100/200, Airbus investigated a stretched airframe in the form of the A340-400, which was intended as a stretch to 70 metres (230 ft). This proved unpopular, as the CFM56 engines were at the limits of their growth capability and the range would have decreased to around 10,000 km (5,399.6 nmi). When this plan was discarded, a larger wing and engine combination was decided upon. Initially, Pratt & Whitney proposed an engine, but contract issues led Airbus to go with the Rolls Royce Trents in 1997.[7]
The A340 incorporates features such as fully digital fly-by-wire flight control system. It also uses sidesticks instead of yokes, with one sidestick to the left of the pilot and one to the right of the co-pilot. The A340's flight deck is highly similar to the A320's, and employs a common pilot rating with the A330. This enables A330/A340 flight crews to fly A320s and vice-versa with minimal extra training. This saves costs for airlines that operate both aircraft families. The cockpit used to feature CRT based glass cockpit displays on the A340-200 and A340-300 and is now based on liquid crystal displays (LCD). Some composite primary structures are also used.
An A340 was the first commercial jet on which passengers could use their mobile phone during flight. In March 2008 Emirates Airlines introduced a system allowing passengers to make outgoing calls with their handset. Incoming calls are not possible and the system is not available at night or during landing and take-off.[8]
Operational history
The A340-300 entered service in 1993 with launch customers Lufthansa and Air France, followed shortly thereafter by the -200 and A330. Lufthansa's first A340, dubbed Nuernberg (D-AIBA),[9]: 35 began revenue service on 15 March 1993.[9]: 36 With the introduction of higher gross weight Boeing 777s, such as the 777-200ER and specifically 777-300ER, sales of the A340 began to decline. Over the last few years the 777 has outsold the A340 by a wide margin. Although the larger GE90 engines on the 777-300ER burn considerably more fuel than the Trent 500s, using only two of them compared to four Trents has meant a typical operating cost advantage of around 8-9%.[10]
In January 2006, Airbus announced plans to develop the A340E (Enhanced). Airbus promoted that the A340E would be more fuel-efficient than earlier A340s and close the 8-9% disparity with the Boeing 777 by using Trent 1500 engines.[10] Airbus has predicted that it will probably produce 127 A340 units through 2016, after which production will cease.[11]
In mid-2008, with jet fuel prices doubled compared to the year before; consequently, the A340's fuel consumption led airlines to curtail very long flights of greater than 15 hours. Thai Airways International cancelled its 17-hour, nonstop Bangkok–New York/JFK route on 1 July 2008. All four of its A340-500 fleet are for sale. While short flights stress aircraft more than long flights, and result in more frequent fuel-thirsty take-offs and landings, ultra-long flights require an airline to fill an aircraft's fuel tanks to the maximum; this means that, en route, the plane is burning a lot of fuel just to carry fuel, a "flying tanker with a few people on board," Air France-KLM SA's chief executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told the Wall Street Journal.
While Thai Airways has consistently filled 80% of the seats on its New York City–Bangkok flights, it estimates that, at 2008 fuel prices, it would need an impossible 120% of seats filled just to break even.[12] Other airlines are re-examining long-haul flights. In August, 2008, Cathay Pacific told the Wall Street Journal that rising fuel prices are hurting its trans-Pacific long-haul routes disproportionately; it will cut the number of such flights it offers and redeploy its aircraft to shorter routes such as between Hong Kong and Australia. "We will...reshaping our network where necessary to ensure we fly aircraft to where we can cover our costs and also make some money," Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler told the newspaper.[13]
Variants
There are four variants of the A340. The A340-200 and A340-300 were launched in 1987 with introduction into service in March 1993 for the -200. The A340-500 and A340-600 were launched in 1997 with introduction into service in 2002. All variants are available in a corporate version from Airbus Executive and Private Aviation.
A340-200
One of two initial versions of the A340, the A340-200, with 261 passengers in a three-class cabin layout has a range of 7,450 nautical miles (13,800 km), or with 240 passengers also in a three-class cabin layout has a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km).[14] This is the shortest version of the family and the only version with wingspan measuring greater than the length of the fuselage. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C4 engines and uses the Honeywell 331-350[A] APU.[15] The plane was intended to open long and thin routes, especially over water. The closest Boeing competitor for this aircraft is the Boeing 767-400ER.
One version of this type (referred to by Airbus as the A340-8000) was ordered by the Sultan of Brunei requesting a non-stop range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km). This A340-8000 had an increased fuel capacity, an MTOW of 275 tonnes (606,271.2 lb), similar to the A340-300, and minor reinforcements to the undercarriage. Upon completion its final range was specified at 8,100 nautical miles (15,001.2 km). It is powered by the 34,000 pounds-force (150 kN) thrust CFM56-5C4s similar to the -300E. Only one A340-8000 was produced by Airbus – A340-213X (msn 204). It was delivered to Brunei-based HM the Sultan's Flight in November 1998, but never entered service and was parked unfitted at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg. The aircraft was later acquired in by Saudi Arabian VIP in February 2007 as it updated its widebody fleet, according to Flight's ACAS database.[16] Besides the -8000, some A340-200s are used for VIP or military use. Examples of these users are Royal Brunei Airlines, Qatar Amiri Flight, Arab Republic of Egypt Government, Saudi Arabia Air Force, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the French Air Force. Other historical operators include Cathay Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Bourbon.
Following the specially-designed -8000, other A340-200s were later given performance improvement packages (PIPs) which helped them achieve similar gains in capability as to the A340-8000. Those aircraft are labeled A340-213X. The range for this version is 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km).
Due to its large wingspan, four engines, low capacity, and improvements to the A340-300, the -200 proved heavy and unpopular with mainstream airlines. Only 28 A340-200s were produced with several now in VIP service. South African Airways is the largest operator with six flying mostly on Cape Town routes. Other current operators include Aerolíneas Argentinas (4), Royal Jordanian (4), Egypt Air (3) and Conviasa (1). This version is now out of production.
A340-300
The A340-300 flies 295 passengers in a typical three-class cabin layout over 6,700 nautical miles (12,400 km). This is the initial version, having flown on 25 October 1991, and entered service with Lufthansa and Air France in March 1993. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C engines and uses the Honeywell 331-350[A] APU,[15] similar to the -200. Its closest competitor is the Boeing 777-200ER.
The A340-300E, often mislabelled as A340-300X, has an increased MTOW of up to 275 tonnes (606,271.2 lb) and is powered by the more powerful 34,000 lbf (151.2 kN) thrust CFMI CFM56-5C4 engines. Typical range with 295 passengers is between 7,200 to 7,400 nautical miles (13,334.4 to 13,704.8 km). The largest operator of this type is Lufthansa with 30 aircraft. It was first delivered to Singapore Airlines in April 1996, though Singapore Airlines no longer operates this model. Two A340-300 were acquired by the Flugbereitschaft of the German Luftwaffe to serve as VIP transports for the leaders of the German government and the German President. Service entry will be 2011.[17]
The A340-300 Enhanced is the latest version of this type and was first delivered to South African Airways in 2003. It received newer CFM56-5C4/P engines and improved avionics and fly-by-wire systems developed for the A340-500/-600.
The A340-300 is no longer in production with the last of 218 A340-300s delivered to a private Cayman Island company Klaret Aviation in September 2008, with the final airline delivery to Finnair in July 2008. The A340-300 will be superseded by the A350-900.
A340-500
The A340-500 was introduced as the world's longest-range commercial airliner. It first flew on 11 February 2002, and was certified on 3 December 2002 with early deliveries to Emirates. While the KC-10 Extender is the longest-ranged production aircraft, the A340-500 was the world's longest-range commercial airliner until the introduction of the Boeing 777-200LR in February 2006. The A340-500 can fly 313 passengers in a three-class cabin layout over 8,650 nautical miles (16,020 km). The direct Boeing equivalent is the 777-200LR, which entered service in February 2006, exceeding the A340-500 as the world's longest-range commercial airliner. However, the Boeing 777-200LR is subject to ETOPS restrictions.
Due to its range, the -500 is capable of travelling non-stop from London to Perth, Western Australia, though a return flight requires a fuel stop due to headwinds.[18] Singapore Airlines, for example, initially used this model in a two-class, 181-passenger layout for its Newark–Singapore nonstop route, SQ 21: an 18-hour, 45-minute "westbound" (really northbound to 70 nautical miles (129.6 km) abeam the North Pole; then south from there across Russia, Mongolia and People's Republic of China), 18-hour, 30-minute eastbound, 8,285 nautical miles (15,344 km) journey that remains the longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world.[19] By late June 2008, Singapore Airlines completed conversion of its five A340-500s to an all-Business Class configuration, with 100 seats, due to high-end passenger demand. These aircraft are also used on the SQ Los Angeles–Singapore nonstop route.
Thai Airways International flew this model on nonstop flights from Bangkok to Los Angeles and New York/JFK, but terminated its New York service on 1 July 2008 due to increased fuel costs. A major U.S. airline magazine reported in late January 2010 that Thai was considering restarting its Bangkok-New York/JFK route with its A340-500 fleet. Thai's Los Angeles–Bangkok route is still in service. The airline's entire fleet of four A340-500s was put up for sale, but poor resale value caused Thai to withdraw them from the market in October 2008. Thai is now using some of these aircraft on thinner European routes, such as Bangkok–Athens, but may sell them all as soon as it can obtain a reasonable price. They are worth about US$180 million each. A major airplane recycler recently offered Thai US$50 million each for its A340-500 fleet, which was appropriately declined. Etihad Airways is a recent new customer.
In the first transfer of A340-500s from one airline to another, TAM Airlines leased two Air Canada aircraft for use on its São Paulo–Milan route. They will be transferred to a new TAM route between São Paulo and Johannesburg later in CY2010. Additionally, Nigeria's Arik Air has acquired three A340-500s following relinquishment of their delivery positions by Kingfisher Airlines of India. Kingfisher cancelled one of its initial five-airplane A340-500 order in November 2009. A total of 36 A340-500s have been ordered by seven airlines, of which 6 are in "VIP" configuration for government operators (including Qatar and Algeria) and private owners, with 31 delivered as of June, 2010.[20]
Compared with the A340-300, the -500 features a 4.3-metre (14.1 ft) fuselage stretch, an enlarged wing area, significant increase in fuel capacity (around 50% over -300), slightly higher cruising speed, larger horizontal stabilizer and smaller vertical tailplane. The A340-500/-600 has taxi cameras to help the pilots during ground maneuvers. The A340-500 is powered by four 53,000 lbf (240 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 553 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331-600[A] APU.[21]
The A340-500HGW (High Gross Weight) version has a range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km) and a MTOW of 380 tonnes (840,000 lb) and first flew on 13 October 2006. It uses the strengthened structure and enlarged fuel capacity of the A340-600HGW. The certification aircraft became the first delivery, to Thai Airways International, on 11 April 2007.[22] Kingfisher Airlines had planned to use this model to operate nonstop flights from India to North America. However, in October 2008, Kingfisher transferred three of its five delivery positions to Arik Air of Nigeria, due to the worldwide recession. Arik Air received these three A340-500s in November, 2008, and placed them in service on its new Lagos–London Heathrow route and Lagos-Johannesburg route, with a nonstop route to New York added in January, 2010. Atlanta, Miami and Houston are planned to be added later.[23][24] The A340-500HGW is powered by four 56,000 lbf (249.1 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans. Emirates is the largest operator, with ten aircraft.
A340-600
Designed as an early generation Boeing 747 replacement, the A340-600 is capable of carrying 380 passengers in a three-class cabin layout (419 in two classes) over 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km). It provides similar passenger capacity to a 747 but with 25 percent more cargo volume, and at lower trip and seat costs. First flight of the A340-600 was made on 23 April 2001.[25]: 105 Virgin Atlantic began commercial services in August 2002.[26][27] The most direct Boeing equivalent to the A340-600 is the 777-300ER.The A340-600 will eventually be replaced by the A350-1000, which will also compete with the 777-300ER.
The A340-600 is 12 metres (39 ft 4.4 in) longer than a basic -300, more than four metres longer than the Boeing 747-400 and 2.3 metres (7 ft 6.6 in) longer than the A380. It held the record for being the world's longest commercial aircraft until February 2010 with the first flight of the Boeing 747-8. The A340-600 is powered by four 56,000 lbf (249.1 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331-600[A] APU.[21] It also has an additional four-wheel undercarriage on the fuselage centre-line to cope with the increased MTOW. Airbus has made provisions for freeing additional upper deck main cabin space by providing optional arrangements for additional facilities such as crew rest areas, galleys, and lavatories upon the "stretched" A340 aircraft's lower deck.
In April 2007, The Times reported that Airbus had advised carriers to reduce cargo in the forward section by 5.0 tonnes (11,023.1 lb) to compensate for overweight first and business class sections. The additional weight causes the aircraft's centre of gravity to move forward thus reducing cruise efficiency. Airlines affected by the advisory are considering demanding compensation from Airbus.[28]
The A340-600HGW (High Gross Weight) version first flew on 18 November 2005[29] and was certified on 14 April 2006.[30] It has an MTOW of 380 tonnes (837,756.6 lb) and a range of up to 7,900 nautical miles (14,630.8 km), made possible by strengthened structure, increased fuel capacity, more powerful engines and new manufacturing techniques like laser beam welding. The A340-600HGW is powered by four 60,000 lbf (266.9 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 560 turbofans.
Emirates became the launch customer for the -600HGW when it ordered 18 at the 2003 Paris Air Show;[31] but postponed their order indefinitely and later cancelled. Rival Qatar Airways, which placed its order at the same airshow, took delivery of only four aircraft with the first aircraft on September 11, 2006.[32] It has since let its purchase options expire.[33]
In March 2010 a leading British aviation magazine[who?] reported that Virgin Atlantic Airways had converted the last six remaining A340-600s on the Airbus order book to the A330 model for route expansion. (The article did not specify if the -200 or the -300 had been chosen, but it did mention Vancouver as a possible destination and that the airframes would include next-gen entertainment systems). The article stated that Airbus had converted the six orders to the A330 model leaving no more A340-600s on back order. This led the magazine to speculate that as the A350 is on its way the whole A340 line might be closed.[citation needed]
Operators
Deliveries
By the end of December 2010 a total of 379 A340s had been ordered (28 A340-200, 218 A340-300, 36 A340-500 and 97 A340-600) and 375 delivered (28 A340-200, 218 A340-300, 32 A340-500 and 97 A340-600).[1]
| 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 |
| 4 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 33 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 33 | 28 | 19 | 25 | 22 |
Accidents and incidents
As of January 2010, the A340 has not had a fatal incident, but there have been five hull-loss accidents:
- 20 January 1994 – Air France, an A340-211 (F-GNIAdisaster) was lost to fire during servicing at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
- 24 July 2001 – SriLankan Airlines, an A340-300 (4R-ADDdisaster) was blown up by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam terrorists while on the ground at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
- 2 August 2005 – Air France Flight 358, all 297 passengers and 12 crew survived a crash and fire after their A340-300 (F-GLZQdisaster) overshot runway 24L at Toronto Pearson International Airport while landing in a thunderstorm. The aircraft slid into Etobicoke Creek and caught fire. Forty-three were injured, one seriously; some passengers jumped nearly 20 ft (6 m) to the ground.
- 9 November 2007 – An Iberia Airlines A340-600 (EC-JOH) was badly damaged after sliding off the runway at Ecuador’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport. The landing gear collapsed and two engines broke off. All 333 passengers and crew were evacuated via inflatable slides, and there were no serious injuries. The aircraft was scrapped.
- 15 November 2007 – An A340-600 (F-WWCJ) was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at Airbus facilities at Toulouse Blagnac International Airport. During an engine test prior to the airplane's planned delivery to Etihad Airways,[34] the unchocked aircraft accelerated to 31 knots[34] and collided with a sloped concrete (exhaust deflection) wall, raising the nose of the plane several metres. The cockpit section broke off and fell to the ground from a significant height. The right wing, tail, and two left engines contacted the wall or ground. Nine people on board were injured, four of them seriously, and fire services were unable to stop one undamaged engine from running on accumulated fuel for almost seven hours.[34] The aircraft was written off.[35]
- 20 March 2009 – An A340-500 (A6-ERG) being used for Emirates Airline Flight 407 struck its tail multiple times during the takeoff roll from Melbourne Airport, when an incorrect flex temp was used,[36] resulting in severe damage to the rear pressure bulkhead. The aircraft returned safely to the airport after dumping fuel. No serious injuries were reported among the 225 passengers. The aircraft was expected to be written off. However, as Flight EK-7608, it was flown to Airbus in Toulouse, France, for major repairs. This special, unpressurized flight was flown at 10,000 feet, lasting several days from 20 June 2009, with stops at Perth and Dubai. The repair estimate is 80 million U.S. dollars.[37]
Specifications
| Model | A340-200 | A340-300 | A340-500 | A340-600 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cockpit crew | Two | |||
| Seating capacity | 300 (2-class, typical) 240 (3-class, typical)[14] 375 maximum[38][39] |
335 (2-class, typical) 295 (3-class, typical) 375 maximum[38][39] |
359 (2-class, typical) 313 (3-class, typical) 375 maximum[38] |
419 (2-class, typical) 380 (3-class, typical) 440 maximum[38] |
| Overall length | 59.39 metres (194 ft 10 in) | 63.60 metres (208 ft 8 in) | 67.90 metres (222 ft 9 in) | 75.30 metres (247 ft 1 in) |
| Wingspan | 60.30 metres (197 ft 10 in) | 63.45 metres (208 ft 2 in) | ||
| Wing area | 361.6 square metres (3,892 sq ft) | 439.4 square metres (4,730 sq ft) | ||
| Wing sweepback | 30 degrees | 31.1 degrees | ||
| Overall height | 16.70 metres (54 ft 9 in) | 16.85 metres (55 ft 3 in) | 17.10 metres (56 ft 1 in) | 17.30 metres (56 ft 9 in) |
| Maximum cabin width | 5.28 metres (17 ft 4 in) | |||
| Fuselage width | 5.64 metres (18 ft 6 in) | |||
| Cargo capacity | 19.7 cubic metres (700 cu ft) | |||
| Operating empty weight, typical | 129,000 kilograms (284,000 lb) | 130,200 kilograms (287,000 lb) | 170,900 kilograms (376,800 lb) HGW: 174,800 kilograms (385,400 lb) |
177,800 kilograms (392,000 lb) HGW: 181,900 kilograms (401,000 lb) |
| Maximum take-off weight (MTOW) | 275,000 kilograms (606,000 lb) | 276,500 kilograms (609,600 lb) | 372,000 kilograms (820,000 lb) HGW: 380,000 kilograms (840,000 lb) |
368,000 kilograms (811,000 lb) HGW: 380,000 kilograms (840,000 lb) |
| Cruising speed | Mach 0.82 (871 km/h/537 mph at 11,000 m/36,000 ft) | Mach 0.83 (881 km/h/543 mph at 11,000 m/36,000 ft) | ||
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.86 (913 km/h/563 mph at 11,000 m/36,000 ft) | |||
| Maximum range, fully loaded | 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) | 7,400 nautical miles (13,700 km; 8,500 mi) | 8,670 nautical miles (16,060 km; 9,980 mi) HGW: 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) |
7,750 nautical miles (14,350 km; 8,920 mi) HGW: 7,900 nautical miles (14,600 km; 9,100 mi) |
| Take off run at MTOW | 2,990 metres (9,810 ft) | 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) | 3,050 metres (10,010 ft) | 3,100 metres (10,200 ft) |
| Maximum fuel capacity | 155,040 litres (34,100 imp gal; 40,960 US gal) | 147,850 litres (32,520 imp gal; 39,060 US gal) | 214,810 litres (47,250 imp gal; 56,750 US gal) HGW: 222,000 litres (49,000 imp gal; 59,000 US gal) |
195,880 litres (43,090 imp gal; 51,750 US gal) HGW: 204,500 litres (45,000 imp gal; 54,000 US gal) |
| Service ceiling | 12,527 metres (41,099 ft) | |||
| Engines (×4) | CFM56-5C | RR Trent 500 | ||
| Thrust (×4) | 139–151 kilonewtons (31,000–34,000 lbf) | 236–249 kilonewtons (53,000–56,000 lbf) | 249–267 kilonewtons (56,000–60,000 lbf) | |
Engines
| Model | Date | Engines[38] |
|---|---|---|
| A340-211 | 1993 | CFM 56-5C2 |
| A340-212 | 1994 | CFM 56-5C3 |
| A340-213 | 1994 | CFM 56-5C4 |
| A340-311 | 1993 | CFM 56-5C2 |
| A340-312 | 1994 | CFM 56-5C3 |
| A340-313 | 1997 | CFM 56-5C4 |
| A340-541 | 2003 | RR Trent 553-61 |
| A340-642 | 2002 | RR Trent 556-61 |
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- ^ a b "Airbus orders & deliveries". Airbus S.A.S.
- ^ "Aircraft Family - (A330-200) Specifications". Airbus.
- ^ Aviation Past- Airbus A330
- ^ Steve's Airshow World - Aircraft Factfile and Recognition Guide - Airbus A330
- ^ FLUG REVUE February 2000: The Airbus story
- ^ "Large capacity medium to long range airliner". Aircraft-photos.net. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/frtypen/FRA34060.htm
- ^ BCC article on Mobile call during flight dated 20 March 2008
- ^ a b Eden, Paul E. (general editor) (2006). Civil Aircraft Today. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-905704-86-6.
{{cite book}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ a b EXCLUSIVE: Enhanced A340 to take on 777
- ^ Aviation Week & Space Technology, 29 October 2007, p. 63
- ^ Airlines curb Long Flights to Save on Fuel, Wall Street Journal, 8 July 2008, pp.B1-B2
- ^ Cathay Pacific to Cut Flights to Los Angeles, Wall Street Journal, 12 August 2008, p.D3
- ^ a b "A330/A340 family: Twin-and four-engine efficiency". Airbus. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Product Catalog". Honeywell. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
- ^ Airclaims Jet Programs
- ^ "Bundeswehr will im Eiltempo neue Regierungsflugzeuge anschaffen". Der Spiegel. 2008-03-07. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ^ Clark, Andrew (2004-06-29). "Record longest flight flies in the face of its critics". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Singapore Air makes longest flight". CNN. Archived from the original on 2007-12-25.
- ^ AIRBUS Industrie Orders and Deliveries Website: June, 2010.
- ^ a b "Product Catalog". Honeywell. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
- ^ Jetphotos Airbus A340-541HGW HS-TLD JetPhotos.net
- ^ Kingfisher Purchases Five Airbus A340-500 flykingfisher.com
- ^ "Kingfisher grows its Airbus fleet with purchase of five A340-500" (Press release). Airbus. 24/4/06. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Norris, Guy. Airbus A340 and A330. USA: MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-0889-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthor=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "VIRGIN ATLANTIC'S A340-600 - THE LONGEST PLANE IN THE WORLD - TAKES ITS FIRST COMMERCIAL FLIGHT". Asiatraveltips.com. 1/8/2002. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Virgin Atlantic's A340-600 - the Longest Plane in the World - Takes its First Commercial Flight". Pressreleasenetwork.com. 5/8/2002. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Robertson, David (2007-04-07). "Carriers ponder compensation claims against Airbus for overweight aircraft". The Times. London. Retrieved 2007-04-07.[dead link]
- ^ "New A340-600 takes to the skies". 2005-11-18. Archived from the original on May 19, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
- ^ "Newly certified A340-600 brings 18% higher productivity". 2006-04-14. Archived from the original on June 16, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
- ^ "Emirates orders 41 additional Airbus aircraft". 2003-06-16. Archived from the original on May 19, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
- ^ "Qatar Airways First Airbus A340-600 Arrives In Doha". www.qatarairways.com
- ^ "First Boeing jet of many touches down in Qatar".
- ^ a b c "Accident survenu le 15 novembre 2007 sur l'aérodrome de Toulouse Blagnac à l'Airbus A340-600 numéro de série 856" (PDF) (in French). BEA (Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile). Retrieved 2009-11-04.
- ^ "Toulouse accident occurred as Airbus A340 was exiting engine test-pen". Flight Global.com. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
- ^ Australian Transport Safety Bureau. ATSB Interim report AO-2009-012. 18 December 2009. Viewed 20 December 2009.
- ^ "Accident: Emirates A345 at Melbourne on 20 Mar 2009, tail strike and overrun on takeoff". Aviation Herald. 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ a b c d e "Type Certificate Data Sheet A.015 AIRBUS A340 Issue 20" (PDF). European Aviation Safety Agency. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- ^ a b 375 When four A type doors fitted
External links
| External image | |
|---|---|
| Airbus A340-300 cutaway | |
 Airbus A340-300 cutaway from Flightglobal.com |