Airbus A318
- CountryEuropean consortium
- Type100 seat regional airliner
- PowerplantsTwo Pratt & Whitney PW-6000 or CFM International CF56-5 turbofans with a thrust range from 96.0kN (21,600lb) to 105.9kN (23,800lb)
- PerformanceMax operating Mach No. M0.82 Range at 59 tonne (129,955lb) takeoff weight 2780km (1500nm), range at 61.5 tonne (135,463lb) takeoff weight 3705km (2000nm).
- WeightsStandard max takeoff 59,000kg (130,100lb), optionally up to 68,000kg (149,900lb). Typical operating weight empty 38,375kg (84.600lb)
- DimentionsWing span 34.09m (111ft 10in), length 31.44m (103ft 2in), height 12.56m (41ft 2in), wing area 122.6m2 (1320ft2)
- CapacityFlightcrew of two. Standard seating for 107 passengers (eight premium class at four abreast and 97cm/38in pitch, 99 economy class at six abreast and 81cm/32in pitch). Single class seating for 117 at 81cm (32in) pitch at six abreast.
- ProductionBy Jan.2002 total orders for the A318 stood at 114. Initial deliveries planned for late 2002.
The A318 will be Airbus' smallest carrier and is the European maker's first invasion into the 100 seat market.
Airbus' introductory endeavors at creating a 100 seat aerial shuttle were centered around the all new Ae31x system (coating the gauge 95 seat Ae316 and 115-125 seat Ae317) which Airbus and Alenia, as Airbus Industrie Asia, were creating in conjunction with AVIC of China and Singapore Technologies. The Ae31x program emerged out of prior Chinese and South Korean studies for a 100 seater and a structure assention blanket its advancement was marked in May 1997. However on September 3 1998 Airbus reported end of the venture saying it was not financially feasible.
The Ae31x would have flown in mid 2002 and entered administration in mid 2003. Last gathering would have been embraced at Xian in China by Xian Aircraft Company.
Indeed before the abrogation of the Ae31x program Airbus had been freely considering a base change 100 seat subordinate of the A319 secured by the A319m5 assignment (M5 = less five fuselage outlines). Emulating the Ae31x's wiping out Airbus advertised the business dispatch of the A319m5 as the A318 at the 1998 Farnborough Airshow.
Airbus declared the A318's modern dispatch in April 1999, permitting full scale advancement to get underway, allowing administration entrance in late 2002. Program advancement expense is assessed at $us300m, and the rundown unit cost $us36m.
Contrasted and the A319, the A318 is 4.5 edges shorter, decreasing standard two class seating from 124 to 107. The A318's other critical new gimmick will be its powerplant, the recently created Pratt & Whitney PW-6000 (being produced in the 67-102kn/15-23,000lb push class), however the CFM International Cfm56-5 is likewise accessible. Different progressions will incorporate a little dorsal balance added to the tail, adjusted wing camber, and a lessened size payload entryway.
Overall the A318 will hold much shared characteristic with whatever is left of the A320 family, incorporating the progressed flightdeck with side stick controllers and fly-by-wire flight controls permitting a typical sort rating, and the same six side by side fuselage cross area.
The primary flight was made on January 15, 2002 from Hamburg-Finkenwerder.
Pictures of Airbus A318
