Aircraft Factfile and Recognition Guide - Airbus A340

Background

During the 1980's Airbus had designed an experimental model called the TA11.  In January 1986 Airbus announced the development of the TA11, which was renamed the A340.  It would be a twin-aisle aircraft that would replace the older 707 and DC-8 at the distant routes which didn't need the big passenger capacity of the 747.  Its range would be up to 13,000 km.  At the beginning, the A340 was planned to use the new superfan engines of IAE (International Aero Engines).  A problem came up when IAE decided to stop the development of the superfan engines.  So, Airbus agreed with CFM International and the A340 would use the CFM56-5C4.

The assembly line of the A340 was decided to be in Toulouse, France.  Parts of the fuselage are manufactured in Germany and the wings in England.  The cockpit of the A340 is a completely digital one with six multi-function displays.  In addition, Airbus uses sidesticks instead of the classic yokes, similar to the A320. The avionics of the aircraft are very advanced.  It uses a FBW (Fly-by-wire) system, a system that permanently removes the mechanical control of the aircraft and replaces it by electric signals, and other electronics that make each flight very safe and reliable. Furthermore, it is constructed by the most advanced materials.

The A340 is offering comfort and economy at a very low cost.  A brand-new communications system was designed for the aircraft, which includes telephones, fax etc. Passengers also have more space and privacy than in other competitive aircraft because of the A340's dimensions.  New entertainment systems are also available.

Recently, Airbus decided to develop two new versions of the A340 - the A340-500 and the A340-600.  These two new versions have the same wing which is based on the wing of the previous models but it is 5.2ft (1.6m) longer.  This wing has an increased area, which means bigger fuel capacity as inside the wing there are bigger fuel tanks.  Furthermore, the other serious change is the use of A340-200's larger fins and the enlarged horizontal stabilizers.  To face the increased weights the central main gear has four wheels instead of the two wheels of its predecessor.  In addition the cockpit of the -500 and -600 has LCD displays instead of the CRT, which were used at the previous versions.

The A340-500 is a version that offers the longest range of the world.  It is an upgraded version which is bigger and has new engines, the Rolls-Royce Trent 553, which offer more power and greater range, as they consume less fuel.  Distant cities that couldn't be non-stop connected can now be serviced by the new -500.  Its maximum range is 16,050 km. Many airlines placed orders for the aircraft and the first -500's have being delivered.  The A340-500 made its first flight on February 11, 2002.  The A340-600 is the longest, largest, farthest, fastest, highest, quietest and smoothest A340 produced.  It can carry up to 400 passengers at a very low cost.  It is the ultimate version of the A340 with many upgrades and a maximum range of 13,900km.  It uses four Rolls-Royce Trent 556 that offer high speeds and very low fuel consumption.  The first presentation of the A340-500/600 was at the Paris airshow in 1997.  The A340-600 made its first flight in April 23, 2001.  Emirates and Virgin Atlantic are some of the airlines which ordered many brand-new A340-600s.

Recognizing the Airbus A340

The A340 is a very easy airliner to identify from the ground and in the air. Here's some tips on how to identify the A340:

Wings: Large, swept back with out-canted winglets.
Engine(s): Two turbofan engines slung underneath each wing with winglets.
Fuselage: Top of fuselage carries a straight line from the cockpit to the tail fin (similar Boeing 767-400 has a conical-shaped fuselage). If you see an aircraft with the above wings and engine features and it has a short fuselage, it is an A340-200. The longer fuselage represents an A340-300.  To determine the A340-500 and A340-600, the -600 has the longer fuselage while the -500 has a slightly shorter fuselage.  Take note of the engines as well to determine A340-200/A340-500 and A340-300/A340-600 comparisons.
Tail: Large rudder, compared to Boeing 777.

Note that on the ground, the -200 and -300 have a single-bogie center landing gear while the -500 and -600 have a double-bogie center landing gear.

Specifications
 

Sources: Aircraft Photos.net A340 Factfile, Aerospaceweb.org A340 Factfile, Wikipedia A340

© 2004-2007 Steven Holzinger