The modern world is unimaginable without air travel. Airplanes have long been an integral part of people's lives. Indeed, thanks to this transport, you can easily be anywhere in the world in a matter of hours. Over the past decades, aircraft designers have made significant progress in their field and now several hundred aircraft models from different families are storming the sky. The most popular of them are Boeings and Airbuses. Each Russian airline has several such aircraft in its fleet. Experts are well aware of all the pros and cons of these airliners, but passengers are not always able to understand how the Boeing differs from the Airbus. In our article, we will conduct a comparative analysis of both aircraft and try to find out which aircraft is the safest.
A few words about the Boeing company
Comparison of "Boeing" and "Airbus" can be started with the history of companies that produce these aircraft. In it you can see the first differences between one aircraft and another.
Boeing celebrated its centenary last year (data for 2017). It has been operating since 1916 and boasts that it was her airliner that made the world's first flight. The company is an American brainchild, so in addition to designing and manufacturing aircraft, it is engaged in scientific research and space technology.
It is noteworthy that in the early years the company's workforce consisted not only of managers and engineers, but also of carpenters and dressmakers. They were an integral part of the team, since in those days it was impossible to make aircraft wings without seamstresses. After all, they were sewn from a special fabric, and many parts of the aircraft were carved from wood.
During the years of the economic crisis, the Boeing company produced items that were far from the aircraft industry - boats, clothes and so on. This allowed the company to overcome hard times and stay afloat. Now it is a recognized leader in aircraft design and has already produced about four thousand aircraft over the past ten years.
Airbus company: history of origin
The world first heard about this company in the seventies of the last century, when it was formed through the merger of several small airlines. Four years after its formation,the first air liner under the brand name "Airbus" was sent into the sky.
Literally from the very first days of its existence, the company received about ten thousand orders for its aircraft models and was able to almost completely fulfill them. Within a few years, Airbus quickly became the leader in Europe and a real competitor to the world's oldest company, Boeing.
It is noteworthy that a European company is considered international. This is due to the fact that its owners are four states - France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain. And many parts for airliners are made in Asian countries.
It is known that Airbus develops and produces not only passenger aircraft, but also closely cooperates with the military industry, creating equipment for the army. Not the last role in the production of the company is played by industrial transportation. For these purposes, models of transport aircraft were created.
So how is a Boeing different from an Airbus? Let's make a comparison on the main parameters that will be of interest to the reader.
Aircraft Popularity
Specialists of both companies monitor their ratings very zealously. They are ready to spend hours talking about the difference between a Boeing and an Airbus, and praising their own aircraft models. But dry statistics speaks for itself - Airbuses were able to occupy their niche in the world market, and their share is fifty and a half percent. And the Boeing account has a different share - forty-nine and a half percent.
Based on the above data, we can say with confidence that airlines prefer to buy Airbuses for themselves. However, the percentage difference between the two leaders is not too big, so Boeing has every chance to become more popular and attractive in the world market.
Visual differences
Aircraft designers at a glance will determine the external differences between aircraft of one brand from another. For this, one photo of a Boeing and an Airbus placed side by side will suffice.
The main differences can be listed in six points of the list:
- Boeing has a pointed nose, while Airbus has a rounded and more streamlined nose.
- From the photo of the Boeing, you can see that it is much lower than the Airbus.
- The tail of the first aircraft has a slight bend, while the tail of the second is completely straight.
- Boeing engines have an elongated shape tending to an oval. Airbus is equipped with absolutely round engines.
- The cockpit in each aircraft also has its own visual features. For example, "Airbus" is distinguished by absolutely straight side windows without additional sections. The Boeing cockpit has narrowed windows on the sides, divided into several sections.
- Airbus landing gear is pulled vertically into special compartments, while Boeing has a special mechanism for this, which folds the landing gear and removes them in this position.
Of course, we have listed only the main differences between both airliners. Specialists canto name a few hundred of them, but our list is enough for the average person to determine exactly which plane is in front of him.
Which plane is bigger, Boeing or Airbus?
Naturally, buyers are primarily interested in which airliner of the two presented is larger. After all, the number of passenger seats and the airline's profit depend on it. Which plane is bigger, Boeing or Airbus?
Airbus undoubtedly wins in these parameters. Given one class, he can take on board seven hundred passengers, Boeing - only five hundred.
However, the latest model is almost three and a half meters longer than the Airbus. But still, the largest double-deck aircraft belongs to a European company, the airliner can accommodate almost nine hundred passengers at the same time.
Which plane is safer - Boeing or Airbus?
This question is quite difficult to answer even for experts in the field of aircraft construction. After all, it is impossible to compare two aircraft of different classes. In this case, the results will be biased and cannot be taken into account as official data.
If you believe the statistics, we can say that Airbuses crash much less frequently than Boeings. But does this say anything about their safety? Engineers say no. In order to conduct a comparative analysis of the reliability and safety of aircraft, it is necessary to take two airliners of the same class and determine the criteriaratings. Surprisingly, with this approach, it will not be possible to identify the winner. For example, Boeings have more convenient emergency exits, while Airbuses have an automatic system that prevents pilots from taking full control.
Distances
Airlines that operate on numerous trans-main routes prefer to buy Boeings for themselves. They are able to quickly cover the longest distances. Airbuses are designed to fly shorter distances.
Comparison of class passenger compartments
Passengers in economy class will not feel much difference when traveling on aircraft of one company or another. But when upgrading the flight class, the difference can be significant.
In some Airbus airliners, business passengers have separate apartments, they can take a shower, and in other models, the cabin is divided into two separate comfortable rooms.
Business-class cabins in Boeings have more modest equipment and differ only in some technological innovations and an increased level of comfort compared to economy.
How is Boeing different from Airbus? We think that now you can easily answer this question. And you will be able to choose for your air travel exactly the aircraft that is most suitable for you and your family.
