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The two-engine underwing model is the most common aircraft in the sky today. There are two types: single-aisle narrow-body (the Boeing 737, 757, Airbus A320; and Embraer E-170/175/190 regional jets) and two-aisle widebody (the Boeing 767, 777, and Airbus A300/310, and A330 families). Skip directly to the section for each family of aircraft by clicking one of the links above. There's an example of photos of each type at the end. Just place your mouse over the red links in the description of each of the planes to see the illustration highlighted.
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Q The 737 is one
of the most popular jets ever sold. The -100 and -200 series were in
production from 1968 to 1988, followed by the -300 thru -500 series (also called the "737 classic") from 1984 to 1999, and the -700 thru -900 series (called "next generation") went into service in 1998. Over 5,400 737s have been sold. Most of the major airlines in America fly the 737 except for Northwest and jetBlue. |
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Q Boeing introduced the
757 & 767
in 1982 but production of the 757 ended in September 2004 and the 767 will likely be out of passenger production within a couple years. Most major airlines in America fly these jets except for the low-cost airlines like Southwest and jetBlue. |
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Q The Boeing
777 went into service in 1995. In
America only United, Delta, American, and Continental fly the 777. |
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Q The
A300 was the first aircraft produced by Airbus and
was built from 1974 to 2007. The largest operators of this aircraft are FedEx and UPS (freighter versions) while American Airlines has the largest fleet of the passenger version. |
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Q Airbus introduced the
A320 family in 1988. The
A318/319/321 models are all similar but different capacities & ranges, and are in production today at Airbus facilities in Europe. The largest operators of the A320 in North America are US Airways, United, and Northwest. |
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Q The
A330 was introduced in 1998 and is a
two-aisle widebody, similar to the Boeing 767 & 777. In North America only Northwest and US Airways fly the A330. |
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Q The
ERJ-170/175 and 190 are made by Embraer in Brazil and entered service
in 2004. These planes are still considered "regional jets" and can seat between 70 and 110 passengers, and are operated by Republic Airlines (US Airways Express), jetBlue, Shuttle America (Delta Connection & United Express), and, starting in late 2007, Compass Airlines (Northwest Airlink). |
| The 737-100 & 200 engines are long and attached directly under the wing while the newer models engines are attached to pylons in front of the wing. | |
| All 737 models have an angle where the tail meets the fuselage while the Airbus is straight. |
Boeing 737-300 thru -500 (also compares to Airbus A320)
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| Some 737 models have large curved wingtip extensions called winglets. This is not reserved only for the 700-900 series. The main difference between the "classic" and "next generation" 737s is that the 700-900s are longer and have larger wings. Inside the plane, all "next generation" 737s include a 6-LCD panel glass cockpit. | |
| The tailcone of an Airbus jet extends out further and is more tapered than a 737. In addition, all A320 family aircraft have small wingtip extensions called wingtip fences. |
Airbus A320 (typical A318/319/321) (also compares to Boeing 757 & 737)
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When viewed from the front, the 737 classic series (300 - 500) engines look flat on the bottom and not completely round. This is due to the need for ground clearance as these aircraft sit low to the ground. Airbus aircraft have a higher ground clearance and round engines. |
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| The Boeing 757 has been known to be confused with an A321 from a distance, which is the longest member of the A320 family, but it appears to be taller, with longer landing gear than the Airbus models. In actual measurements, the 757 is 6 feet taller at the tail, 9 feet longer, and has a 13 foot wider wingspan than the largest A320 version, the A321. The newest 757 version, the 757-300, is over 30 feet longer than an A321! Also, some 757s are being fitted with winglets. |
Boeing 757 (compares with Airbus A321)
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| These planes are easily confused with other Boeing and Airbus models, especially from a distance, but the one thing that stands out is the shape of its nose. The Embraer jet has a longer and more tapered nose than Boeing and Airbus jets. Also, all Embraer jets have winglets. The ERJ-190 is longer than the 170/175 versions. |
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The 767 and A300 (A310 is a shorter version of the A300) are extremely similar on the outside. One thing to look for is small wingtip fences similar to those on the A320 on many (but not all) A300/A310 models while there are few Boeing 767s with winglets. The other major difference is the top of the fuselage under the tail slopes down on the 767 but is straight all the way out to the point at the rear on the Airbus. This is common to all Airbus aircraft. |
Boeing 767
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Airbus A300/A310
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These two aircraft are the longest range twin-engine aircraft and look very similar. As noted above, the Boeing fuselage curves down under the tail while the Airbus is straight. The A330 has winglets while the 777 does not. And the tailcone at the rear of the 777 fuselage ends in a wedge shape. The A330 is a twin-engine version of the A340 (4 engines). |
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Follow the links below to see photos of these aircraft. All photos © Bruce Leibowitz
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Boeing 737-2H4/ADV Registration: N83SW Southwest Air Lines Dallas - Love Field (DAL) December 18, 2002 |
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Boeing 737-524 Registration: N33637 Continental Airlines Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) December 17, 2002 |
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Boeing 737-83N Registration: N323TZ American Trans Air Chicago-Midway Airport (MDW) August 30, 2002 |
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Airbus A320-231 Registration: N646AW America West Airlines Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airport (SEA) August 27, 2002 |
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Boeing 757-224 Registration: N19130 Continental Airlines Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) December 17, 2002 |
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Boeing 767-232 Registration: N102DA Delta Air Lines Hartsfield-Atlanta Int'l Airport (ATL) April 27, 2003 |
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Embraer ERJ-170 Registration: N640RW United Express (Shuttle America) Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD) April 29, 2007 |
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Boeing 777-236ER Registration: G-VIIH British Airways Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) December 19, 2002 |
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