Airbus A340 - Long-haul flights
Airbus conceived the long-range A340 airliner in 1987, intending it to complement the popular short-range Airbus A320 and medium-range Airbus A300. The A340 seats from 260 to 380 passengers, depending on the model. It has a wingspan of approximately 200 feet, and a range of anywhere between 7,500 and 10,200 nautical miles. The Airbus A340 has a complicated history of problems and trials. Initially, engineers planned to use a new superfan engine, but International Aero Engines decided not to make them before the A340 could be completed. Airbus was forced to turn to their second choice, the CFMI CFM56-5C4.
Airbus A340 Information
On its maiden flight, it quickly became obvious that the A340 had a fundamental design flaw: the outboard engines were too heavy for the wings. As soon as the jet hit cruising speeds, wings began warping and shaking. Fortunately, this problem was easily fixed with a plastron, a device that added stiffness beneath the wing. At last, the airliner was ready to enter service. Unfortunately, the A340 found itself at an immediate disadvantage: its twinjet engines meant it had to stay within sixty minutes’ flying distance of an airport. In other words, it couldn’t take on any long trip over water.
Airbus A340 - Competitor with Boeing 747
This caused a significant problem for Airbus as the A340’s primary competitor, the Boeing 747, did not face this issue. However, with the introduction of a four-engined model, this problem virtually disappeared. In spite of its colorful history, the A340 is a popular and successful jet, commonly used by Lufthansa, South African, and Virgin Atlantic Airlines. To date, it has also proven a remarkably safe airliner, resulting in no casualties. Its closest call came at Toronto, Canada’s international airport, when Air France flight 358 overshot the runway in a thunderstorm, slid into a creek, and broke apart. All passengers survived with injuries, although some had to leap nearly twenty feet to the ground.
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