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Directorate General for Mobility and Transport Inovation, Strategy and Sustenability Department General Office of Aviation & Related Services

Question from Jaquilene (France):

How can I tell

apart an Airbus

from a Boeing?

Answered and exemplified by

IULIAN-AUGUSTIN PAVĂL Holder of the European General Aviation License

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Nose

B734 has a more streamlined and "pointy" nose and a more streamlined

"forehead". Windshield is also different on B734 making that

characteristic corner plus the "eyebrows" which are not though standard

on all 737's.

Engines

B734 engine is thinner with the characteristic flattening at the bottom of

it. The engine cover is also longer in B734.

Tail

B734 has that characteristic aerodynamic extension on the root of the fin. Also the fin and horizontal stabilizers/stabilators are located closer to the fuselage end in B734 compared to A320

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Landing Gear

Looking at the gear adds a new hint. Some landing gears are unique,

which means that only looking at them will be enough to determine the

precise aircraft type. These very specific gears are :

B777

B747

A340 (2 different kinds for this aircraft only)

A380

It's not worth to look at the nose wheels, because there are always 2. But

the main landing gear is helpful.

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The confusing ones are twin-engined, wide or narrow bodied. Narrow

body, (single-aisle): 737, A-320, 757, (Also Embraier Em-170...195,

Sukhoi 100, Bombardier C class, Tu-204..)

Nose shape is useful. Boeings tend to be more pointed, as shown

above.

Airbus had little 'winglets' that go both above and below the wing on

their older products. Boeing winglets are much taller, with curved

transitions from wing to winglets. The latest 737 options are double-

diagonal winglets that extend above and below the wing.

737s have very short main landing gear, so their engines are mostly

ahead of the wing. Their main gear has 2 wheels (as shown above)

and the outside of the outer wheel and tire are visible from below, no

doors over them. Lots were built without winglets, but retrofits and

new airplanes have tall winglets that curve up above the wing. The

latest 737 winglets are inclined, above and below the wing, like half

an "X". Exclusive operators include Southwest (USA) and Ryanair

(Ireland).

A-318, A-319, A-320, A-321, are different lengths, short to long,

narrow bodied, similar in size to the 737 family, but have longer

landing gear legs, and their engines are under their wings. Almost all

built with small, flat, winglets, above and below the wings. Exclusive

operators include Jet Blue, Virgin America

757 family are narrow-bodied twin engined, with unusual cockpits.

They share the cockpit design of the wide-body 767, higher

numbered but designed earlier. 757s have deeper fuselages aft of

the wing than in front of the wing. Many are being retrofitted with

large winglets.

Wide body, (double-aisle): A-300, A-310, A-330, 767, 777, 787. more

later.

Three or four engine airplanes are really pretty easy:

A-380s, with two decks, full length, are Airbus products.

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747s, with small to medium upper decks behind the cockpit, are

Boeings.

727s, with three skinny, low-bypass, engines, are Boeings.

Tu-134 and 154 are three-skinny-engined, narrow bodied, with

distinctive fairings on the trailing edge of the wings into which the

main landing gear retract.

DC-10 / MD-10 / MD-11 Are wide-bodied, have high-bypass

engines, with the middle one mounted in the middle of the vertical

fin/rudder. FedEx operate them, but not exclusively. The USAF use

some as tankers.

L-1011 are wide bodied, have high bypass engines, with the middle

one mounted inside the back of the fuselage, like a 727, Tu-154, etc.

Orbital Sciences operate one as a carrier for satellite launches. The

RAF used some as tankers, nearly all are retired now.

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