Airbus A340

The Airbus A340 is a four-engine, long-range, wide-body jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industries, a consortium of European aerospace companies, the A340 was assembled in Toulouse, France. It has capacity for up to 375 passengers in the standard versions and up to 440 in the 600 series, which is the longest. Depending on the model, it has a range of between 12,400 and 17,000 km. It is similar in design to the twin-engined A330, with which it was designed concurrently. The A340 ceased production in October 2011 due to low demand.

Airbus built the A340 in four different fuselage lengths. The initial version, A340-300, which entered service in 1993, is 59.39m long. The shorter version, the 200 series, was developed later and the 500 and 600 series were created as stretched versions of the −200. The longest, the A340-600, with its 75.3 m length, became the longest commercial aircraft in the world until the appearance of the Boeing 747-8 in 2011. The first two models are powered by CFM International CFM56- 5C, 151 kN thrust each, while Rolls-Royce exclusively supplied the engines for the heavier and longer-range versions -500 and -600, the 267 kN Rolls-Royce Trent 500. Early versions of the A340 share the A330's fuselage and wings, but the longer −500/600 models also have larger wings.

Launch customers Lufthansa and Air France put the A340 into service in March 1993. As of September 2011, the airlines had ordered a total of 379 A340s (not including private operators), of which 375 they had already been delivered. The last unit to be delivered to an airline was an A340-642X from the Spanish Iberia, put into service in July 2010 with registration EC-LFS "Mexico City"

The most widely used model is the A340-300, with 218 delivered, while Lufthansa is the largest operator of the A340, with 64 aircraft purchased. This aircraft is used on long-haul transoceanic routes due to its immunity from ETOPS rules; however, with improved engine reliability, airlines are progressively replacing the model in favor of more efficient long-range twins.

Airbus announced on November 10, 2011, that it was ending the A340 program due to a lack of new orders.

History

Back of a regular economic cabin 2-4-2 of A340 (e.g. Etihad Airways).

When Airbus designed the A300 during the 1970s, it envisioned a broad family of aircraft to compete with Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas, two established North American aerospace manufacturers. From the moment of its creation, Airbus had begun studies of variants of the Airbus A300B in support of this long-term project. Before the commissioning of its first aircraft, Airbus had defined nine possible versions of the A300 known as A300B1 to B9. There was a tenth version, the A300B10, conceived in 1973 and the first to enter the production line. It became known as the A310 and was basically a smaller version with a longer range. Following this, Airbus focused its efforts on the single-aisle market, resulting in the A320 Family, the first digital fly-by-wire commercial aircraft. The decision to work on the A320 project, instead of the four-engine aircraft proposed by the Germans, creating divisions within the company. While the "single aisle" (later to become the successful A320 programme) were intended to challenge the successful Boeing 737 and Douglas DC-9 in the single-aisle market, Airbus regained interest in the wide-body market.

The A300B11, a four-engine derivative of the A310, with a capacity for between 180 and 200 passengers, and a range of 11,000 km, was considered a replacement for the less efficient Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, which were still in service. service at that time.

The A300B11 followed another design, the A300B9, a larger version of the A300 developed from the 1970s to the 1980s. It was essentially a stretched A300 powered by the most powerful turbofan engines of the day. This model was focused on the growing demand for medium-haul, high-capacity transcontinental routes. Offering the same range and payload as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, with 25 to 38% lower fuel consumption, the B9 was considered the natural replacement for the DC-10 and Lockheed L- 1011 Tristar. To differentiate this program from SA "Single Aisle" studios, B9 and B11 were renamed TA9 and TA11 (TA "Twin Aisle" " Double Corridor"), respectively. In an effort to save development costs, it was decided that the two models would share a fuselage and wings. The expected savings were estimated at 500 million dollars (approximately 495 million euros). The adoption of a common wing structure also had a technical advantage: the TA11's outboard engines could counteract the weight of the longer-range model, providing bending relief. Another decisive factor was the preference of a sector of the company, and most importantly, the potential customers of the plane. Airbus Vice President of Strategic Planning Adam Brown recalled:

"The American operators were clearly in favor of a bimotor plane, while the Asians wanted a four-motor plane. In Europe the opinion is divided between the two. Most of the potential customers were shown in favor of a four-motor plane, although in certain conditions it is more expensive to operate than a bimotor. They liked that you could fly with an engine off and that they could fly anywhere." - ETOPS rules had not started at that time.

The first specifications for the TA9 and TA11 were submitted in 1982. While the TA9 had a range of 6,100 km, the TA11 was capable of flying for 12,650 km. At the same time, Airbus was also sketching out the TA12, a twin-engine derivative of the TA11 optimized for flights of up to 9,000 km.

By June 1985, coinciding with the Paris Air Show, Airbus had introduced new modifications to the TA9 and TA11, including the adoption of the A320 cockpit, the fly-by-wire control system > and the side-stick for steering control. Standardizing the cockpit design would allow operators to realize significant cost savings, and would mean that crews could transition from one to the other after a week of training. The TA11 and TA12 would use the forward and rear fuselage sections of the A310. The different sections of the aircraft were modular and interchangeable with other Airbus models, which reduced production, maintenance and operating costs.

Airbus briefly considered the implementation of a variable geometry wing, which meant that the wing could modify its profile to adopt the optimal shape in each phase of flight. The studies were carried out by British Aerospace (BAe) in Hatfield and Bristol. The company calculated that it would produce an improvement in aerodynamic efficiency of 2%, however, the plan was later discarded due to the high cost and difficulty in its development.

The European Airbus established contacts with the North American McDonnell Douglas to jointly produce the AM 300, an aircraft that would have combined the wings of the Airbus A330 with the fuselage of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. However, McDonnell insisted on the continuation of his three-engine scheme, which led to the breakdown of negotiations. Finally McDonnell Douglas, pushed by the commercial failure of its MD-11, which competed directly with the A340, was absorbed by Boeing.

On January 27, 1986, the Supervisory Board of Airbus Industrie held a meeting in Munich, West Germany, after which Board Chairman Franz Josef Strauss released a statement:

"Airbus Industrie is now in position to finalize the detailed technical definition of TA9, which is now officially designated A330 and TA11, now called A340, with potential launch customers, and to discuss with them the terms and conditions".

The designations of both models were reversed as the companies thought it illogical for a twin-engine aircraft to have a "4" in his model, while a four-engine does not. On May 12, Airbus sent new sales proposals to five airlines, including Lufthansa and Swissair.

The program was launched in 1988, as a long-range complement to the A320 (short-range) and A300 (medium-range). At that time, the Boeing 767, which was the most modern long-range wide-body aircraft at the time, had a disadvantage compared to the Boeing 747. That problem was the ETOPS regulation, whereby twin-engine aircraft had to fly to emergency airports in a radius closer than those with four motors. The A340 was devised to solve this problem and compete with the Boeing 747.

Airbus engineers designed this aircraft at the same time as the Airbus A330, with which it shares wings and a similar fuselage structure. Both also included the advanced fly-by-wire avionics of the A320.

The original intention was to use IAE's new superfan motors, but the company canceled their development, so CFMI's CFM56-5C4 were chosen instead. When the prototype first flew in 1991, engineers found a design flaw: The wings weren't strong enough to support the outboard engines at cruising speed without vibrating. To solve this problem, a bulge was developed on the intrados of the wing called the plastron. The A340 entered service in 1993 with Lufthansa and Air France.

In November 2011, after 2 years without any orders and after manufacturing 387 devices, the end of the project was announced. The last aircraft (type 542CJ, build number 1102) was delivered on December 7, 2012 to the Government of Kuwait—

A340-600 Components

GermanyGermany - United States - France

Electronics

System	Country	China	Notes
Model-based development environment		Esterel Technologies	SCADE
Programming language			Lustre
Data networks			ARINC 429, CAN
Primary flight control computers (FCPCs)		Aérospatiale ADL	3
FCPC Software		Aérospatiale
CPUs of the FCPC		Intel	IntelDX4 32 MHz
ADIRUs		Honeywell	3
Sensors AoA (option)		Thales	3
Sensors AoA (option)		Goodrich Corporation	3
Secondary flight control computers (FCSC)		Sixth Avionique	2
FCSC Software		Aérospatiale
CPUs of the FCSC		Analog Devices	SHARC 40 MHz
Flight Warning Computer Software (FWC)		Aérospatiale
Screen management computers (DMC) of the electronic instrument system (EIS1, CRT, original)		Diehl Aerospace	3
Screen management computers (DMC) of the electronic instrument system (EIS2, LCD, option 2003)		Diehl Aerospace	3
Weather radar (option 2002)		Honeywell	RDR-4B
Weather radar (option 2005)		Collins Aerospace	Multiscan WXR-2100
Weather radar (option 2010)		Honeywell	RDR-4000
Weather radar (option 2015)		Collins Aerospace	Multiscan WXR-2100 V2
Weather radar (option 2015)		Honeywell	RDR-4000 V2
TAWS (option)		Honeywell	EGPWS
TAWS (option 2004)		ACSS	T2CAS
TAWS (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
RAAS (option 2004)		Honeywell	EGPWS
SmartLanding (option)		Honeywell	EGPWS MK V
SmartRunway (option)		Honeywell	EGPWS MK V
ATSAW (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
ATSAW (option)		Honeywell	CAS-100
ACAS II (option 1997)		ACSS	TCAS 2000
ACAS II (option 2004)		ACSS	T2CAS
ACAS II (option 2007)		ACSS	TCAS 3000
ACAS II (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
ACAS II (option)		Honeywell	CAS-81 (obsolete in 2017)
ACAS II (option)		Honeywell	CAS-100
ACAS II (option)		Rockwell Collins	TTR-2100
Transponder (option 1996)		ACSS	XS-950 (obsolete in 2017)
Transponder (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
Transponder (option 2016)		ACSS	NXT-800
Transponder (option 2007)		Rockwell Collins	TPR-901
Transponder (option 2017)		Honeywell	TRA-100B
Flight Management Steering Enveloping Computers (FMGEC)		Thales	2
Flight Management Systems (FMS, original)		Honeywell	Honeywell FMS1
Programming languages of the Honeywell FMS1			Pascal, Ada, C++, Ensamblador
Flight Management Systems (FMS, option 2002)		Honeywell	Pegasus
Pegasus programming languages			Ada
Pegasus CPUs		AMD	29050
Flight Management Systems (FMS, option 2002)		Smiths Aerospace Thales	TopFlight FMS
Programming language of the TopFlight FMS			Ada
TopFlight FMS CPUs		Motorola	68040
Flight Management Systems (FMS, option 2013)		Honeywell	Pegasus II
Pegasus II CPUs		Honeywell	29KII

Propulsion

System	Country	China	Notes
Verification and validation based on fuel system models		MathWorks	MATLAB
Programming languages (V fakeV of the fuel system)		MathWorks I-Logix	Simulink Statemate
Motor (option)		Rolls-Royce Holdings	4 × Trent 556
Motor (option)		Rolls-Royce Holdings	4 × Trent 560

Variants

Initially there were only two models, the A340-200 and the A340-300. The -200 is smaller than the -300 but has more range. Two new stretched versions were launched in 1997, the -500 (for long haul) and the -600 (high capacity), entering service in 2002.

A340-200

Airbus A340-200 de Conviasa

The A340-200, with 261 passengers in a three-class configuration has a range of 13,000 km, while in the 239-seat configuration it has a range of 14,800 km. It is a shortened version of the A340-300, powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C engines. It was launched in 1987 and flew for the first time in 1992. Its production was abandoned, with only 28 units built, the majority as VIP transport, which have been operated by South African Airways (6 aircraft), Aerolíneas Argentinas (4) –pioneer airline on the Austral polar flight with these devices–, Royal Jordanian (4), Egypt Air (3), Air Leisure (4) and Conviasa (1). Currently, only Air Leisure and Conviasa continue to operate this model.

Some variants of this version were made, such as the A340-200X and A340-213X. These were not very popular and are therefore no longer made. Within the framework of the Paris air show, an A340-200 dubbed World Ranger, suitably prepared, took off and went around the world with a single stop in Auckland (New Zealand), achieving six world records, among them the longest non-stop flight for passenger planes with 19,277 kilometers traveled.

The most important virtue of the A340-200 was its autonomy, which even surpassed that of its popular brother, the A340-300, maintaining similar avionics and performance conditions. The A340-200 is the only version of the A340 family whose wingspan is greater than its length. With this format and configured for 240 passengers, its autonomy borders 15,000 kilometers. However, these arguments were not enough to ensure a project that, despite the fact that there are still units flying, has been canceled for several years.

Air Madagascar A340-300 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

A340-300

It first flew on October 25, 1991, entering service with Lufthansa and Air France in March 1993. It can carry 295 passengers in the typical three-class configuration. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C engines, similar to those of the -200.

As well as the A340-200, this one also has a few variants:

• The A340-313X, a heavier version of the A340-300. The first deliveries were for Singapore Airlines in April 1996.
• The first A340-313E was delivered to Swiss International Air Lines in 2003. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 275 t, with a range of 13 500 km with the typical configuration of 295 passengers. They are powered by the most powerful CFM56-5C4 engine.

Azerbaijan Airlines A340-542

A340-500

It was the longest-range aircraft in the world (16,000 km) until Boeing introduced the Boeing 777-200LR in 2005. It can carry 315 passengers in a three-class configuration. It was used on ultra-long-haul routes, such as Singapore Airlines' Singapore-Newark route (the world's longest non-stop as of October 2013, a total flight time of 18 hours and 45 minutes). The A340-500 first flew on February 11, 2002, and was certified on December 3 of that same year. The first deliveries were for the Emirates company.

The -500 is 3.3m longer than the -300; its wings are larger, it has much more fuel capacity, a slightly higher cruise speed, larger horizontal stabilizers, and less drift. It has parking cameras, which allow pilots to better control the plane when maneuvering on the ground. It is powered by four 236 kN Rolls Royce Trent 533 turbofan engines.

A340-642X by Lufthansa in final approach to the 20R track of Changi Airport

A340-600

It was designed to replace the first generation Boeing 747. It can carry 380 passengers in the typical 3-class configuration over 14,600 km. Although it can carry a similar number of passengers as the first Boeing 747s, it can carry twice as much cargo at less cost. The aircraft's maiden flight was made on April 23, 2001. Virgin Atlantic began commercial flights in August 2002.

Its length is 17.4 meters less than the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 hexajet. At 75.3 m, it was the longest passenger aircraft, until the arrival of the Boeing 747-8 (the successor to the Boeing 747-400). The 600 series aircraft are powered by 4 Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofan engines and also have four additional wheels on the central axis of the fuselage to support the increased weight.

Operators

A340 operators by number of operational aircraft (20 September 2019):

Civilian Operators

A340 by HiFly Malta

• Lufthansa: 27
• Mahan Air: 10
• European Aviation: 9
• Hi Fly Malta: 6
• European Cargo: 6
• Edelweiss Air: 5
• Legend Airlines: 4
• Swiss International Air Lines: 4
• Conviate 3
• Maleth-Aero: 3
• Kam Air: 3
• Plus Ultra: 3
• Global Aviation: 3
• Azerbaijan Airlines: 3
• Air X Charter: 2
• Sky Prime: 2
• Syrian Air: 2
• Hifly: 2
• South African Airways: 1
• Air Madagascar: 1
• Las Vegas Sands Corporation: 1
• Iran Aseman Airlines: 1

Military Operators

• Luftwaffe: 2

Old Operators

Airbus A340-300X Airlines Argentinas

Airbus A340-600 by Iberia

Airbus A340-300 from Kuwait Airways

Lan Airlines Airbus A340-300.

Swissair A340-300 landing at Narita Airport

Africa

AlgeriaAlgeria

• Air Algérie (3)

EgyptEgypt

• Egyptair (4)

Mauritius

• Air Mauritius (8)

NamibiaNamibia

• Air Namibia (2)

NigeriaNigeria

• Arik Air (2)

America

Argentina

• Airlines Argentinas (13)

CanadaCanada

• Air Canada (15)

ChileChile

• LAN Airlines (5)

SurinameSuriname

• Suriname Airways (2)

Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago

• Caribbean Airlines (2)

Venezuela Venezuela

• Latin America (1)
• Avior Airlines (1)

Asian

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia

• Saudia (4)

BaréinBaréin

• Gulf Air (10)

QatarQatar

• Qatar Airways (4)

ChinaChina

• Air China (12)
• China Eastern Airlines (10)
• Hainan Airlines (3)

United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

• Emirates (18)
• Etihad Airways (13)

Hong KongHong Kong

• Cathay Pacific (25)

India

• SpiceJet (1)

IndonesiaIndonesia

• Garuda Indonesia (3)

IranIran

• Iran Air (1)

JordanJordan

• Royal Jordann (4)

KuwaitKuwait

• Kuwait Airways (6)

MalaysiaMalaysia

• AirAsia X (2)

PakistanPakistan

• Airblue (2)

Republic of China

• China Airlines (7)
• Mandarin Airlines (1)

SingaporeSingapore

• Singapore Airlines (22)

Sri LankaSri Lanka

• SriLankan Airlines (7)

Thailand

• Thai Airways (10)

Europe

GermanyGermany

• Eurowings (2)

AustriaAustria

• Austrian Airlines (4)

BelgiumBelgium

• Air Belgium: (4)
• Brussels Airlines (2)
• Sabna

SpainSpain

• Iberia (48)
• Air Europa (1)

France

• Air France (30)
• French Air and Space Army (2)
• XL Airways France (1)
• Corsairfly (1)

IcelandIceland

• Air Atlanta Icelandic (4)

LuxembourgLuxembourg

• Global Jet Luxembourg (1)

MaltaMalta

• Airhub Airlines (3)

Norway Norway

• Norwegian Air Shuttle (2)

Portugal

• TAP Air Portugal (4)

United KingdomUnited Kingdom

• Virgin Atlantic Airways (29)
• Klaret Aviation (1)

Sweden Sweden

• Scandinavian Airlines System (8)

SwitzerlandSwitzerland

• Swissair

TurkeyTurkey

• Turkish Airlines (9)

Oceania

French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia

• Air Tahiti Nui (6)

Deliveries

Information up to the end of December 2012, the year of the last delivery.

Accidents and incidents

Until mid-2016, the Airbus A340 had been involved in several notable accidents and flight incidents —including takeoff and landing phases—, often linked to main landing gear problems, but none with fatalities. There were also a certain number of incidents, with or without total loss of the aircraft, caused by fire, collision, terrorist action and attempted hijacking:

Total loss

Air France Flight 358 - A340-313X (F-GLZQ), August 2, 2005

On August 2, 2005, an Air France Airbus A340-313X (registration F-GLZQ) that was on the Paris-Toronto route, had a runway departure when landing at the latter airport due to bad weather conditions, not being able to stop on time and leaving at the end of the track. It had 309 people on board (297 passengers + 12 crew) who emerged unharmed from the accident thanks to the quick action of the crew. The aircraft caught fire while emergency units were arriving.

Iberia Flight 6463 - A340-642 (EC-JOH), November 20, 2007

On November 9, 2007, an Iberia Airbus A340-642 (registration EC-JOH) that covered the Madrid-Quito-Guayaquil route-Suffered an accident when landing at the now closed Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito. The runway was too short and they had to land at the end of the runway, and because of the landing force to land as soon as possible, the brakes and reverse engines were damaged, rendering them useless, causing the plane to go out. track. Its 349 occupants were unharmed. Due to the structural damage suffered, the aircraft had to be dismantled and destroyed.

Incidents

Virgin Atlantic (G-VSKY) A340-311, 5 Nov 1997

On 5 November 1997, a Virgin Atlantic A340-311, which had already experienced a landing gear problem on its first approach to London Heathrow Airport, carried out an emergency landing with the gear left main landing only partially extended by broken and missing 6th wheel torsion bar pin subsequently found beyond the end of runway 24L at Los Angeles International Airport, the airport of departure. The crew made a very skillful landing and the evacuation was completed with minor injuries to 5 passengers and 2 crew.

A340-211 from Sabena (OO-SCW), 29 August 1998

On August 29, 1998, Sabena flight SN542 from New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport was about to land at Brussels-Zaventem International Airport when the pilot observed that the wind was strong. from 330° at 15 knots while the tower had reported a wind of 260° at 5 knots and, then, he prepared for landing with a crosswind. The landing was normal but a strange noise followed by increasingly strong vibrations was noted and the aircraft veered to the right and skidded off the runway. There was no fire and an emergency evacuation was completed with no injuries. Apparently due to a fatigue crack, the right main landing gear had completely separated and struck and damaged the horizontal stabilizer on the same side.

A340-541 Emirates Airlines (A6-ERG), March 20, 2009

On March 20, 2009, an Emirates Airlines A340-541 began takeoff roll from runway 16 at Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport for a scheduled passenger flight to Dubai. Having reached the programmed speed, the rotation did not take place and on a second attempt the nose rose too much and the tail of the aircraft made contact with the runway, but it was not able to take off until the commander applied maximum power to the 4 engines and thus the device took off. It re-landed with substantial damage to the tail, and lighting elements and the ILS were also destroyed on takeoff. During the review of the data entered for the calculation of the takeoff parameters, the crew realized that the weight used for said calculation was 100 Tm less than the real one and, consequently, an engine power and speed were applied. wrong rotation. There were no casualties, no injuries.

Etihad Airways Airbus A340-600 (A6-EHG) November 15, 2007

A new A340-600, registration A6-EHG, due to be delivered to Etihad Airways, was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at the Airbus facility at Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport in France. During a pre-delivery engine test, engineers disabled several safety systems, causing the chockless aircraft to accelerate to 31 knots (57 km/h) and collide with a concrete blast deflection wall. The aircraft was severely damaged and nine people on board were injured, four of them seriously. The right, tail and left wing engines made contact with the ground or wall, leaving the front of the aircraft raised several meters and rupturing the cockpit.

Technical characteristics

Descriptive geometry of the Airbus A340-600.

Geometric comparison of Airbus A340 aircraft family.

Source: Airbus official specifications for the A340 Family: A340-200, A340-300, A340-500 and A340-600.

Motors