A320 Family Ties

Before we design an aircraft, there are a lot of people we listen to:

- the businessman is interested in saving time,

- the cabin crew want the aircraft to be user friendly,

- the ground crew want easy maintenance,

- the pilot wants the aircraft to be dependable and easy to handle,

- management are interested in the bottom line and our sales team want an aircraft that can go out and beat the competition with.

So when we have done the listening, we started to design a new generation150 seat. And what we design has been a great success on original linesall over the world.With the latest electronics Flight By Wire control and a new approachto the man machine interface, the A320 really is the state of the art incommercial aviation. But to the Airbus Industry approach to the successis to go further.

By getting our ideas clear at the design stage we have made the A320 the start of a real family.

For example, to stretch the 150 seat A320 into a 190 seat A321 we have simply to make local re-enforcements to the wing and center section and some minor changes to the flight control software. The rest could stay virtually the same.The A321 is an A320 with two extra fuselage sections and room for 36 more paying customers. In the same way we have been able to shorten the A320 to create the A319, the most economic member of the family.These three aircrafts between them cover the needs of the airlines from 124 to 185 seats.This family design makes it easier for an airline to cope with daily or seasonal variations in traffic and keep maintenance costs down because of the fleet effect.

COMFORT

The family effect is all the greater because the initial design was right. For passengers, this means an aircraft that is comfortable and convenient in every class.The versatility of the single aisle cabin lets operate as to match the market. First, business or economy class layouts as passenger demand requires. On regional flights, this means an equal comfort and useful flexibility for the airline.

FLEXIBILITY

The cabin intercommunication system makes it easy to vary cabin configuration. With the wide aisle, cabin crew and passengers can move more easily. A standard A321 with 196 passengers has a turn round time of only 34 minutes and this reduces to 29 minutes with the wide aisle option, 11 minutes faster than the competition.

EFFICIENCY

When the baggage isn't left behind, the cargo compartments can be unloaded and reloaded well within the passenger turn round time. 70% of A320 users have opted for the containerization system based on the LD 3 standard. A wise choice when you consider the increasing proportion of an airline income that comes from freight. Although the A321 is only 18% longer than the A320, its underfloor capacity is 40% greater, room for three more containers.

TECHNOLOGY

Advanced composite materials and the best aluminum alloys produce arugged yet light airframe. High structural efficiency directly reduces operating costs.The A321 and A319 are assembled in Germany at a purpose built Deutsch Airbus plant.Since potential corrosion problems are addressed at source, structural inspection programs are simplified reducing maintenance costs and enhancing resell value. More advanced technology can be seen in the wings which are lighter and optimized for computer control flight. Because of better aerodynamics, they made the A320 and the A321 the most fuel efficient commercial jets on the market.

RANGE

The Airbus A321 cost per passenger mille is by far the lowest in its category.The A319 has the lowest fuel consumption.The engines too interface with the flight by wire controls and the autopilotsystem. The whole family has the same man machine interface. The Primary Flight Display alone replaces six conventional electromagnetic instruments. Information is displayed on a six cathode ray tubes when it is needed, thus reducing the crew's workload.A major asset of computer-aided design is ease of access to system operation parameters. This is an advantage for the Centralized Fault Display System (CFDS), the key to maintenance guidance.

Any failure is analyzed, the faulty component identified, the diagnosis made, and if necessary the information is transmitted to the ground in real time for time saving repair.The A320 family ties really come into their own when it comes to maintenance. Virtually all despairs, test devices and procedures are identical. No need for extra stocks or special training or facilities in service staff are available for the whole family.

FLEET ADVANTAGE

In terms of maintenance operating A320s, A321s and A319s is the same as operating a single type. The savings are enormous, common equipment, common staff. For cabin crew, the cabin is a just a little longer or shorter. For pilots the aircraft are virtually the same. They react in the same way to the same commands. This is true of all Airbus Industry new generation aircraft from the A319 to the four engine A340. The simulator is common to the whole family. Basic crew conversion costs are therefore much lower for airlines, which base their fleets on Airbus technology. Because the crews can be used on different aircraft, operations are more flexible and efficient.

Designing a 192/200 seater based on the A320 was a natural step. The cost effectiveness of the idea is even clearer in market forecast. The advent of the A319 is perhaps even more inhibitive. Now airlines can adapt a slack operating periods and expand their commercial networks to second relines while keeping the fleet effect. The A319 opens up development perspectives for smaller airlines too by providing them now with a high quality aircraft that would go on being attractive. By founding the first real family of aircraft, Airbus Industry has created a novel concept based on standardization and maximum commonality. We have provided the market with three cost effective aircrafts, which operate efficiently together.

This family works as a team.

from A320 Technical Training Manual