The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range 150 passenger aircraft that was developed to compete with the Boeing 737. To date over 2,800 of these aircraft have been built. The A320 pioneered the use of fly-by-wire technology in commercial aircraft. It is the first commercial aircraft to use side stick controllers and a fully digital cockpit with 6 large LCD’s. It is the first narrow body airliner that utilizes composites in much of the main aircraft structure. The A320 has the option of adding 2 additional centerline tanks fitted in the rear baggage/cargo hold for extra range.
The A320 is the main aircraft in a family of models that have been developed since. They all share the common design of the A320 but vary in size and passenger capacity. The A318 and 319 are smaller, the A320 is slightly larger.
The A320 first flew in 1987 followed by deliveries in 1988 and is currently in production. It is powered by a choice of either 2 CFM56-5 or IAE V2500 engines.
The ACJ neo, based on the Airbus A319/320neo single-aisle airliners, can be powered with CFM International’s LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1100G-JM, both delivering enhanced fuel burn efficiency, additional range, lower emissions and engine noise. Neo models also feature sharklet wingtips, that also increase fuel efficiency. Neo stands for new engine option.
