Giants of the air
People have been fascinated by aircraft from the beginning of the history of aviation, especially by fast and big aircraft. This website is about big aircraft, in particular the so-called 'widebody' airliners.
What actually makes an airliner a widebody aircraft is the number of aisles in the cabin. 'Narrowbody' airliners have only one aisle dividing the starboard and port side sections of the cabin. Examples are the Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and 757 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80. In the economy class of these airliners there are five or six seats next to each other (two plus three or three plus three), divided by the aisle. 'Widebody' airliners accommodate seven up to ten seats next to each other, divided by two aisles.
The first widebody airliner was the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, which flew for the first time in 1969, soon followed by the smaller McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed TriStar, and a little later by the Airbus A300. All subsequent widebody airliners were smaller than the 747: the 767, the 777, the A330 and A340. But in April 2005 the Airbus A380 made its maiden flight, an aircraft even bigger and much heavier than the Jumbo Jet.
This website is about these giants, the flagships of modern air travel. Some specific cargo jet aircraft with a wide body, like the Antonov An-124 and An-225, are also included on this website.
Search the Widebody Aircraft Parade:
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Widebody chronology
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Airbus
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Boeing
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McDonnell Douglas
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Lockheed
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Ilyushin
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Antonov
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