Airbus A340-600 is one of the modifications of the four-engine family of wide-body A340 airliners designed for intercontinental passenger flights. The A340-600 is also the longest aircraft in this family. Its length is 75.36 meters, which is eleven meters longer than the base model, the A340-300, which is 63.69 meters long. The main purpose of the aircraft is to carry out intercontinental transatlantic passenger flights in order to create competition for the American Boeing 747 airliner.

Commercial development of the A340-600 began in 1997.

Airbus A340-600 photo

Compared to the main, basic model, the A340-300, the six hundredth version, in addition to an extended fuselage, has a larger span and a larger wing area, as well as more powerful and economical engines from the British company Rolls-Royce Group plc - Trent-556 with a thrust of 249 kN. The aircraft's cruising speed and fuel capacity were also increased. To cope with the increased weight, the aircraft received an additional central, four-wheeled landing gear.

Avionics, control and navigation devices, the fly-by-wire system on the A340-600 are unified, that is, they are used the same as in all A340 and A330 airliners, which allows pilots to easily switch from one model of aircraft of this family to another.

The passenger cabin of the A340-600 in a three-class configuration accommodates 380 passengers, in a two-class configuration 419 people and in an economical configuration can accommodate up to 440 passenger seats. At maximum load, the aircraft is capable of covering a distance of up to 14 thousand kilometers. The cargo capacity of the A340-600 aircraft is almost twice that of its American competitor Boeing 747.

The plane first took off on April 23, 2001. Also in the same year, the aircraft was first demonstrated to the general public at the 44th International Aerospace Show in Le Bourget.

After 1,600 hours of the flight test program, on May 29, 2002, the airliner received a certificate of airworthiness. And in August 2002, at the Farnborough International Air Show, the aircraft entered commercial service with the British air carrier Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, which began operating it on long-haul routes between Britain, the USA, Australia and African countries.

Production of the A340-600 airliner, as well as almost everything else model range The A340 family was suspended in 2011, with the start of work on the new Airbus A350 aircraft. In total, about 100 A340-600 aircraft were built.

Technical characteristics of the Airbus A340-600 aircraft

First flight: April 23, 2001.
Years of serial production: from 2001 to 2011
Length: 75.36 m.
Height: 17.30 m.
Empty weight: 177,000 kg.
Wing area: 439.40 sq.m.
Wingspan: 63.45 m.
Cruising speed: 890 km/h.
Maximum speed: 950 km/h.
Ceiling: 12650 m.
Maximum flight range: 14,700 km.
Take-off length: 3100 m.
Run length: 2100 m.
Engines: 4 RR Trent-556 turbofans with a thrust of 249 kN each
Crew: 2 people
Number of passenger seats: 380 seats in three classes or 440 seats in economy class.

Airbus A340-600. Gallery.

Airbus A340-600 video

The Airbus A340 is a wide-body long-haul passenger airliner developed by Airbus Industrie, which began operation in 1993.

Overview of the interior and layout of the best seats

The passenger cabin of the Airbus A340 has a three-class layout and can accommodate from 261 (A340-200 modification) to 419 passengers (A340-600 modification).

The first class cabin of the Airbus A340 can be represented by a number of seats from 6 to 8, located in one row (as shown in the diagram, this is row 1), or in two rows, which, if necessary, can be expanded and turned into comfortable beds. On some aircraft, these seats are equipped as cozy closed compartments with doors. First class passengers are provided with an exquisite menu, internet, USB charging for mobile devices, convenient screens and a multimedia entertainment system - in short, a complete package to make the flight as comfortable as possible.

However, it should be noted that first class seats located in the first row may have a number of inconveniences. The main inconvenience is that these places are located near the on-board kitchens and toilets, which ensures a steady flow of passengers and service personnel during the day and night. The bustle around these places, the slamming of doors and lights at night can seriously disturb a relaxed and relaxing holiday. Please keep this in mind when purchasing first class tickets on an Airbus A340.

Next to the first class cabin are business class seats. According to the diagram, these seats are located from rows 2 to 5. The business class of the Airbus A340 is represented by comfortable and soft seats, equipped with comfortable armrests and screens installed on the backs of the seats located opposite. The menu here, of course, is not the same as for first class, but, nevertheless, tasty and restaurant-quality. The space between the seats in business class is large enough to stretch your legs, but the seats can also be reclined and turned into beds for complete relaxation. In addition, business class seats come with a set of socks and blindfolds so that nothing can disturb passengers' restful sleep.

The most unfortunate seats for business class are those located in the back row (row 5 according to the diagram), that is, directly adjacent to the toilets and galley. These places are also associated with a constant flow of people and bustle, which interferes with proper rest.

Behind business class there is a lounge for economy class passengers. The aircraft's economy class seats are located from rows 10 to 46. This class is characterized by soft, comfortable seats, the distance between which is slightly more than 80 cm, which usually does not cause inconvenience even for tall passengers, three rows of seats in the “2-4-2” option and two fairly wide aisles in the middle of the cabin. Economy class seats on the Airbus A340 aircraft are equipped with an audio and video entertainment system and convenient screens built into the backrests of the opposite seats.

The most successful and convenient seats for economy class on an Airbus are those marked with the letters A, B, K and L, located in row 31 according to the diagram. This is explained by the fact that these places do not have other places in front of them, which significantly increases legroom for them, and the toilets are not located close, which makes these places somewhat “away” from the general bustle and flow of passengers.

Economy class seats located in rows 10 and 30 are not a very good choice. The close proximity of toilets and utility rooms creates a lot of inconvenience for passengers located here. And finally, the least successful seats for economy class are rows 27 and 45.

The history of the Airbus A340

Development of the Airbus A340 began in 1987. From the very beginning, the Airbus consortium positioned the future aircraft as a “brother” to the A320. Also, the new aircraft, named A340, was supposed to become a competitor to the Boeing-747 as a long-haul aircraft. passenger airliner. The first flight of the A340 (Airbus A340-300) was carried out on November 25, 1991, and already in 1993 the commercial use of the aircraft began.

The modification of the Airbus A340-500, presented as the longest-range aircraft in the world, was certified in December 2002, and its operation began in 2003. At the same time, the Airbus A340-600 aircraft was being developed, which had the largest passenger capacity among the A340 family. The first flight of the Airbus A340-600 took place in April 2001, and in the summer of 2002 its commercial use began.

However, due to the lower efficiency of the aircraft compared to Boeing aircraft, its demand began to seriously decline, especially with the rise in price of aviation fuel. As a result of a number of attempts to reduce the fuel consumption of the A340 and increase its popularity, Airbus company in the fall of 2011, it was forced to announce the cessation of production of the Airbus.

Airbus A340 modifications

The Airbus A340 has 4 modifications:

Airbus A340-200 is one of the first modifications of the Airbus and has a passenger capacity of 261 people with a three-class passenger cabin layout. Is the most short version A340. Has 4 CFM56-5C4/P engines. Due to the small number of passengers that the aircraft was capable of carrying, its large wingspan and relatively high operating costs led to low demand for the Airbus A340-200, which is why it is currently out of production.
The Airbus A340-300 is another of the very first modifications of the aircraft, which began operation in 1993. The passenger capacity of the Airbus A340-300 aircraft is 295 people. The aircraft is equipped with 4 CFM56-5C engines. Two additional versions of the Airbus A340-300 airliner were also developed: A340-313X (increased take-off weight) and A340-313E (installed CFM56-5C4s engines, thereby increasing take-off weight). Currently, the Airbus A340-300, like all aircraft of the A340 family, is not in production.
The Airbus A340-500 is a modification of the aircraft capable of carrying up to 313 passengers and capable of flying over a distance of up to 16 thousand kilometers. The A340-500 features a slightly larger fuselage, increased fuel capacity and higher cruising speed.
Airbus A340-600 is a modification of the Airbus A340-600, which has more powerful engines (Trent 556 from Rolls-Royce). Capable of carrying up to 419 passengers with a two-class layout or up to 380 with a three-class layout. Ranks second in the world in length among passenger aircraft. The A340-600 also has a version of the A340-600HGW with increased take-off weight and flight range and more powerful engines (Rolls-Royce Trent 560).

Brief overview of the aircraft and characteristics

The Airbus A340 is a wide-body monoplane. The wing is swept, cantilever. The fuselage of the Airbus has a semi-monocoque design. The cross section of the Airbus A340 fuselage is circular. Power point The aircraft is represented by 4 engines.

Airbus A340 characteristics:

	A340-200	A340-300	A340-500	A340-600
Wingspan, m	60,3	60,3	63,5	63,5
Wing sweep angle, °	30	30	31	31
Length, m	59,4	63,7	67,9	75,4
Height, m	16,8	16,9	17,3	17,2
Chassis base, m	23,2	25,6	27,6	32,9
Cruising speed	Max 0.82 (871 km/h)		Max 0.83 (881 km/h)
Maximum speed	Max 0.86 (913 km/h)		Max 0.86 (913 km/h)
Range of flight	15,000 km	13,700 km	16,670 km	14,600 km
Passenger capacity (3 classes)	261	295	313	380
Passenger capacity (maximum)	—	440	375	475
Cargo capacity	18 LD3 containers/6 pallets	32 LD3 containers/11 pallets	30 LD3 containers/10 pallets	42 LD3 containers/14 pallets
Engines (4 pcs.)	CFM56-5C4/P	CFM56-5C4/P	RR Trent 500	RR Trent 500
	each 151 kN	each 151 kN	each 235-249 kN	each 249 kN

The lines operate aircraft with 4 seating options in the cabin. But all ship options provide for three classes of service.

All pictures are enlarged. Click!

Interior diagram of the Lufthansa Airbus A340-600

First class - 8, Business class - 60, Economy - 238

Seats 26 ACKH with more legroom. Undoubtedly, these seats are the best in economy class on the Airbus A340-600.
Passengers wishing to sit near the window must purchase tickets with the letters A and K.

Almost the same circuit - 8F 60C 238M

Row 43 is adjacent to the aircraft galley, but is more spacious. These places may appeal to overweight people. Well, of course, best row economy class - 26th.

More spacious seating arrangement according to the 8 First 56 Business 229 Economy scheme. There are 8 seats left in the most comfortable class. Seats less in business and economy class.

This option does not include the best seats in the 26th row. But it is located by a partition, just like the 43rd. It's spacious here. True, a comfortable sleep in flight in seats 43 A C K H can be interrupted by the bustle near the galley.

Due to the proximity to the toilet they don’t seem very good good places 10G and 10D in business class.

And the last one Airbus diagram A340-600 Lufthansa, the most loaded of all. The number of seats in business class has been reduced to forty-eight, and in economy class, on the contrary, it has been increased. There are two hundred and seventy of them here.

This layout has 26 rows of seats in economy with legroom as in the first two options. Also, the 22nd row is located behind a partition, and the distance to it is still greater than the distance between the rows of seats.

Aircraft type A346 (IKAO) and 346 (IATA). The aircraft with the longest fuselage ever built by Airbus and the most capacious in the three hundred and forty family. As of December 2010, airlines ordered 97 aircraft, received 97, and have 96 aircraft in operation.

With an overall length of 75.3 meters, it accommodates 360 passengers in a three-class configuration, or 419 in a two-class configuration. This ultra-long aircraft provides operators with unrivaled standards of space, comfort and convenience in every class of service.

The wide-body four-engine Airbus A340-600 is also an ultra-long-range leader, with a range of almost fifteen thousand kilometers. Equipped for better economy on long-haul routes, it offers unrivaled operational flexibility for non-stop flights to more remote areas such as oceans or mountain ranges.

The Rolls-Royce Trent 500's four engines use only 56,000 pounds of their 60,000-pound thrust rating, resulting in them lasting longer. In addition, the use of four motors, as opposed to two large motors, reduces operating costs for operators by 13 percent.

In addition, the A340-600's four engines allow airlines to avoid being subject to Twin Engine Standards (ETOPS). This allows them to fly on more direct routes, longer distances over water or to points further away from the airport. This saves time and reduces fuel consumption.

Technical characteristics of A340-600

Airbus A340 interior


Business class cabin photo	Economy class cabin	A340 passengers are allowed to use their own Cell phones, laptops and any other communication devices.

Innovative developments in interior lighting help create the perfect ambience on board, with graceful contours softening the light. The LED lighting can be finely tuned through five zones to suit the mood of the day and night, like sunrise and sunset. Reading lights, also using LEDs, provide better light.

Air quality is a major factor in the implementation passenger transportation over long distances. For the A340, Airbus has developed air conditioning systems controlled by one touch on the screen from the cockpit to ensure maximum comfort passengers.

In addition, highly efficient filters provide fresh air, capturing 99.9% of particles and organic matter.

The temperature on board the aircraft can be adjusted separately for eight zones in the cabin. This means crew can more easily respond to individual passenger requests for temperature changes.

The picture below shows a brand new, freshly painted Airbus 340-600, one of the largest passenger aircraft ever built, sparkling with fresh paint. The photo was taken near a hangar in Toulouse (France), where a comfortable airliner is parked waiting for its team.

Finally, the airship team appeared: pilots and mechanics of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT). They had to carry out all ground tests of the purchased Arab country aircraft (primarily checking the operation of the turbines) before the A340-600 is sent to Abu Dhabi and joins the Etihad Airways fleet.

The Arab team taxied the plane to the site where turbine tests are being carried out, and... with the plane completely empty, they turned on all four turbines at full power in takeoff mode.

Being too lazy to read the Operating Instructions, the Abu Dhabi residents had no idea how light the A340-600 was, with almost no fuel, no passengers or luggage.

When the turbines were accelerated to their fullest, a siren roared with terrible force in the pilot's cabin, warning of an erroneously selected mode: the on-board computers decided that the pilots were trying to take off while the aircraft parameters were not configured for fuel and load, but the flaps and ailerons , tail, etc. not brought into the position required for takeoff.

To get rid of the annoying roar of the siren, one of the pilots pulled the switch to turn off the switch responsible for the Ground Proximity Sensor (a device that recognizes ground obstacles that interfere with takeoff).

After this, the aircraft computers finally decided that the plane was taking off - the pilots had no idea that they had turned off a safety device that did not allow takeoff/landing with the brakes on.

The on-board computer automatically released all the brakes on the landing gear wheels and the plane rushed forward like a whirlwind...

Among the team of seven people, there was NOT ONE smart enough to reduce the turbine speed from maximum speed to minimum. As a result, the two hundred millionth brand new plane crashed into a reinforced concrete protective barrier, turning the A340-600 into a pile of ruins.

No information about the injured members of the plane's crew has been reported, since France and Abu Dhabi have completely blocked all channels of information regarding this incident.

It was only announced that coverage of this story was considered an insult to Muslim Arabs.

Only the above photos were leaked.

So, reader, let's sum up the balance:

French Airbus - $200,000,000.
Untrained team of Arab pilots - $300,000 per year.
Unopened Aircraft Operating Instructions - $300.
The plane meets the wall and the wall wins - priceless, PRICELESS!

“THIS IS WHY ALLAH PROVIDED THEM WITH CAMELS”!