Commercial airliner spotting for dummies

[jamiebae]

Some people can tell what a plane is at a very quick glance, personally I have to look at the emergency procedures card before I know what I'm flying on in most cases!

So, let's have a quick ready reckoner on how to spot your planes. I've started it off with a couple of easy ones....

Airbus A380 - It's sodding massive and has 2 decks all the way along
Boeing 747 - 2 decks at the front, 4 engines
Bombadier Dash-8 - Wings on top of fuselage, 2 engines and 6 blade props, fairly pointy nose.

So after my rubbish attempt, over to those of you who know what you're talking about! How do you tell the difference between an A320 and 737, or A330 and 757?

[navier_stokes]

I'm no plane spotter but 737 vs A320 is an easy one - the 737 engine intake has a flat bottom.

A330 vs 757 should be easy - the 757 is half the size 777 vs A330 is more of a comparison

Edited by navier_stokes on Monday 16th January 20:09

[chazola]

you learn the little differences after a while that distinguish planes that are fairly similar- like Airbus rear cockpit windows have a sloping top corner and Boeing don't, the profile of the nose and tail, the layout of the undercarriage and engines etc... the big ones like you say are the easiest, you can tell an A380 or 747 straight-away, but telling the difference between say a 767 and 777 takes a little more practice geeking...

if you want to get anoraks on, some early model 737s don't have the flat-bottom air-intake for the engines and the A330 is longer than the 757.

Also you get into the fun of the different variants of aircraft that have been around a while, like the 747-100, SP, 200, 300, 400 and 800

Edited by chazola on Monday 16th January 20:07

[Ian Lancs]

If you can see wingtips, Airbus tend to have a winglet that goes above and below the wing, whereas Boeing tend to only have an upward winglet. Now I've said that, I bet I'll be proved wrong in seconds....

[jmorgan]

I can tell a 747. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

[c7xlg]

747-100 3 windows on short upper deck. Spiral stairs inside.
747 sp. short fuz with stupidly big tail. Normally with odd pods and bulges all over it.
747 200. Short upper deck. More than 3 windows. Eric will tell us how many.
747 300. Like rocking horse waste. Long upper deck no winglets.
400. Long upper deck with winglets.
800 looooong smooooth upper deck and swoopy wings.

777.... Triple axle main under carriage and flat end to the fuselage rather than rounded that the 767 has. No winglets

757... Looks too long and thin.
767. Not a 757 or 777!

A330. Sizeable with ickle winglets. 1 donk per wing.
A340. Like a330 but 2 donks per wing.

Could go on but will leave Eric et al to do:
Md 80
Dc 10
Tristar
Md 11
Bae 146
F 100
A318/9/20/21

[AlexiusG55]

146: dead easy. Small aircraft, high wing (at the top of the fuselage) with 4 engines.

[Ian Lancs]

DC-10 - three engines. Engine on fin goes straight through.
MD-11 - DC-10 with winglets
Tristar - three engines, but fin mounted engine is blended and exhausts lower than intake

[kiteless]

I would be able to tell the difference between - say - a 727 / DC-10 / L10-11 Tristar easily. Similarly a BAC One-Eleven and a DC-9, or a 707 and a DC-8.

Modern 'liners are a bit more difficult.

I can't tell the difference between an Airbus A310 and A320. Once 737's moved from turbojets to turbofans, I can't tell the difference.

[knight]

Can pretty much recognise any civil airliner as working at LHR for 19 years you tend to get used to them

[RegMolehusband]

What you need (if you haven't already got it) is the Plane Finder app on your smartphone. It will tell you what that plane is even if it's 39,000 feet above you and where it's flying from and to. Best app on my phone!

No need to count windows, engines etc

[HoHoHo]

When I was a young boy (during the 70's) I could tell what airliner it was simply by the engine noise

Now simply by shape or silhouette

[Eric Mc]

kiteless said:

I would be able to tell the difference between - say - a 727 / DC-10 / L10-11 Tristar easily. Similarly a BAC One-Eleven and a DC-9, or a 707 and a DC-8.

Modern 'liners are a bit more difficult.

I can't tell the difference between an Airbus A310 and A320. Once 737's moved from turbojets to turbofans, I can't tell the difference.

737s only ever had turbofans. The original 737-100 and 200 had Pratt and Whitney JT8D turbofans. They were relatively (by later standards) low bypass turbofans but were turbofans none the less. The JT8D was also fitted to the 727, the DC-9, some versions of the Caravelle and the Dassault Mercure.

The 737-300,400,500,600,700 and 800 family all have versions of the CFM56 turbofan. The reason why the engine casing for the CFM56 is flattened on these 737s is because a circular shape would bring the lower lip of the intake too close to the ground. The engine position of the 737 was designed for the much smaller diameter JT8D.

The main distinguishing feature between the early 737s and the CFM56 fitted versions is of course, the engine shape. Another difference is that the tail fin on the later versions has an additional fillet extension. They are also a lot quieter. Later 737s also have upturned wingtips.

737-200



737-400



737-800

[steve j]

jmorgan said:

I can tell a 747. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

And me and me BAMC

[mattdaniels]

Quick rule of thumb to differentiate the two main commercial manufacturers - Boeing "faces" look sinister, a bit ninja-ish with their evil squinty eyes and pointier noses. Airbus faces are more wide-eyed and innocent looking with their big dopey round noses.

Then a quick check of where the engines are and how many, and jobs a goodun.


That's how I do it anyway.

Edited by mattdaniels on Tuesday 17th January 10:03

[Eric Mc]

Not true for all Boeings. The original 367-80/707/KC-135 nose shape was incorporated in the 707/720/727 and 737. Later Boeings have quite individual shapes - 757/767/777/787.

[mattdaniels]

It's a rule that works for me. Indeed there is nothing as Ninja'ish as a 777! Look how squinty it is.

[Eric Mc]

I always think that the 757 front end looks a bit like a duck.

[mattdaniels]

Eric Mc said:

I always think that the 757 front end looks a bit like a duck.

Ninja Boeing!

[Eric Mc]

Mutant Ninja Hero Duck.