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Airbus A318 General
Aircraft
Airbus A318 Series
Type
Short range airliner
Crew
2
Unit Cost
US$ - 55 million
Main Operator
Air France
Status
Active


Airbus A318 Program Milestones
Launch
April 1999
First delivery
2002
Launch Customer
Air France


Airbus A318 Aircraft Dimensions
Cross Section
13 feet 0 inch (3,96 m)
Wing Span
111 feet 10 inch (34,10 m)
Length
103 feet 2 inch (31,45 m)
Height
41 feet 2 inch (12,55 m)

Airbus A318 Weights
Maximum Taxi Weight
68.400 kg
Max Take-off Weight
68.000 kg
Max Landing Weight
57.500 kg
Max Zero Fuel Weight
54.500 kg
Operating Empty Weight
39.300 kg
Max Structural Payload
11.000 kg
Usable Fuel
23.860 litres

Airbus A318 Seating
Airbus A318 Seating
One Class
107 Passengers
Typical Configuration
107 Passengers

Airbus A318 Powerplants


Example of the IAE V2500

CFM56-5
96-106 kN
PW 6000A
96-106 kN

Airbus A318 Range
3.200 nautical miles (5,950 km)

Prices all variants - ($ in Millions)
Approximately $39 - $45

Airbus A318 Orders & Deliveries
Total Orders
100
Total Deliveries
42
Total in Operation
42


Airbus A318 Information
The Airbus A318 is the shortest version of the A320 Family. With a fuselage length of just over 100 feet, the A318 has the shortest fuselage of the A320 product line. The aircraft retains all of the A320 Family´s advantages while providing highly efficient operations in the 100-seat airliner category. The A318 is configured to carry up to 107 passengers in a typical two-class cabin layout, with 8 seats in first class and 99 seats in economy. The flight deck is similar to those installed on the Airbus A320 and its larger brothers, the Airbus A330 and A340, although it introduces some modern modifications.

Initially the aircraft was build to compete on the regional market offering 100+ seats. Apart from the succes Airbus enjoyed after launching the A320 family, the A318 still isn't a big hit between airlines. Operators of the aircraft are mainly Air France and Frontier Airlines.

The Airbus A318 is certified to operate on London City airport, which is located in a highly densed area with business parks surrounding it. Operating on the airport requires a steeper descent path (normally 3 degrees) and landing should be accomplished on a rather short runway strip. For many years the BAe 146 was the only "larger" jet engined aircraft to be able to operate on the airport and so Airbus saw a lot of potential as this aircraft is being retired.

Flight deck Airbus A318
Frontier Airbus A318
Air France Airbus A318
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Airbus A318 Design
As said, the Airbus A318 is the shortest version of the A320 family. Since its length is considerably shorter than its larger brothers, its design incorporates some interesting features.

Flight Controls

The flight control system is similar to that installed on the Airbus A320. The A320 was in fact the first subsonic commercial airliner equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control control system configured to control the aircraft throughout the entire normal flight regime. Another interesting feature of the Airbus flight control system is the installation of sidestick controllers on the flight deck instead of a control column and aileron wheel. In case you are interested in the operation of this system please visit the following articles.

Structure

The structure of the A318 fuselage is similar to the A320, though its length is approximately 7 feet 10 inch shorter than the A319. This was accomplished by removing 2 feet 7 inch forward and 5 feet 3 inch aft of the wing. Furthermore, the aircraft has redesigned cargo doors to make up for its shortened fuselage.

Accomodation

The aircraft is flown by a flight crew of 2 plus 3 cabin crew. The A318 is furthermore certified to carry up to 136 passengers in high-density configuration. Typical seating configuration consists of 8 first class seats and 99 economy seats. Unlike it larger brothers, the A318 cannot carry any ULD load simply because of its smaller baggage doors which are reduced in size in order to maintain the same engine nacelle clearance for loading vehicles as the A319.

Systems

The systems on the A318 are similar to those on the A320 except for the new-generation cabin intercom data system (CIDS)

Avionics

The avionics on the A318 are similar to those on the A320 except for for new LCD screens installed throughout the aircraft.

Engines

The Airbus A318 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW6122 turbofan engines with clamshell-type thrust reversers. Each engine is capable of delivering 22,100 lb of thrust and were initially designed specifically for the "Babybus". Alternative engines are the CFM International CFM56-5B8/P, capable of delivering 21,600 lb of thrust, or the CFM International CFM56-5B9/P, capable of delivering 23,300 lb of thrust. Thrust reversing and deflection, fuel tank capacities and locations are similar to the Airbus A320.