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Narrow-body aircraft

Narrow-body aircraft is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Narrow-body aircraft rather than just read about it. In short: A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than 4 metres (13 ft) in width. In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of more than 5 metres (16 ft), allowing at least seven-abreast seating and often more travel classes.

Narrow-body aircraft — main illustration
Narrow-body aircraft — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Narrow-body aircraft belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Narrow-body aircraft to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Narrow-body aircraft from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than 4 metres (13 ft) in width. In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of more than 5 metres (16 ft), allowing at least seven-abreast seating and often more travel classes.

Market From the late 1960s through the 1990s, twin engine narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 Classic, McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 and Airbus A320 were employed in short to medium-haul markets which did not require the range or passenger-carrying capacity of wide-body aircraft. The re-engined Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo jets offer 500 miles more range, allowing them to operate the 3,000 miles transatlantic flights between the eastern U.S. and Western Europe, previously dominated by wide-body aircraft. Norwegian Air Shuttle, JetBlue and TAP Portugal will open up direct routes bypassing airline hubs for lower fares between cheaper, smaller airports. The Boeing 737NG 3,300-mile range is insufficient for fully laden operations and operates at reduced capacity like the Airbus A318, while the Airbus A321LR could replace the less fuel efficient Boeing 757s used since their production ended in 2004. Boeing will face competition and pricing pressure from the Embraer E-Jet E2 family, Airbus A220 (formerly Bombardier CSeries) and Comac C919. Between 2016 and 2035, FlightGlobal expects 26,860 single-aisles to be delivered for almost $1380 billion, 45% Airbus A320 family ceo and neo and 43% Boeing 737 NG and max. By June 2018, there were 10,572 Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX orders: 6,068 Airbuses (57%, 2,295 with CFMs, 1,623 with PWs and 2,150 with not yet decided engines) and 4,504 Boeings (43%); 3,446 in Asia-Pacific (33%), 2,349 in Europe (22%), 1,926 in North America (18%), 912 in Latin America (9%), 654 in Middle East (6%), 72 in Africa (1%) and 1,213 not yet bounded (11%). Many airlines have shown interest in the Airbus A321LR or its A321XLR derivative, and other extended-range models, for thin transatlantic and Asia-Pacific routes.

Examples

Six-abreast cabin

Five-abreast cabin

Four-abreast cabin

Three-abreast cabin

Two-abreast cabin

Image gallery

See also List of regional airliners Regional jet Middle of the market airliners Wide-body aircraft

Notes

References

Illustrations

Narrow-body aircraft: Four-abreast cross-section
Four-abreast cross-section
Narrow-body aircraft: Narrow-body Airbus A320 operated by British Airways in front of a Boeing 777-300ER wide-body operated by Air Canada in June 2010
Narrow-body Airbus A320 operated by British Airways in front of a Boeing 777-300ER wide-body operated by Air Canada in June 2010
Narrow-body aircraft: Narrow-body Boeing 737-900 operated by United Airlines in October 2010
Narrow-body Boeing 737-900 operated by United Airlines in October 2010
Narrow-body aircraft: Narrow-body Airbus A319 operated by Delta Air Lines in February 2014
Narrow-body Airbus A319 operated by Delta Air Lines in February 2014
Narrow-body aircraft illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Narrow-body aircraft

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Narrow-body aircraft claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Narrow-body aircraft before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Narrow-body aircraft ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Narrow-body aircraft

In research
Narrow-body aircraft appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Narrow-body aircraft in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Narrow-body aircraft is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Aircraft configurations, Airliners, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Narrow-body aircraft outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Narrow-body aircraft in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Narrow-body aircraft means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Narrow-body aircraft out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Narrow-body aircraft in simple terms?

A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than 4 metres (13 ft) in width. In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of…

Why does Narrow-body aircraft matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Narrow-body aircraft?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Narrow-body aircraft.

Tags

  • Aircraft configurations
  • Airliners

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