What are passenger aircraft like?

Since the Boeing 707 of the late 1950s, nearly all commercial jets repeat the same formula: a pressurized cylindrical fuselage, a low swept wing with engines hung in nacelles, a tail with horizontal stabilizer and fin, and retractable tricycle landing gear. Wing sweep allows cruising at Mach 0.78-0.85 without the air becoming supersonic over the upper surface; flaps and slats allow takeoff and landing at 130-150 kn (240-280 km/h). Pressurization keeps the cabin at an equivalent altitude of around 2,400 m (8,000 ft) even though the aircraft flies at 11,000-12,500 m.

Single-aisle aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737, have a fuselage about 4 m in diameter, seat between 150 and 240 passengers in 3-3 rows and dominate short- and medium-haul routes. Widebody aircraft, such as the Boeing 787, the 777 or the Airbus A350, exceed 5.5 m, have two aisles with rows of eight to ten seats, holds for standard containers and ranges over 13,000 km. The Airbus A380, with two full decks, is the extreme case, with over 500 seats.

Aluminum still predominates, but the 787 and A350 use around 50% carbon fiber composites by weight, reducing mass and corrosion. High-bypass turbofans, with fans 2 to 3.4 m in diameter, generate most of their thrust from the cold air surrounding the core; hence their efficiency and low noise. Up front, two pilots manage the flight with electronic displays and automation. In the back, the layout of seats, galleys and lavatories is decided by each airline within certification limits, including the ability to evacuate the full aircraft in 90 seconds using only half the exits.