Could The A330 Be Extended Further In Length? — Civil Aviation Forum

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Could The A330 Be Extended Further In Length?

Gilesdavies From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2903 posts, RR: 1
Posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 2120 times:

Bit of a hyperthetical question, now the A350 is on the drawing board...

With the A330-200/300 sharing the same size fusalages as the A340-200/300,and a lot of other commonality.

Would of it been possible to extend the A330 to the similar lengths of the A340-500/600?

10 replies: All unread, jump to last

ZBA320 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 122 posts, RR: 0
Reply 1, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 2004 times:

Would think it would be pointless seen as the A350 is now in full swing design. If it was to be lengthened then it would probably reduce the range quite a bit if was up to A346 size!! Wink

An Engineer made a bet that a 747 Gear wouldn't retract in a Hangar. He lost the bet.

OyKIE From Norway, joined Jan 2006, 2577 posts, RR: 4
Reply 2, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1998 times:

Not even would it be possible, but Airbus has at one point tried to get customer interest in a stretched A330-400.

Dream no small dream; it lacks magic. Dream large, then go make that dream real - Donald Douglas

Zvezda From Lithuania, joined Aug 2004, 10511 posts, RR: 65
Reply 3, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1944 times:

It would have had the same issues with OEW and rigidity that the A340-600 has. To reasonably get to such lengths, one needs to either increase the vertical component of the fuselage cross section (as the A350 and B787 have done) or switch to an inherently lighter and more rigid material (as the B787 has done).

PHKLM From Northern Mariana Islands, joined Dec 2005, 1198 posts, RR: 3
Reply 4, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1881 times:

Ok so I did a quick Photoshop job on the A330-400 Smile

It looks not unlike the 773; but the engines will be most likely to small to power this long bird.

A342 From Germany, joined Jul 2005, 4656 posts, RR: 4
Reply 5, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1856 times:

It would be possible, but the range would suffer. It would be in the A300 ballpark, so the best the A336 (?) could do then would be short/medium haul.

Exceptions confirm the rule.

Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26953 posts, RR: 83
Reply 6, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1846 times:

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Quoting A342 (Reply 5):
It would be possible, but the range would suffer. It would be in the A300 ballpark, so the best the A336 (?) could do then would be short/medium haul.

I'm guessing engine thrust would be an issue, so MTOW would be "low" and that would preclude carrying sufficient fuel for longer missions?

OyKIE From Norway, joined Jan 2006, 2577 posts, RR: 4
Reply 7, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1812 times:

Quoting Stitch (Reply 6):
I'm guessing engine thrust would be an issue, so MTOW would be "low" and that would preclude carrying sufficient fuel for longer missions?

IIRC the A330-400 would have the same wings, as the A330-200/300 and therefore lack the same fuel load as the A340-500/600.

Dream no small dream; it lacks magic. Dream large, then go make that dream real - Donald Douglas

PADSpot From Germany, joined Jan 2005, 1676 posts, RR: 5
Reply 8, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1798 times:

Maybe it's more viable to take a look at this question from the opposite side: How would an A340-500/600 with just two GE90-115Bs perform?

PHKLM From Northern Mariana Islands, joined Dec 2005, 1198 posts, RR: 3
Reply 9, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1792 times:

Quoting PADSpot (Reply 8):
Maybe it's more viable to take a look at this question from the opposite side: How would an A340-500/600 with just two GE90-115Bs perform?

This has been discussed here, the gear would need serious adjustments, as well as the wings and this new plane would enter the world of ETOPS issues; it makes much more sense stretching the 330; which will basically be done with the A350XWB.

PADSpot From Germany, joined Jan 2005, 1676 posts, RR: 5
Reply 10, posted (6 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1747 times:

Quoting PHKLM (Reply 9):
the gear would need serious adjustments

Why? Weight wouldn't change much. Maybe the GE90 would need greater ground clearance and thus a longer undercarriage?

Quoting PHKLM (Reply 9):
as well as the wings

Point granted. It would need two new very strong mounting points but could do without the four existing mounts. At worst it would be weight-neutral. But the A345/6 wing has far more potential concerning fuel and aerodynamics ...

Quoting PHKLM (Reply 9):
this new plane would enter the world of ETOPS issues

A new A330 variant would also need (ETOPS-) re-certification ... issues of crew training/certification and operational planning would be the same for a lengthened A330 or a two-engines A345/6. Production standards at Airbus are just as high for 4-holers as for two-engined aircraft.

[Edited 2006-09-24 17:36:46]

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