The Airbus 321 is the largest aircraft of the 320 family of Airbus production. The first flight was made in 1992. Aircraft production continues to this day. According to the latest information from the company, in 2018 it is planned to assemble up to 60 aircraft per month. According to its technical characteristics and service, it differs little from the prototype - the 320th, but due to more powerful engines it is able to carry more passengers and baggage.
The aircraft is assembled for a specific order - the customer is offered only an economy class version with a capacity of 220 people or a business / economy with a capacity of 185 people.
History
The prototype of the 320th, the French company began to collect in 1972. In the 90s, the 319th version first appeared, the main difference of which is the fuselage shortened by 7 meters. The remaining parameters repeat the 320th. The first Airbus 321 (321-100) received a fuselage 7 meters longer than the prototype and in 1992 had the shortest flight range among the entire 320s family. Then, with modernization, the aircraft received reinforced brakes, more powerful engines and an additional tank located in the rear of the cabin. The initial development was not planned, unlike the plans for the 320th, to create competition for the Americans, but the appearance of the Boeing 757 on the market forced the company to reconsider the decision to release the 321st, and the current model, 321-200, is a worthy competitor to the 757- go, slightly inferior in range, but with a more spacious fuselage.
The first customer for a new type of aircraft was the German Lufthansa. 321-100 aircraft flew into her hangars in early 1995. At the end of 1996, the first Airbus 321-200 took off.
Interior layout by customer
As already mentioned, the customer receives one of two layout options at the factory. However, this is not all. During operation, the customer can change the number of seats himself and thus re-equip the aircraft to transport more or less passengers. The documentation for the aircraft indicates how to reconfigure the cabin. Airbus 321 has a wide range of layouts. From economy class, where there will be 6 seats in a row, three on each side of the aisle, to business class, where 4 seats will be installed in a row. Wide configuration is also allowed. There are only two restrictions - in any layout, the aircraft will have 1 passage with seats on both sides of the passage. The second limitation is inherent in the design: at the end of the aircraft there will be only 2 seats, one on each side of the aisle, and 2 rows opposite the emergency doors also have 4 seats in any layout.
Choosing a seat on the plane
Even a short flight can be a burden if you sit down and find that because of the liner design the backs of your seats do not recline, or people constantly walk past you, heading to the bathroom. Therefore, when flying, you should ask yourself a series of questions. For example, this: "Do you like to watch the flight?" If you like, you need to choose places at the windows, keeping in mind that some will have wings opposite them, and all you see is the movement of automation during take-off, landing, and changing directions.
The rows from the 15th to the 22nd in an Economy Class Airbus 321 have such a drawback. In addition, the 25th row, being located in front of the second emergency exit, does not have the opportunity to recline the seat. At the same time, these places are considered ideal for traveling couples, since in this row, even in the economy, there are only 4 seats, 2 on each side of the aisle.
But if the plane flies at night, the choice of a seat at the windows will not work, but being in the rows in front of the emergency exits can deliver many unpleasant minutes due to blocked backs. In addition to the 25th, the backs are also locked in the 10th row, but, unlike the 25th, here the economy class includes 6 seats, three on each side of the aisle. The numbering is for the economy class Airbus 321 aircraft. The best places, except those already mentioned, are in the 11th row - two places on each side of the aisle, and there is the opportunity to stretch your legs. These places are located behind the first emergency exit. Passengers sitting in the 26th row will also be able to stretch their legs, with emergency exit number two in front of them. This is how Ural Airlines' planes are assembled.
At the same time, on the official website of Lufthansa, it is indicated that in the 10th row of the 321st airliner there are only 2 seats - on the right side. The left side of the row is free.
Plans and schemes
For a better understanding, we present a couple of aircraft schemes in two use cases. Poles drive only economy class, Germans use airplanes both in economy version and in business / economy.
This is how the “Airbus 321” diagram of LOT airline (Poland) looks like, the cabin diagram is also suitable for illustrating Ural Airlines' planes. The 321st company uses only the economy version. Ideal are the 11th and 26th rows. The portside seats in the 26th row, due to the emergency exit right in front of them, may have some changes. Since there are only 4 armchairs in the 11th row, it is possible to advise fans to stretch their legs and the 12th row - two places at the windows.
But for comparison, the scheme of the airbus used by the Lufthansa company. The Germans use airplanes and economy, and business / economy. However, only the first rows differ. The rest is as described above. The 10th row is shortened, due to which in the 11th row there are 4 places from the category of the best. And due to the lack of one seat in the 25th row, the person who bought the 27D seat will also be able to stretch his legs.
Reviews
As already run-in aircraft, it is actively used by almost all companies in Europe. The comfort of the flight in many respects, of course, depends on the team of the Airbus 321 aircraft. Reviews mainly note a more spacious fuselage, more comfortable salons compared to Americans. Seated in front of the sound insulation is good.
Conclusion
Airbus 321 is the European response to the American Boeing 757. With a slightly shorter flight range than an American, this aircraft firmly takes its place in the fleet of companies for flights on both charter and conventional airlines in Europe and the East. Experts note that more powerful engines and another control system will be able to maintain a distance between the European 321st and the American 757th for a long time.