Today I’ll be giving some simple and easy ways to differentiate between planes, with different angles of view. In part#1: we’ve talked about Airbus and Boeing’s narrow-body airplanes, then in part#2: we’ve talked about Airbus’s wide-body airplanes, and finally today in part#3 it will be all about Boeing’s wide-body airplanes. Let’s dig in!!

Wide Body Airplanes

First, let’s know what ‘wide-body airplane’ means.

A wide-body airplane, also known as a twin-aisle airplane, is a jetliner with a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats abreast.

Boeing’s Wide Body Airplanes

In Boeing these are:

• Boeing 747
• Boeing 767
• Boeing 777
• Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing 747

The 747 began its commercial service 50 years ago in 1970, revolutionizing air travel with its iconic design.

The Boeing 747 is a wide-body 4-engine commercial jet airliner and cargo aircraft, often referred to by its original nickname “Jumbo Jet” or by a more popular term today “Queen of the Skies“.

More than 50 years in the skies with more than 1500 747s delivered to airlines around the world. That’s fantastic!

Its unique “hump” upper deck along the forward part of the aircraft makes it among the world’s most recognizable aircraft, and it was the first wide-body produced.

The hump on the front third of the fuselage was designed to house the cockpit and a first-class lounge.

The Boeing 747 is easily recognizable with its:

• Bulbous front fuselage
• Four engines under the wing
• One full deck (the length of the fuselage), and one partial deck on the front.

747’s front fuselage:

Boeing 747 body:

Boeing 767

The Boeing 767 can be recognized by its fuselage and wings.

Boeing 767’s Fuselage:

The fuselage of the 767 is a large body and is slightly longer than a 737. The fuselage is very fat and has a slightly pointed nose and narrows out in the back.

Boeing 767’s wings:

The wings of the 767 are very big, they have a jagged curve back and usually have winglets on the end. The flaps are located on the wings, the inward flaps are curved and can usually point down. The outward flaps are straight and smaller than the inward flaps. They are located near the middle of the wing.

Boeing 777

The Boeing 777’s unique combination of superior range, outstanding fuel efficiency, and passenger-preferred comfort has created long-range success for carriers around the world. 

Boeing 777 is The world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet.

Boeing 777 is commonly referred to as the “Triple Seven“, its distinguishing features include:

The largest-diameter turbofan engines (GE90) of an airplane:

The engine on the 777 is similar in width to the 737.

Fully circular fuselage cross-section:

A blade-shaped, sawed-off tail cone.

Six wheels on each main landing gear

Large wings with no wingtips

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a twinjet powered by General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 high-bypass turbofans.

The Dreamliner is the first airliner with an airframe primarily made of composite materials and makes extensive use of electrical systems.

The 787 is recognizable by:

Its four-window cockpit:

Its raked wingtips:

Its chevrons on its engine nacelles:

By the way, these chevrons are not for decorations. Although they might decorate the plane in a way, the main purpose of it is to reduce the noise of the engine.

So, by the Dreamliner, we’ve described all the airplane types for Boeing and Airbus. We hope by now that you can easily identify airplanes!

Thanks for reading!!

View PART#1 of the article “Airbus & Boeing’s narrow-body airplanes”.

View PART#2 the article “Airbus wide-body airplanes”.

How to Recognize the Type of Commercial Airplanes – PART#3

How to Recognize the Type of Commercial Airplanes – PART#3