Aircraft Identification Guide

Introduction

• Identifying different aircraft types can be challenging, even for experienced spotters.
• This guide provides tips and tricks for identifying common commercial aircraft.
• Insights provided by aviation photographer Vincenzo Pache.

General Differentiation Techniques

• Manufacturers: Boeing and Airbus are the largest manufacturers.
• Cockpit Windows:
  • Boeing: Upward slanting lower edge, appearing as a V-shape.
  • Airbus: Straight or horizontal lower edge, sometimes with a diagonal notch.
• Nose Design:
  • Airbus: Rounder, bulbous nose.
  • Boeing: Sharper, pointed nose.
• Rear Fuselage:
  • Airbus: Straight continuation to the APU exhaust (except A380, A350).
  • Boeing: Tapers downwards.

Four-Engine Wide Bodies

• Airbus A380:
  • Two full-length passenger decks.
  • Tip fence style winglets.
• Boeing 747:
  • Iconic partial second deck hump.
  • Dash 400: Winglets and conventional engines.
  • Dash 8: Longer upper deck, lack of winglets, chevron engines.
• Airbus A340:
  • Single window row from cockpit to tail.
  • Four-wheel main landing gears under each wing.

Twin-Engine Wide Bodies

• Boeing 767 and 777:
  • 767: Shorter, L-shaped winglets (unreliable identifier), two-wheel main landing gear.
  • 777: Longer, three-wheel main landing gear, distinctive APU rear exhaust.
• Boeing 787:
  • Four-panel windscreen, serrated nacelles, smooth nose design, lack of winglets.
• Airbus A330 and A350:
  • A330: Bulged center section, sloped landing gear wheels (rear slope).
  • A350: Six-piece cockpit windscreen, curved winglets.

Older Airbus Wide Bodies

• Airbus A300 and A310:
  • Flat central fuselage, tip fence style winglets.

Twin-Engine Narrow Bodies

• Boeing 757:
  • Dolphin nose, taller landing gear.
• Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 Family:
  • 737: Pointed nose, triangular dorsal fin, lower to the ground.
  • A320: Straight lower cockpit window edge, rounded nose.

Identifying Variants

• Boeing 737 Variants:
  • Classic: No winglets.
  • Next Generation: Winglets available.
  • MAX: Serrated engine housings, larger winglets.
• Airbus A320 Variants:
  • A318, A319, A320, A321: Differentiated mainly by size and door configuration.
  • Neo Variants: Larger engines with extensions, blended winglets.
• Airbus A220:
  • Sleeker pointed nose, different windshield style, long angular winglets.

Conclusion

• Plane spotting is challenging and relies on a combination of features for identification.
• Practice and use of this guide should aid in becoming a skilled plane spotter.
• Additional resources and Vincenzo Pache's photography can be found on his website and Instagram.