B737 - A320: difference?

[glavi8tor]

Okay, I agree this question might sound stupid, but I've never found someone who could give me a real answer: how do you distinguish a B737 from an A320 at visual? Obvious solutions like reading manufacturer's tag or similar are not welcome.

[Maz11]

There are a couple of ways to tell the difference depending on whether its day or night.

During the day on the ground the A320 sits higher than the 73, on approach the 320's gear 'dangles' for want of a better word whereas the 73's gear is much closer to the body of the aircraft.

If your getting really simple then the 73 has more of a pointy nose, and the Airbus is more rounded.

At night the main way to tell the difference are the strobes. The A320 has 2 strobe lights on each wing as redundancy so when they're both working you get a double flash instead of a single one on the 737.

[glavi8tor]

Amazing. Thanks.

[Maz11]

Glad i could help

[perkin]

737's up until recently have the eyebrow windows on the flight deck roof, which i don't think the airbus has.

[pax britanica]

737 vs 320 family?

Another way to tell-if you are looking from say behind the wings then the Airbus has a fairing extending back some way below the base of the fin (APU exhaust?) while the 73s fuselage pretty much ends below the rudder

[Getoutofmygalley]

Also the winglets.

The A320 has winglets of the shape here (the green on the end of the wing)

http://p.airliners.net/photos/middle/1/6/9/1103961.jpg

But, a 737 fitted with winglets has winglets of a completely different shape

http://p.airliners.net/photos/middle/4/8/7/1104784.jpg

:)

[Maz11]

Very true at the moment with respect to the winglets, but could get more confusing in the future, Airbus are testing the blended winglets on the baby bus, could be rolled out across the whole of the 320 family.

[Getoutofmygalley]

:{

Damn! I like the A320 series winglets, they are a nice shape - much more attractive to look at than the blended ones.

Another way that I use to tell the difference between Boeing & Airbus aircraft is by the pax doors. Airbus doors all look identical with a handle that lifts upwards (sort of like a massive door knocker) but Boeings generally have different shaped ones on most of their aircraft.

[Maz11]

Unfortunately its not about looks, rather fuel efficiency, especially in these 'tight' times.

Another difference is the lack of gear doors on the 737, well the wheel section anyway. If you look at one underneath with its gear up, As i do many a time zipping along underneath them you can see the tyres, on the 320, you can't. Gear doors cover the whole shebang.

[SilentHandover]

737's are much more pointy than A320's

[Phileas Fogg]

Just look at the 'arse', the Airbus has a protuding one and the Boeing doesn't, and if visible the winglets are another giveaway.

[CentreFix25]

Following on from Mazs point and looking at the pictures above, I noticed a difference in the nose gear door. The 737 having more of the door open when on the ground.

[BombayDuck]

See the way the leading edge of the vbertical tail meets the fuselage. The A320's is abrupt, the 737's is cranked....

this and the winglets are how I used to distinguish, used to get confused with the noses. Thanks for the replies on this thread, the next flight I take I'll keep a lookout. Out here we only get A320s and B737s, only now you see a few ATRs all over the place.

[smith]

The 737 engine cowlings are squashed the 320 cowlings are circular.

[reverserunlocked]

Follow your nose. The 'bus smells of garlic.

I'll get me coat....:}