A320 vs A330/340 thrust levers

[Check Airman]

For those who have flown both, is the amount of travel the same on the 320 and 330/340? I'm guessing since reverse is commanded differently, the widebodies will have more travel between idle and climb, and thus the levers will be less sensitive with the AT off.

[misd-agin]

A difference in travel was never mentioned in training. Based on my experience, without actually measuring the distance, it seems to be the same.

[goeasy]

Quite agree. Seems to be same throttle quadrant 320/330.

[Idle Thrust]

My memory must be fuzzy since I retired off the A-330/A340 eighteen years ago but when I checked out on those two having flown the A320 some years before, the two things I liked were the rudder/brake pedals (never liked those on the 320) and the fact that the thrust levers worked through a longer arc thus making them much less sensitive for thrust changes (in manual thrust obviously). The A320 levers were so sensitive it was very difficult to make small adjustments on approach which actually encouraged the use of auto-thrust (which the manufacturer and the airline probably wanted anyway) - 330/340 much more user friendly in manual thrust.
Might be wrong, just my recollection, as I recall there only 4 detents on the 330/340 vs. 6 on the baby-bus.

[Check Airman]

2 say the same, one person says it's better. I guess I'll have to wait.

How are the pedals different / better?

[halfofrho]

6 on the baby-bus.

Presuming you're also counting Idle/Reverse as a detent, there's only Climb, Flex/MCT and TOGA on the A320 series.

[Idle Thrust]

I may well be wrong about the geometry but I'm confident that my recollection of the sensitivity of TL movement is correct.

My comment about the detents referred to the fact that the 320 has five arc segments, the 340/330 only three. Looking at FCOM 1.07.30 - p.1&2, the CL arc (IDLE to CL) appears to be the same length for all but is that chart to scale? It was always my impression that that arc on the big bus was longer due to the fact they had the same total arc in each quadrant to work with but only needed three segments in the big bus. If this is not the case then I must just have fooled myself all those years ago - would not be the first time.🙂

As to the brake/rudder pedals, this has been discussed in depth on another forum here and it is obviously a very personal preference issue - I never liked the odd angle that the brake pedals occupied on the 320 having been taught from PFS to keep heels on the floor operating the rudder especially in a crosswind.