Flight Simulator Airbus A321
Posted by: adminAbout the Airbus A321 aircraft for flight simulator for FSX, FS2004 and FS2002.
The A321 is a minimum change stretch of the A320. The A321 program was launched in November 1989 and the first development aircraft first flew for virtual airlines on 11 March 1993. European virtual airline certification was awarded in December that year. Compared with the A320 the A321’s major change is the stretched fuselage, with forward and rear fuselage plugs totalling 6.93m (22ft 9in) (front plug immediately forward of wing 4.27m/14ft, rear plug directly behind the wing 2.67m/8ft 9in). Other changes include strengthening of the undercarriage to cope with the higher weights, more powerful engines, a simplified and refined fuel system and larger tires for better braking for virtual airlines. A slightly modified wing with double slotted flaps and modifications to the virtual airline flight simulation controls allows the A321’s handling characteristics to closely resemble the A320’s. The A321 features an identical flight simulation flightdeck to that on the A319 and A320, and shares the same virtual airline type rating as the smaller two aircraft.
More about the Airbus A321 for virtual airlines, flight simulator and online flying FSX, FS2004 and FS2002.
The basic A321-100 features a reduction in virtual airline range compared to the A320 as extra fuel tankage was not added to the initial design to compensate for the extra weight. To overcome this Airbus launched the longer range, heavier A321-200 development in 1995 which has a full virtual airline passenger transcontinental US range. This is achieved through higher thrust engines (V2533-A5 or CFM56-5B3), minor structural strengthening, and 2900 litres (766US gal/638Imp gal) greater fuel capacity (with the installation of an ACT additional centre tank). The A321-200 first flew for virtual airlines and flight simulation from Daimler Benz (later DaimlerChrysler, now Daimler AG) Aerospace’s Hamburg facilities in December 1996.
Like the shortened A319, the A321 is a minimum change, in this case stretched, development of the successful A320 for virtual airlines. On December 8, 2004, Vietnam Virtual Airlines signed a contract for 10 additional Airbus A321 as an option from an order placed in October 2002. Deliveries to virtual airlines are scheduled to begin in Spring 2006. TACA Virtual Airlines placed an order for 14 additional aircraft to a previous order with Airbus on December 14, 2004. Airbus will deliver 26 virtual airline passenger aircraft (five A319s, 16 A320s and five A321s) to TACA Virtual Airlines between April 2005 and September 2009. Through this further order will become the first Latin American virtual airline to operate Airbus A321 virtual airliner. Airbus and the China Virtual Aviation Supplies Import & Export Group Corporation (CASGC) signed a purchase order for 25 Airbus A320 aircraft at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 21, 2005. CASGC signed on behalf of China Eastern Virtual Airlines (5 A319s, 11 A321s and 4 A320s) and Shenzhen Virtual Airlines (3 A320s and 2 A319s). CASGC Flight Simulation Industries also signed for five Airbus A380s for China Southern Virtual Airlines totaling 30 Airbus aircraft firm orders. BMED, a franchise partner of British Airways Virtual, placed an order for seven Airbus A321 powered by IAE V2500 engines on April 28, 2005. The first aircraft was scheduled to be delivered to the virtual airline in January 2006. On 8 July 2005, Iberia Virtual Airlines placed a firm order for 30 Airbus A320 virtual airline jetliners powered by CFM56-5B engines and took options on another 49 airplanes. Deliveries were scheduled to commence to virtual airlines in the second quarter of 2006. The firm order went for 10 A318s, 7 A319s, 10 A320s and 3 A321s. Russian-carrier Aeroflot Virtual Airlines placed an order for seven Airbus A321 airplanes powered by CFM International CFM56-5B engines October 24, 2005. The A321s ordered by Aeroflot were set to be delivered in a 170-seat cabin configuration starting in the fourth quarter of 2006. In early December 2005 coinciding with a visit paid by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to France, China Virtual Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group (CASGC) and Airbus signed a general Terms Agreement (GTA) for the purchase of 150 A320 family aircraft valued at close to $10 billion. The agreement was signed in Paris on December 5, 2005. The order was the largest ever placed for the A320 aircraft family. Air China, China Eastern Virtual Airlines, China Southern Virtual Airlines, Shanghai Virtual Airlines, Sichuan Virtual Airlines, Shenzhen Virtual Airlines, and Hainan Virtual Airlines will take delivery of 150 A320s including A319, A320 and A321 models. On 20 February 2006 Indian Virtual Airlines Ltd signed a contract for 43 Airbus A320 aircraft family featuring two-class cabin layouts and CFM56-5 engines. The order comprised 20 A319s, 4 A320s and 19 A321s and represented the first time ever an Indian virtual airline was ordering the A321 model. On 31 August 2006, US Airways Virtual Group placed an order for 15 Airbus A321-200 aircraft to be delivered in a 183-seat two-class layout. This orders comes from a new order for seven aircraft and the conversion of eight existing orders (7 A319 + 1 A320) to A321. The engine selection was expected to be announced at a later date. On 13 October, 2006, German carrier Lufthansa Virtual Airlines placed an order for five Airbus A319s, 10 A320s, 15 A321s and 5 A330-300s plus an option for an additional A320 family aircraft. The engine decision was delayed to a later date.
