MTOW
The single number that decides what an aircraft can actually do.
Read it →The ideas behind the numbers.
Every spec table on this site assumes you know what MTOW means, why twins are allowed over oceans, and why range figures hide a catch. Here is all of it, plainly.
The concepts
Start anywhere
ETOPS
The rule change that killed the four-engine airliner.
Read it →Range versus payload
An aircraft cannot carry a full load as far as it can fly.
Read it →Winglets, sharklets and raked tips
The bent-up bits at the end of the wing, and why they are worth millions.
Read it →The high-bypass turbofan
Why modern engines are enormous fans with a small jet buried inside.
Read it →Widebody versus narrowbody
One aisle or two — the division that organises the whole industry.
Read it →