Jet-engine airplanes have become synonymous with commercial airliners. While some commercial airliners are powered by a propeller, most of them are powered by one or more jet engines. There are different types of jet-engine airplanes, however, including twinjet and quadjet. Twinjet and quadjet airplanes are both jet-engine airplanes, but they are nuances between them. What’s the difference between a twinjet and quadjet airplane exactly?
What Is a Twinjet Airplane?
A twinjet airplane is a type of jet-engine airplane that’s characterized by the use of two engines. They typically have one jet engine on the left wing and another jet engine on the right wing. All twinjet airplanes have two jet engines. That’s essentially what distinguishes them from other types of jet-engine airplanes.
Twinjet airplanes have been around for over a half-century. The world’s first twinjet airplane was the Heinkel He 280, which emerged in the early 1940s. Since then, twinjet airplanes have become more common. They are now used in the fleets of countless commercial airlines in the United States and abroad.
What Is a Quadjet Airplane?
A quadjet airplane, as you may have guessed, is a type of jet-engine airplane that’s characterized by the use of four engines. They typically have two jet engines on each wing.
Quadjet airplanes are newer than twinjet airplanes. Examples of quadjet airplanes include the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747-8. Both of these popular commercial airliners feature four jet engines.
Differences Between Twinjet and Quadjet Airplanes
The main difference between twinjet and quadjet airplanes is that the former have two jet engines, whereas the latter have four jet engines. Because they have a different number of jet engines, though, there are other differences between twinjet and quadjet airplanes.
Twinjet airplanes, for instance, are typically more efficient than quadjet airplanes. They consume less fuel when flying for the same distance. The fuel-efficient properties of twinjet airplanes has made them a popular choice among commercial airlines. Many commercial airlines prefer them over quadjet airplanes because they consume less fuel.
Twinjet airplanes are also easier to maintain than their quadjet counterparts. All airplanes require maintenance. Commercial airlines must have their airplanes inspected and serviced on a regular basis. With only two jet engines, twinjet airplanes are easier to maintain.
Quadjet airplanes, on the other have, have a higher passenger capacity than twinjet airplanes. They have more seats than twinjet airplanes, so they are capable of carrying more passengers. These are just a few ways that twinjet and quadjet airplanes differ from each other.
