The A318 and B736, the "chubby baby" versions...🙂...respectively of Airbus and Boeing, have long been my (personal) favorites, since the earliest days of involvement in the hobby (of course, speaking, here, as an entirely "non-professional" virtual and non-pilot aviator...🙂...). OK, these 2 favorites of mine have never got the recognition in our hobby as much as the constantly recurring renditions of the (household-known) ever-present everywhere...in the airports and in the sky...the A320 and the B737...🙂...There are good reasons for it, but that does not detract from my fondness for these two forgotten (baby) heroes...

Some of us may recall that, once upon a time, Aerosoft had a (basic) A318/A319 Package long before they came up with their "Professional" upgrades of the same aircraft. That was my first exposure to Airbus in a manner other than the stock A321. Most significantly, the AS version had an (Airbus look-alike) MCDU. So, that was also my first exposure to an Airbus MCDU. Likewise, my (and probably for many) the first Boeing (SIM) FMC introduction had occurred via the iFly rendition of the (freeware) 747 (wonderful for its time), long before iFly (and PMDG) would come up with their payware version of the 747. I recall flying those aircraft i.e., the AS (payware) A318 and the iFly (freeware) B747...almost every other day...well before we would get to see the FSL and PMDG versions of (various) Airbus and Boeing Aircraft.

Anyway, I was triggered for the A318 by a member post here, who, I believe, had featured, in this Forum, the LVFR models or had made mention of it. So, I thought yesterday I might revive my love-affair with the baby Airbus...albeit this SIM a/c is not up to the level of sophistication we can expect from the SIM today (it will do still if you like this a/c, especially when it features an EFB, at least capable of importing a SimBrief FPLN, and to boot, a comforting cup of Coffee in the cockpit...🙂...). I got the (LVFR) A318 to fly along with my (PMDG) 736, which I'm also very fond of. In this post I've flown both...First 5 pictures show the 736 lifting off, and the rest of the pictures are for the 318 from a complete flight (takeoff to touchdown). 

Hope, from my images below, you can at least visually (i.e., technicalities aside) compare the looks of these two aircraft, originally aimed by their makers for a very small niche market-segment. It's well-known that these two types were not popular (aka: not commercially and operationally successful) ...still they both have their place in history. They are not only the smallest members of their respective lineage, but also the youngest ones with modern avionics that became the standard in the (enormously successful) evolved variants. [Just a side note: A319 came first (1995), and the afterthought "Baby Bus" (A318) actually came 7 years later (2002) ...full "15" years after the A320.] 

In any case, both are great fun to fly in the SIM, and, most of all, they present a unique look that we are not accustomed to from the common (and often-seen-here) variants of 320 and 737. So, here we go. Please find the 2 groups of images, below, demarcated by a graphical comparative chart showing a set of metrics for these two aircraft (these are un-official relative numbers, for guiding your eyes only; they are not meant to demonstrate relative merits, so, please don't take to heart...🙂...), but as you may clearly note, these two types are identical in most respects, except that the A318 has a bit greater Thrust and MTOW, and also look-wise, a "chubbier" fuselage width... (look at my images, and see if you agree) ...

I've flown the A318 from Lyon Airport (LFLL) to the airport in the city of Marseille (LFML). I've tracked the valley between the two mountain ranges south of Lyon, with the Massif Central on my starboard side and the French Alps on my port side (a couple of pictures of the nearby mountains included). And, within this valley, I could spot my (now-familiar) friendly river, The Rhône...do recall having visited its birthplace recently...🙂...both of us headed south towards our destinations on The Mediterranean Sea...

Thanks for viewing...!

Edited April 11, 20242 yr by P_7878

Great series. I think the A318 was the star of this show, at least.

Grest set !

cheers 😉

Very nice set and 2 good looking baby jets. Didn't realize my project to install the 736 because I installed more helicopters in the spring sale.

Nice set of shots! 😉 

Yayyyy! Chubbies! Love 'em both, but the baby 'bus is probably the winner for me. The flattened nacelles on the Boeing just take the edge off slightly in my eyes, but still the best of its family. Nice shots and great post!

nice series!

Hi Friends:

Thanks for the comments and reactions...glad you liked these Baby Bus a/c... look like twins...🙂....