Spot the Difference
Look-alike airliners and the quick tells spotters use. Log a catch ›
Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Boeing 737

Airbus A320
Cheat code: Flat-bottomed 'hamster pouch' engines? It's a 737.
Engines
Flattened bottom on the engine cowling, sits close to the ground
Perfectly round engines with more ground clearance
Nose & cockpit
Pointed nose; rear cockpit side window shaped like a 'V'
Rounded blunt nose; rear cockpit window has a notched corner
Tail
A long fin fillet runs forward along the top of the fuselage into the tail
Straight, clean tail root with no fillet
Tail cone
Tapered, slightly pointed tail cone
Short, rounded tail cone
Boeing 787 Dreamliner vs Airbus A350

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Airbus A350
Cheat code: Raccoon sunglasses round the cockpit? It's an A350.
Cockpit
Four smooth curved windscreen panes, no dark surround
Black painted 'raccoon mask' around the cockpit windows
Engines
Serrated sawtooth edges (chevrons) on the back of the engines
Smooth round engine exhausts, no sawtooth
Wingtips
Raked, swept-back wingtips with no upturned winglet
Curved winglets that sweep upward
Tail cone
Rounded, tapering tail cone
Flat, blade-like tail cone
Boeing 777 vs Airbus A330
Boeing 777
Airbus A330
Cheat code: Six wheels on each main leg? It's a 777.
Landing gear
Six wheels on each main gear leg (three axles)
Four wheels on each main gear leg (two axles)
Tail cone
Flat, blade-shaped tail cone
Round, cone-shaped tail cone
Engines
Huge engines, nearly as wide as the fuselage
Noticeably smaller engines
Wingtips
Raked tips (most) with no winglet
Small upturned winglets
Airbus A220 vs Embraer E190/E195
Airbus A220

Embraer E190/E195
Cheat code: Big engines on a stubby small jet? It's an A220.
Engines
Large engines that look oversized for the plane
Smaller engines in proportion to the fuselage
Fuselage
Wider body, five seats across
Narrower body, four seats across
Cockpit
Large single-curve side windows, smooth nose
Distinctive four-pane windscreen with a pointed nose
Wingtips
Canted, gently angled winglets
Tall upswept winglets
Boeing 747 vs Airbus A380

Boeing 747

Airbus A380
Cheat code: Hump only at the front? 747. Full-length double deck? A380.
Upper deck
Short hump at the front only
Two full decks of windows the whole length
Nose
Pointed nose below the hump
Big rounded, bulbous nose
Wings
Slender, strongly swept wings
Enormous, thick wings with small wingtip fences
Landing gear
Four main gear legs of four wheels
Twenty-two wheels, six-wheel legs under the body