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Aviation glossary

Four-engine aircraft

Also: quadjet, four-engined aircraft, quad

The aircraft

Aircraft powered by four engines, the classic layout for large long-haul airliners before twins took over those routes.

What it is

In the early jet age, four engines provided the thrust to lift heavy loads and ample redundancy for ocean crossings. It was the formula of the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, the Boeing 747, and the Airbus A340 and A380. Before them, in the piston era and the early days of the turboprop, four-engined types included the Lockheed Constellation, the Douglas DC-6 and the Vickers Viscount.

As engines grew more powerful and reliable, twins gradually took over these routes because they burn less fuel and cost less to maintain. The final deliveries of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 in the 2020s brought production of both great quads to an end, although many remain in service, the 747 especially as a freighter.

On Vuelopedia

Boeing 707 Airbus A340 Lockheed Constellation

Related terms

Twin-engine aircraftAircraft powered by two engines, now the dominant layout in airline service thanks to the reliability of modern engines. Jumbo jetPopular nickname for the Boeing 747, the first wide-body airliner, sometimes applied to other very large passenger aircraft. ETOPSRules that let twin-engine aircraft fly routes far from suitable diversion airports, up to a maximum one-engine flying time approved for each aircraft type and airline. Wide-bodyAirliner with two cabin aisles and usually seven to ten seats per row in economy; the dominant type on long-haul routes. TurbofanJet engine in which a large front fan drives air around the core, producing most of the thrust with greater efficiency and less noise.
Whole glossary

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Four-engine aircraft. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/four-engine-aircraft

MLA

“Four-engine aircraft.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/four-engine-aircraft. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Four-engine aircraft.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/four-engine-aircraft.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Four-engine aircraft. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/four-engine-aircraft (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_four_engine_aircraft,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Four-engine aircraft}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/four-engine-aircraft},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/four-engine-aircraft}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-18},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-18}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/four-engine-aircraft |title=Four-engine aircraft |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-18 |language=en}}

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