What is the major difference between Airbus and Boeing aircraft design?

Source: The Pilot

I’d say it comes down to design philosophy rather than readily visible signifier.  More and more, the jets are looking pretty much alike, which isn’t too surprising given that some of the best aerodynamics in the world all are focused on coming up with fuselage shapes and combinations of flight control surfaces that will be as slippery, reliable and efficient as possible.  The ideal combinations of those features are pretty likely to bear a strong resemblance to each other.  (If you think I’m exaggerating, take a look at the Chinese (COMAC) C919 that just had its official roll-out.)

Airbuses are optimized for certain types of operations, and Airbus pilots tend to love them for the efficiency of their automation.  On the other hand, Boeings tend to be pretty robust designs that aren’t necessarily as fuel-efficient, but are much loved by their pilots for the (relative) transparency their flight management systems offer in showing what’s on their tiny electronic minds from one moment to the next.

Not being type-rated in either, I’ve had to base my opinions on their relative merits and limitations on simulator flights, crew conversations, and close reading of accident reports over time. The only potentially noteworthy difference I’ve perceived over the past couple of years is an apparent uptick in instances where Airbus pilots got into trouble because the automation was confusing them, and basic airmanship seemed lacking in trying to sort things out. The latter isn’t necessarily the fault of the aircraft or the manufacturer, but such occurrences haven’t seemed to happen in Boeings.

I will say that the side stick controller used in Airbuses doesn’t give any visible or tactile indication as to what the flight control surfaces have been commanded to do; they go back to a neutral position after each input, just like a gaming joystick. I can’t say I’d necessarily be comfortable flying something that doesn’t involve actual displacement of a yoke or control column, but that was a design decision that first came into civil use a generation ago so there’s little point in second-guessing it.