Airbus A380: So big; it's useless.

[LegendKiller]

I remembered this thread when I was reading the news about the a380 potentially being mothballed. Looks like bing was right.

 

[Genx87]

Thought I responded in this thread about big vs fuel efficient. Airbus went the big route, Boeing went the fuel efficient route. Turns out Boeing was more on the pulse of the market than Airbus.

I think the age of 4 engine jets is coming to an end. Too expensive to run. I wonder if they could refit the A380 with a pair of GE 9X engines? There is a model that is due in 2018 with a 133.5 inch fan blade that should be rated in the 115-120,000 pounds of thrust range.

 

[K1052]

Tim Clark at Emirates had a minor meltdown at them even suggesting ending production as an option but realistically they have, by far, the majority of the orders and Airbus probably can't spend the money to re-engine the plane like he wants.

It's hard to argue with the success of the modern twin engine wide body aircraft, particularly as their A350XWB orders grow.

 

[Markbnj]

I remembered this thread when I was reading the news about the a380 potentially being mothballed. Looks like bing was right.

And Boeing was right in their assessment of the plane from day one.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcbabej/2014/12/11/airbus-a380-vs-boeing-787-revisited/

 

[ElFenix]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcbabej/2014/12/11/airbus-a380-vs-boeing-787-revisited/

A380 doesn't seem to be a bet the house problem for airbus though. it doesn't seem to have delayed the A350 (which airbus got right after several iterations), which will be a huge seller. add in the A330neo project and airbus should be doing fine.

 

[K1052]

A380 doesn't seem to be a bet the house problem for airbus though. it doesn't seem to have delayed the A350 (which airbus got right after several iterations), which will be a huge seller. add in the A330neo project and airbus should be doing fine.

It's not and the company will continue to prosper but they did badly misjudge where the market was headed. Even the current A350 program is basically a result of the lease companies and airlines telling them to pull their heads out of their asses in order to take the 787 line seriously.

 

[Hugo Drax]

The Future Airbus 680 is supposed to be twice the size of the 380

 

[William Gaatjes]

On this picture they have an osprey :

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Marines/Bell-Boeing-MV-22B-Osprey/1076654/M/

Lego has a (commercial flight) model of an osprey.

I recently bought it as a gift for a friends son.
Fun to play with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irp_JsS3T1E

 

[skyking]

truly random post there

 

[lozina]

I flew in one on a lufthansa flight from ny. was pretty neat just to see it there on the runway comparing to the other planes.

boarding time was not a big issue because IIRC they had two separate gates boarding it simultaneously

 

[who?]

The A380 is the size of a small theater. Of course theatergoers don't have carry on luggage.

 

[Exterous]

I think the age of 4 engine jets is coming to an end. Too expensive to run.

The biggest customer left is probably the US government given their preference of large 4 engined planes for the AF1 planes and their hardened fleet. It will be interesting to see if Boeing keeps the 747 line alive for them and for how long. IIRC the AF needs until 2025 to upgrade their fleet

 

[ElFenix]

The biggest customer left is probably the US government given their preference of large 4 engined planes for the AF1 planes and their hardened fleet. It will be interesting to see if Boeing keeps the 747 line alive for them and for how long. IIRC the AF needs until 2025 to upgrade their fleet

Interesting factoid: a plane with 4 engines is way more likely to crash due to engine trouble than a plane with 2.

 

[tynopik]

The biggest customer left is probably the US government given their preference of large 4 engined planes for the AF1 planes and their hardened fleet

not even close. EK has tons of A380 on order

AF1 contract will be 2 planes

http://leehamnews.com/2014/12/07/usaf-moves-up-af-one-replacement-reports-inside-defense/

An airframe purchase will occur in 2016, according to the newsletter. Delivery would be in 2018.

 

[Imp]

On this picture they have an osprey :

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Marines/Bell-Boeing-MV-22B-Osprey/1076654/M/

Lego has a (commercial flight) model of an osprey.

I recently bought it as a gift for a friends son.
Fun to play with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irp_JsS3T1E

This one would have been funner:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNMYRdhySfA

 

[MrDudeMan]

Interesting factoid: a plane with 4 engines is way more likely to crash due to engine trouble than a plane with 2.

Why?

 

[skyking]

A 4 engine plane has marginal performance with one engine inoperative, when compared to a twin.
The adverse yaw is greater with an outboard engine failure.
Failures are harder to detect and identify in the 4 engine.

When a twin has an issue, there is no question which one it is.

 

[tynopik]

Why?

It has twice as many engines for something to wrong in

 

[Dari]

How many airports were ready for that A380 anyway? And what's the point of building it if they were counting on emerging markets with their rickety infrastructure or developed markets that have nowhere to expand? One thing's for sure though, all those execs still have their jobs...

 

[Thebobo]

not even close. EK has tons of A380 on order

AF1 contract will be 2 planes

http://leehamnews.com/2014/12/07/usaf-moves-up-af-one-replacement-reports-inside-defense/

I would find it hard to believe that the plane that would shuttle the president around would not be made in the USA. Remember the helicopter fiasco.

 

[tynopik]

How many airports were ready for that A380 anyway? And what's the point of building it if they were counting on emerging markets with their rickety infrastructure or developed markets that have nowhere to expand? One thing's for sure though, all those execs still have their jobs...

http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a380family/a380-routes/

The A380 has proven its ground compatibility, having visited around 160 small and large airports worldwide to date.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Why?

Twin engine jets tend to have a higher safety requirement than four engine planes.

Also, planes crashing due to a simple engine failure is basically unheard of.

 

[Dari]

http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a380family/a380-routes/

But what does that even mean? Did the visited airports have the infrastructure to support such a machine? Do they have to be certified?

 

[tynopik]

But what does that even mean? Did the visited airports have the infrastructure to support such a machine? Do they have to be certified?

what 'infrastructure' are you talking about?

they might need new jet bridges and more baggage handling capacity, but it doesn't require new, longer runways or anything

from a thread at airliners.net

The whole point of the A380 is that it will fit into a 747 sized box (the numbers 210m x 210m spring to mind) and it's weight will be distributed so that it's impact on taxiways and runways is less (indeed, the 747's weight was less - PER WHEEL - than the 707 before it). While terminal and airfield modifications are needed to ensure the fastest possible turnaround, anywhere that can take a 747 today can take an A380 tomorrow.