A380900 From France, joined Dec 2003, 1011 posts, RR: 1 Posted (8 years 12 months 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 5486 times:
Looking at the new a380 picture, I have a few questions:
- Is this thing going to be pressurized during static tests?
- Why is there an empty space on the leading edge of the wings near the fuselage? What is there in the real aircraft?
- What are the red things hanging from the inner engine mounts?
- Why isn't there an horizontal stabilizer? Isn't it worth testing too?
Besides, what interesting things have you noticed about this picture?
Wilco From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 355 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (8 years 12 months 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 5354 times:
this A380 is NOT finished. it simply a pic of it with the wings on. don't worry, all the "holes" will be filled and they'll find a horizontal stabilizer somewhere...
RaginMav From United States of America, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 372 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (8 years 12 months 3 days ago) and read 4597 times:
I heard they didn't attach the horizontal stabilizer because they're considering a design change...
A380 - the worlds first canard-winged super jumbo!
Francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, RR: 10 Reply 6, posted (8 years 12 months 3 days ago) and read 4541 times:
The red thingies underneath the #2 & 3 engine mounts should be weighs that help the a/c be balanced and that prevent it from tilting backward, since the fuselage and landing gear are balanced and positionned for when the engines are mounted, ... and they ain't.
The a/c is also missing his set of inner gears. Those will have 6 wheels bogeys, like the 777's main gear.
The empty space near the wing root will not be part of the main load bearing structure, it will only be sheet metal and/or composite fairings and compartments. I am unsure wether they will be mounted on this airframe for testing, or wether they will be tested separately.
I believe pressurization test will be conducted with that airframe.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
Spike From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2004, 1170 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (8 years 12 months 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 4205 times:
I bet if kids had had the internet at the time of the 747's launch they would have thought - I bet that won't fly. Like I do seeing trhe first pics of the A-380. This is a brave move, and Europe is just about to take over the US as the world's largest aircraft manufacturer in all senses of the word. The 7e7 is going to look tiny compared to this (if it ever along-side). Infact, everything is.
22right From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 417 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (8 years 12 months 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 4061 times:
Some answers to the questions A380900 asked:
- Is this thing going to be pressurized during static tests?
Yes, they do need to evaluate the ability to pressure-cook rice during flight, as demanded by the Asian carriers who have placed orders for the A380.
- Why is there an empty space on the leading edge of the wings near the fuselage? What is there in the real aircraft?
The empty space is where the deeply discounted seats will be placed. Basically, it will be a dark chamber with no windows and no inflight service. This will be intended for those folks who want to fly long-haul but only want to pay 10% of the regular ticket price. Remember, airlines will want to maximize the number of fare paying pax to justify the economics of this monster.
- What are the red things hanging from the inner engine mounts?
That's a special feature requested by Virgin (hence the red color). Even though Sir Richard Branson will not admit this, my sources tell me that Virgin plans to install an on-board laundry on this airplane for First Class. The red "things" will house the washer and dryer units (the remote location will facilitate easy disposal of laundry water as well as quick "freeze-drying" of clothes in the air. How they will get clothes from the fuselage to the laundry units is an interesting story of European engineering genius. (one that cannot be briefly covered here.)
- Why isn't there an horizontal stabilizer? Isn't it worth testing too?
This is a dirty little secret of the aviation industry that will finally come out with the A380. Basically, airplane manufacturers have long known that horizontal stabilizers don't really contribute anything to the operation of modern fly-by-wire aircraft. However, they have kept these on their airplanes to placate the general public who may irrationally be afraid of flying on an odd-looking airplane without horizontal stabilizers. However, due the considerable weight considerations involved in an a/c the size of the A380, Airbus decided to do away with this piece of useless junk hanging off the rear of the a/c.
Besides, what interesting things have you noticed about this picture?
It seems to me that the airplane is sporting a mischievous grin as if to taunt Boeing.
"I never apologize! I am sorry, but that's the way it is!" - Homer Simpson
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12027 posts, RR: 43 Reply 10, posted (8 years 12 months 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 3909 times:
LOL, that last post was the best I've read so far today RR
Flyboy80 From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 1856 posts, RR: 3 Reply 12, posted (8 years 12 months 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 3451 times:
The A380 will look very large, however, It will by no means dwarf a 744 when side by side... But you will be able to tell its bigger... I would anticipate it will be like seeing a 777 next to a 747.
my views expressed here are my own, and do not represent any company or organization
Spike From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2004, 1170 posts, RR: 6 Reply 16, posted (8 years 12 months 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 2453 times:
I think the 747 is going to look pretty small beside it. But this is by a long way from being the final version. Imagine sitting in that cockpit and landing the thing though! Phew.
Usairways16bwi From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1003 posts, RR: 4 Reply 17, posted (8 years 12 months 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 2410 times:
Maybe it'll be like the spruce goose. lol. a one hit wonder
S.p.a.s. From Liechtenstein, joined Mar 2001, 953 posts, RR: 3 Reply 21, posted (8 years 12 months 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 2226 times:
Can't wait to see the cinema and shopping mall!
A few weeks ago I was spotting with a friend and traffic was low...well, to make a long story short, we started to make jokes and say crap.. And then I had this US$1.000.000 idea.
We could buy an A380 and make a "party in the sky" service. The upper deck could be used for the formal part of weddings, graduations, conferences, etc while the lower deck would be a wide open place, with a huge dancing floor, food court, maybe we could even have some private rooms for Mile High Club experiences. The possibilities are just infinite...
Fortunately, the traffic increased and we returned to the spotting...
LMML 14/32 From Malta, joined Jan 2001, 2559 posts, RR: 7 Reply 22, posted (8 years 12 months 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 2072 times:
Re-the parties in the sky, I don't think that is a very far fetched idea. I beleive I read somewhere that Corsair used to do such flights where several seats were removed in the centre section and in cruise the "guests" would just assemble there and party around table fulls of food and music.
I seriously think such an idea has already been thought of and is being considered by some. I have been on the mock up and half the upper deck was devoid of seats. It looked like a small general aviation hangar.
The rest of the mock up was made up of concepts and ideas which I hardly think will ever materialise. Although some are cool, like the library, the shopping mall and the rear standing bar with mood lighting and overhead plasma screens.
UAL-Fan From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 367 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (8 years 12 months 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 1964 times:
I have to admit I am a die hard Boeing fan. But no matter what anyone thinks of Airbus one must admit this is pretty damn impressive! I don't think it looks ugly, on the contrary it looks amazing.
Hats off to Airbus on making this a reality.
25 L-188: Parties in the Sky. Well along the ame line there was that fellow that was running a charter service with a twin commander. He replaced most of the se
26 Asteriskceo: Wow, the A380 program is moving along faster then i had expected. Keep it up! lol.
27 LacsaA320: Anybody can see such picture at: http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/1585445/ This is in regard of my previous post. It ap
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