Braybuddy From Ireland, joined Aug 2004, 5286 posts, RR: 35 Posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 11049 times:
Sorry about the poor quality of the pic, but this is a shot of the second and third A380s this morning (12/9) at Toulouse. One clearly has the Airbus house tail, the other is a white tail. I distinctly remember a Singapore tail being unloaded off a Super Guppy some months back. Seeing that Singapore is going to be the first customer to fly the aircraft, why was this not put on one of the above aircraft?
JBLUA320 From United States of America, joined May 2002, 3160 posts, RR: 21 Reply 2, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 10914 times:
Maybe they have the 3rd one in primer so they can paint it directly into the colors of its future operator?
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, RR: 58 Reply 4, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 10880 times:
Quoting Braybuddy (Thread starter): Seeing that Singapore is going to be the first customer to fly the aircraft, why was this not put on one of the above aircraft
Yeah.What happened to that Vertical Stablizer in SQ colours.
regds
MEL
Geo772 From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 497 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 10870 times:
If I were an airline executive I don't think I would want an early test aircraft to have my airlines livery. Later on during the test flight program when the final test aircraft will later go onto commercial service then I can imagine them in the final carriers livery.
Flown on A300B4/600,A319/20/21,A332/3,A343,B727,B732/3/4/7/8,B741/2/4,B752,B762/3,B772/3,DC10,L1011-200,VC10,MD80,1-11
LordHowe From Finland, joined Jan 2003, 728 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 10786 times:
Quoting Braybuddy (Thread starter): that Singapore is going to be the first customer to fly the aircraft, why was this not put on one of the above aircraft?
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 13, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 10059 times:
Quoting HAWK21M (Reply 4): Yeah.What happened to that Vertical Stablizer in SQ colours.
It will go on MSN 003
Quoting EDDM (Reply 9): Funny.. why didn't they take down the "A380 Generation" poster after the first flight ceremony?
RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8741 posts, RR: 52 Reply 15, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 8456 times:
Quoting Geo772 (Reply 5): If I were an airline executive I don't think I would want an early test aircraft to have my airlines livery
That is the exact opposite attitude that UA had during 777 testing. Of the five 777s involved in the testing procedures, one was painted in house Boeing colors, while the other four I believe were in the full United paint scheme. United tried to milk the media coverage of the plane as free advertising. People would see a beautiful brand new plane landing and then see the United logo on the side of it and hopefully make the conclusion that they would want to fly United to get to fly on such a wonderful new plane. Think of how many photos have been published of the A380. Wouldn't you want the free advertising saying that you would be the one to operate this brand new amazing piece of modern machinery?
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 16, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 8416 times:
Quoting Braybuddy (Reply 14): If that's the case, why the white tail on one of the aircraft?
NZ1 From New Zealand, joined May 2004, 2188 posts, RR: 27 Reply 18, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 7998 times:
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Quoting Braybuddy (Reply 17): Yet the other one, which hasn't been painted, has the Airbus house colours on its tail. I'm confused!
Im sure I read above that MSN 003 will be going to SQ. Also the poster stated that 002 is an Airbus flight test aircraft. Why do people not read earlier posts.
Braybuddy From Ireland, joined Aug 2004, 5286 posts, RR: 35 Reply 19, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 7470 times:
Quoting NZ1 (Reply 18): Why do people not read earlier posts.
If you'd read my post I wondered why, if MSN 004 and 002 are the next two, and both of them are Airbus test aircraft, as Knoxibus above says, why are the two tails different? Gigneil says the white tail isn't done yet, so why does the unpainted one have a finished tail, yet the white one doesn't. Okay, the tail on the unpainted one was obviously finished before mounting, yet the other one wasn't.
On a (slightly) related topic, I've often seen pics of unpainted aircraft, mostly 737s with painted rudders. A few people have asked about this and the standard reply was that the rudders need to be fully painted beforehand for balance purposes. Yet in the Airbus factory, none of the unpainted aircraft we saw had painted rudders.
AAFLT1871 From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 2333 posts, RR: 16 Reply 20, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 7317 times:
Quoting Braybuddy (Reply 17): Yet the other one, which hasn't been painted, has the Airbus house colours on its tail. I'm confused!
Lets say you are the C.E.O for SQ, and you as being a launch customer for a totally new aircraft type. Would you want the plane flying around in flight testing wearing your livery? What if the plane were to crash? Do you know what would be all over the news? A SQ A380 has crashed, even though it was not a revenue flight and you have not taken delivery of your first plane yet. Most of the flying public is morons, they would not know that this was a flight test, they would assume SQ flies unsafe planes. Can you say bad press? Just as airlines are quick to pull/blackout their markings off of a crashed plane, why? They don't want to have the picture posted all over showing one of their down airliners. Now from what I gather, the one tail that has the Airbus house colors on it is staying with Airbus, the others will be going to various airlines once the flight testing is complete. At that time, you will see the liverys put on.
AAFLT1871 From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 2333 posts, RR: 16 Reply 21, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 7277 times:
My guess on that is the 737 line is a established line that they know the in's and out's of while the A380 is a new design type and as you know you have to crawl before you walk taking one step at a time. Down the line I am sure you will see painted rudders on A380's
Braybuddy From Ireland, joined Aug 2004, 5286 posts, RR: 35 Reply 22, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 7211 times:
Quoting AAFLT1871 (Reply 20): Would you want the plane flying around in flight testing wearing your livery?
According to RoseFlyer above, UA did just that with the 777. I'd be inclined to agree with him: airlines are gluttons for exposure. It's extremely unlikely a test aircraft would crash nowadays so they were obviously willing to take a chance.
Quoting AAFLT1871 (Reply 21): A380 is a new design type and as you know you have to crawl before you walk taking one step at a time.
Ruscoe From Australia, joined Aug 1999, 1407 posts, RR: 2 Reply 23, posted (7 years 8 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 7105 times:
Unless it has changed I read that MSN 001 and 002 are not going to be rewired, so if this is the case 002 will not be able to go to an airline either.,
MSN 004 is suppossed to be the first "production standard" aircraft with enhanced RR engines, and non steel wheels. If this is still the case what happens with MSN 003?
When I toured the A330/340 facility in TLS in March '04, there were painted tails on most of the planes under construction in the bays (incidentally, I think I saw EgyptAir's first A330 under construction ). Not all of them, but most of them had painted tails. To someone who knows very little about the manufacturing process, it seemed to me that there was no rhyme or reason. My best guess is that it might have something to do with availability of the paint shop.
25 RedChili: But why should Airbus give up the possibility of advertising themselves for free? I think that most answers concerning this question simply forget th
26 Knoxibus: Well as long as they belong to Airbus, I don't see why for the time being ETD can say yea or nay to which color these a/c should be painted in. I sti
27 Gary2880: is it cheaper for ETD to buy the test A380s that airbus have had a play with instead of brand new ones? only ask as thats the only reason i can see t
28 Astuteman: From a production engineering viewpoint, it is far easier to manhandle, and paint a tail (particularly one as immense as the A380) whilst it is horiz
29 Jush: I'll second that. That is almost free advertisement and the risk of losing reputation is quite small so why not do this. I hope to see the A380 in Em
30 Eha: Frankly I do not know, but I know for sure, that MSN 04 and MSN 02 are to be handed over to Flight test dpt, this month. E.
31 Breiz: Some possible explanations : - F-WXXL is prototype no. 2 (c/n 002)and as such is most probably already subject to modifications. Painting it straight
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). Not all of them, but most of them had painted tails. To someone who knows very little about the manufacturing process, it seemed to me that there was no rhyme or reason. My best guess is that it might have something to do with availability of the paint shop.
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