A380: Ugly Duckling Or Beautiful Swan

BN747 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 8:54 am

I just a foto of the A380 nose section...and it looks as ugly as the drawings. Yeesh! This is not a good sign. I remember the earlier drawings of 747..which were butt ugly too. But when it rolled out..it was awesome! Will this be the same for the A380? I dunno...after seeing that nose suspended from a crane...it looked ..very unattractive. I get the feeling it's gonna look like a gigantic IL-96 with stubby wings and a double deck...a derigible (blimp) with wings and engines. I hope I'm wrong..but from the early factory shots...it looks scary!

BN747

This not a B vs A thing...but sole focus on what this thing is gonna look like!

dmerinop · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:01 am

Hi,

Yes, I agree with you. It looks ugly but as you said, the boeing 747 looked ugly too.
Anyway my opinion is that the A-380 is totally a new style aircraft with 2 levels, biggest commercial aircraft with new features and that´s why not everything about it can be perfect!!!

Dani

AMM744 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:04 am

Butt Ugly

In My Humble Opinion

cpharris5514 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:09 am

I think it's pretty ugly to the core. Of course, I grew up in Seattle, so what does that tell you? Airbus = Satan Big grin

(Okay, so I've flown them before . . . Smile

)

Thrust · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:26 am

The Airbus A380 design is overall ugly, but efficient. It will carry an unmatchable volume of passengers, have super-long range, and will have four enormous, powerful, and super-efficient engines. Airbus should stick with its current design. Currently, no jet is capable of matching the A380 in size, passenger capacity, and range. My advice to Airbus: "Stick with your current design. You are about to go beyond Boeing's current reach in competition. I don't care how good-looking a jetliner is. If it beats the others in performance, you have a winner. Way to go!"

QB737 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:40 am

I can't wait to see it live! I hope it will have de garce of a 747 on take-off.

Ben Wow!

EA CO AS · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:42 am

Is "ugly swan" an option? Big grin

BN747 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:52 am

QB737...I dunno about that. If you've ever seen a C-5A or a Antonov takeoff...they look like they aren't gonna make it. A 747 hauls ass on takeoff. I guess this just remains to be seen. But as those A380 drawings materialize into the real thing...at first glance the drawings appear to be accurate. This very well may not be a good-looking airliner. I hope I'm wrong about this...heck, I'll be the 1st in line to eat crow if it looks awesome. But I get that eerie feeling that this thing will have that ugly russian (IL-86,96 what I call the hotdog bun look) appearance.

BN747

3lions · Fri Dec 26, 2003 11:36 am

Its so ugly,,,,,,,,,,,,, that it is beautiful.

AnsettAW · Fri Dec 26, 2003 11:47 am

kind of like Uma Thurman Smile

cancidas · Fri Dec 26, 2003 11:50 am

it's beautiful. it'll be even more beautiful in flight for the first time!

solnabo · Fri Dec 26, 2003 1:13 pm

Ugly duckling on the tarmac but a swallow in the air.
Period!
Big thumbs up

Michael/SE

RayChuang · Fri Dec 26, 2003 1:38 pm

I'll reserve judgement until the real thing is rolled out of the Airbus factory at TLS in a real airline livery (e.g., EK, SQ or VS). Smile

futureualpilot · Fri Dec 26, 2003 1:44 pm

From what Ive seen so far.....ugly.

Maybe Ill change my mind when its complete....doubtful but maybe

FlyingColors · Fri Dec 26, 2003 1:56 pm

Over all its OK.

However that nose is ugly indeed. It will never have the grace and majesty of a 747 but I do look forward to see it fly.

Mike

aviasian · Fri Dec 26, 2003 2:05 pm

Call it Ugly duckling, Ugly swan, Beautiful Swan or anything else, it might just turn out to be the Goose that lays golden eggs for some airlines.

Even as it takes flight in the colours of its customers . . . there will be those who love it and those who dislike it for its looks. There will never be total agreement about something so subjective as looks . . .

The various planes named so far (B747, C-5 Galaxy and Antonov - presumed the AN124 is meant) are beautiful in their own way in my eyes. The one plane that made me do a double-take was the VFW-614 (hope I got it correct) . . . even then, I would refrain from branding it negatively, for I am certain someone here must like it.

KC Sim
Bangkok

andyhunt · Fri Dec 26, 2003 2:29 pm

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I guarantee you two things:

1) If and when you see it, out will come the cameras and photographs will be a plenty of this machine

2) Each and every time it arrives at an airport people WILL stop and notice it

In other words, love it or hate it, it is going to be a head turner Big grin

Oh yes, I'm very much looking forward to it!

Andrew

Q330 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 2:30 pm

I'd say we should wait until it is in one piece before making up our minds. I'm sure the real thing will look better than the computer generated pictures. Anyway, it will probably grow on you, even if you don't like it now.

-Q

QantasA332 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 2:39 pm

Personally, I don't really care about looks of a/c...it's just a matter of opinion. IMO it's not that bad, but as Q330 said, we should just reserve judgement until it's in one piece and flying. All that is important, I think, is that it's incredibly more efficient (e.g. the A380 will burn 20% less fuel per pax than the B747), it's lighter, and it's more technologically advanced than anything before it.

qantasA332

futureualpilot · Fri Dec 26, 2003 2:44 pm

I read somewhere that said somehow all aircraft, no matter the design on paper turn out beautiful.

That said, it looks ugly still but planes arent ment to be pretty they're ment to make money(airliners anyway)

As Aviasian previously stated, it will be a headturner!

BN747 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 3:06 pm

Well futureualpilot...I'd buy that if I was living in the 1930s thru the 50s..when you had ships like the Stratocruiser, the Globemaster and many others. I'm sure many back then most thought the were awesome...I think they were awesome in their time because they paved the way for what we have today. But they also were machines 'about' simply getting the job done. Back then, the idea was pretty much..can they do the job? No one cared what it looked like...such a luxury wasn't concievable.

But then appearance became an issue..look at the Edsel automobile..it's looks killed it! Probably the same happened with the VFW-614 as a short-range jetliner. Today we have the luxury of being concerned about what is pleasing to the eye and what isn't. The arguement could probably be maded to some extent re: the Mercure (car wise..the Citroen [older models]), even the Convair 990.
Someone, somewhere is always gonna like them. But I think the best point made here is going to be..'how will it perform? Will it do what the manufacturer says it will? That's the 'billion dollar' question. If it falls short of that 20% fuel burn savings....lookout!

BN747

miamix707 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 3:25 pm

A380 will be the ugliest airliner, thats easy ... The IL 86/96 although strange, is actually a quite photogenic aircraft.. The A380 is a spaceship with a gigantic A320 nose

they just coudlnt have come up with an uglier front end

L-188 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 3:27 pm

You know, maybe it is just because I saw "Finding Nemo" but for some reason the proposed shape of the A380 strikes be as being perfect to paint up like a Clownfish.

brons2 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 4:28 pm

I think it's an ugly looking plane, with a forehead that makes the 777's oversized forehead look positively small.

However, the sheer size of the thing will definitely turn heads wherever it goes. That's gonna be one big fat tube.

nm19371 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 4:49 pm

looks like a beached white whale with wings...

CanadianNorth · Fri Dec 26, 2003 5:17 pm

Untill i see the real thing in full i have "No comment at this time."

CanadianNorth

elwood64151 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 5:22 pm

I don't think it really matters, so long as it makes money...

If it doesn't make money, then it'll be ugly to everyone (except its designers, of course)!

Seriously, whether or not it is attractive is the least important characteristic of commercial aircraft. What matters most is how much more money do they make than is spent to fly them?

By the way, I imagine all of those lounges and bars and all of that stuff will go the way of the 747 piano bar--into history within 5 years!

Pretty soon, you'll see the 700 passenger A380!

dragon-wings · Fri Dec 26, 2003 5:30 pm

So far it is one butt ugly duckling!

Elwood...I give those bars, lounges and other things they mentioned even less time. Some things they said that would be in the A380 I don't see them EVER getting in the plane. Can you imagine being in a shower and have the plane hitting turbulence?? That could be a deadly situation. And what about the extra weight of the water the plane would have to carry?

aerokiwi · Fri Dec 26, 2003 5:45 pm

And wont it be fun waiting in line with 700 other people to board the aircraft, deplane, collect luggage and travel through customs/immigration? Where possible, I think you will see most high-end passengers avoiding flights shared by 700 other people. I know I would if I had the choice.

Just my thoughts on the further separation between high and low yielding passengers in the coming years.

scf158 · Fri Dec 26, 2003 7:30 pm

I dont think its THAT butt ugly... its a little awkward, but I dont mind it. Although I still think the 747 is much better looking! A bit more natural for me...

CHEERS

IanatSTN · Fri Dec 26, 2003 7:35 pm

Still can't make my mind up on this bird...

Cheers

[email protected]

dc-10 levo · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:10 pm

100% ugly. I hate it - it's just way too bulky and looks terrible. The most ugliest airliner I have ever seen.

DC-10

Santhosh · Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:12 pm

I think in due course people will adjust with the designe and accept it.But only time can tell weather its a success or a big failure.

Regards
S.K.George

FlyingColours · Fri Dec 26, 2003 10:48 pm

I think that the A380 is a great looker, I mean the 747 has the hump which is very unique in a sense, but the A380 is nice in my eyes. My opinion will (hopefully) be enforced when I see her at the Paris Air Show 2005, and even more so when she comes to MAN in October 2007 for EK.

I had heard that EK were planning an A380 service from October 2007.

Regards,

Phil
FlyingColours

Plane Holland · Fri Dec 26, 2003 11:14 pm

although I'm not a fan of Airbus.. If Boeing had built it the opinions would be the other way around.

It's not ugly, but it ain't all that.. It's more like a fat pig who's able to fly.. Smile

pigs in space...

rgds, Plane Holland

longhaulheavy · Fri Dec 26, 2003 11:19 pm

Yeah, it could be great. But the renderings aren't so hot. I like to call it the "flying whale."

Pigs in Space is pretty good too! Haha...

L1011Lover · Sat Dec 27, 2003 12:48 am

Oh I made my mind up!!! Except for all the ugly Russian airliners, this is the most ugly aircraft (pic) I´ve ever seen!

Anyway I can´t help but for me all Airbus models look quite ugly compared to Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed!!!

Still the best looking Airbus models are the older A300 and A310!

But I definetely don´t like the A340 with the pathetic 4 engines, I don´t like the A320 and A321 and I hate the A319, I don´t even want to imagine how ugly the A318 is going to be!!!

The A330 (which looks a little like the A300) is okay if painted in a nice livery like US and NW, but is also very ugly in LH´s or AF´s all white paintscheme!

In my opinion the A380 is definetely going to be the most ugly western civil airliner! Nothing compared to the beauty of a 747, 777 or DC-10/MD-11 or of course my beloved L1011, which was the most beautiful aircraft ever built!!!

And I´m not looking forward to its rollout!

Best regards,

L1011Lover

Tom in NO · Sat Dec 27, 2003 1:47 am

"kind of like Uma Thurman"

I think it looks more like Rosey O'Donnell.

ClipperMonsoon · Sat Dec 27, 2003 2:20 am

id say ugly duckling, but i dont want to offend any ducks

boeing767-300 · Sat Dec 27, 2003 2:31 am

The A380 is UGLY if it is anything.The full length double deck makes it appear 'shorter' than the 747 whose 'hump' has the opposite effect.

The flight deck on a 747 sits 'High on top and proud' where as the A380 is 'down low underneath the upper deck and uneasy'

Still as mentioned above looks will count for nothing. What is really on the line is 'promised' performance and this is where I would be worried if I was at Airbus.

If the A380 falls below expectations along with the fact most people couldn't give a damn what the plane is and don't want to be fighting the counters and luggage carosels with 600+ others then suddenly you have a plane you are struggling to fill with 'low yield" fares and the high or higher yield people opting for frequency and less congestion at the terminal.

I don't think "novelty" value alone will fill these birds but time will tell. The performance promises are critical.

Back to the old "Hub" versus "Point to point" and on that airlines have been downsizing as of recent times!!

aerosol · Sat Dec 27, 2003 2:41 am

Airbus Planes are:
-ugly
-slugish on take off
-unreliable because of computer controls
-are horrible to maintain
-do not have a yoke
-are not called 777
-do not suit the market development (everything will be point to point)
I wonder why they outsell the competition Big grin

?

Happy new year and good luck for he next one!

Spaceman · Sat Dec 27, 2003 5:38 am

Who cares if it is pretty or not. This is not a beauty contest. If a plane gets you to your destination comfortably and economically, then it is a good plane. Plus, this airplane might not look good on the outside, but it will have the most spacious and luxurious cabin in the world.

AvObserver · Sat Dec 27, 2003 6:05 am

"Who cares if it is pretty or not." Well, at least BN747 who started this thread.

Since we're only rating 'looks', an impossibly subjective category, nobody's opinion is any better or worse than anyone else's because it's impossible to quantify. Here, all of the A380's considerable actual merits must be ignored so we can futilely attempt to answer the impossible question: "Is it beautiful or ugly as sin?". Well, here's my 2 cents. The wing design is indeed beautiful, one of the most magnificent airfoil shapes ever conceived! The fuselage shape, however, does not aesthetically impress me, at least on the baseline -800. It seems proportionately too short, so the overall look appears to me too squat and fat. I believe the stretch, however, will be much more appealing, being better proportioned. Conversely though, I'm afraid the proposed -700 shrink will likely look really awful, its' even shorter fuselage magnifying the squatness seen even in the -800. As it stands, a side view of the A380 in illustrations makes it look much to me like a flying fish, partly due to the bluntness of the nose. I'm leery the -700 may carry this farther, looking like a fat guppy or flounder. Well, we'll just have to wait for the finished prototype to better answer this question.

VSGirl · Sat Dec 27, 2003 6:08 am

I love Airbus, but I think the Airbus A380 looks odd. My Dad who is a retired Chief Captain said that when the Boeing 747 first came out people thought exactly the same thing though.

Kimberly.

miamix707 · Sat Dec 27, 2003 6:09 am

L1011Lover, I also think Airbus' best looking aircraft are the original A300 and A310. The A340 & A330 are photogenic only in a few angles like a 3/4 front/rear view but the narrowbodies are all ugly from any angle you look at them.

miamix707 · Sat Dec 27, 2003 6:16 am

who cares about looks? well some of us do. Airplanes and their looks are what got ME interested in aviation in the first place

M.R.

sebolino · Sat Dec 27, 2003 7:32 am

I guess Spaceman has said it all:

We just don't fucking care if it's ugly or not.
I don't believe some here sound nearly angry against the airplane not to be like they would like it to be.

By the way, I find it great !! Big thumbs up

Plane Holland · Sat Dec 27, 2003 7:53 am

Spaceman; do you actually believe it's gonna be spacious?

Hell no.., they're gonna stuff as many people in it as they can..

The travel industry is searching for ways to treat people like cattle and they found it in the form of an A380 (and 747's).

First and business is going to be equal to as what's already available on already flying airbuses and boeings and whatever type of plane.

Economy is gonna be just as bad and cramped.

rgds, Plane Holland (ain't me taking a ride on that thing)

garnetpalmetto · Sat Dec 27, 2003 8:49 am

U-G-L-Y. Damned thing fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It's not even "so ugly it's beautiful" like the A-10 is. Like others have said, it doesn't look as big as a 747 and lacks any sense of graceful lines to it.

Espion007 · Sat Dec 27, 2003 9:06 am

Its like the exact opposite of concorde-its really ugly and really reliable.

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