Well, first flight scheduled for wednesday, and i was just wondering what you think....

I'm a big fat Ba***rd, so it's comfort for me.

unless you are going in club or whatever they call it you will be stuffed in like sardines,depends on how big you want your tin i spose.
there have been a lot of probs with airbus,s use of carbon fibre,tails falling off etc,maybe boeing are right to stay with ally

Boeing staying with ali? No way; they're developing the 7E7 Dreamliner; the world's first full composite airliner! Carbon fuselage AND wings!

Well, as an ex employee of Airbus, I'm a bit reluctant to vote for them. After seeing some of the stuff that goes on during the construction of the wings, it is enough to nearly put me of flying on Airbus planes, and I love flying!

However, I do think the A380 is the way forward in air transport. Mainly because of the sheer volume of passengers that can be crammed onto one of them. It makesit far cheaper to fly people around the world, which must be a winner? I think people would still rather pay less for a plane ticket, even if it means flying like sardines in a can!

Oh, and the tails falling off was primarily due to the pilot overloading the plane by attempting to perform manouevres that the airframe was simply not designed to withstand (repeated rudder input alternating directions to full throw). This caused the structural failure. I seem to remember a massive court case to try and decide who was at fault. The airline for not training their pilots properly, or Airbus for not telling the airline what the plane cannot do! Or something like that.

Still, it is a rather impressive feat of engineering!

Cheers
Andy the ex employee!

i seriously doubt that 99% of travellers will see the luxury in the bullshyte videos that have been shown.

I suspect it will be 29 inc leg room and a tray of gunk thrown at you about 90 mins into the flight.

hope its a nice plane and a nice trip!

atb

steve

i heard it was a prob with water getting in-between the layers of c/f,constantly freezing and thawing that caused de-lamination and weakening of the structures

As a former airport facilities engineer all I can see it will do is cause major problems for airports that means disruption for pasengers.
The scale of the potential loss of life in the event of a disaster is also unacceptable not only in terms of pasengers but those o the ground.

doesn't airbus still use that lovely Kapton "explosive" quality wire? or is that just on their new "old" build aircraft.....

Hmmm, RAF wiring husbandry briefs are so much fun.....

I think the way forward for airtravel is going to be like this (especially as we seem to ge going backwards in terms of performance!!)

ATB

Simon
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Boeing makes its customer airlines pay for the jets they order; Airbus is allowed to "distribute" the cost across airlines AND the people of several EU countries in the form of taxes. None of my business, though, since I don't live there.

As to the "crammed like sardines" complaint, though, Boeing doesn't dictate the number of passengers per jet. It offers a range or seating plans to the airline and the airline picks the roominess/squishedness they think their passengers will put up with. I've been on "roomy" 737-400's and "squished" 737-400's.

Retired Boeing guy, so "if it ain't Boeing, I ain't going,"

problem with big planes, apart from all the mess when they crash is :

1. someone of the 500+ passengers is gonna board late and make you delayed.

2. 499 bags will arrive on the conveyor before yours does.

3. there will be a huge queue for the toilets

4. you will still have the same crappy leg room regarless of the info commerical for the plane showing its got its own basketball court and bowling lane.

5. 500 people will all arrive at immigration (USA for example) at the same time as you do.

6. the airport lounge will be chokka.


atb

steve