WOW

[Craig.]

Found these today and all i can say is WOW.
Its starting to really sink in how big the A380 is going to be, let justhope those engineers were correct in wind tunnel testing as it doesnt exactly look like its gonna be a graceful plane:)
I despise airbus, but i will give them alot of credit if this plane really does fly.

[tvale80]

[Rifleman]

Wow alright, it looks like a section of the Chunnel ?

[Hagar]

I despise airbus

May I ask why?

[Craig.]

well first of all the slogans,, good lord dont they ever get tired of them.
secondly, a few years back they promised my dad a job in filton, then a few weeks before he was going to start, they mysteriously lost the contract he was to sign, and the job was no longer there. For what is now supposed to be the biggest commercial plane maker, they act like a bunch of amatures in many areas.

[Mr. Bones]

it looks big man! maybe if i have the chance, i'm going to visit the Airbus factory in Toulouse to see the real stuff...can't wait to see it in use at airports such as Schiphol...

[Daz]

holy hell.. thats huge!!

the a380 doesnt realy appeal to me its too chunky and big

[C]

MY WORD THAT'S HUGE!!!

Charlie

[Wing Nut]

Do you think maybe they're compensating for something?  ;D

[Politically Incorrect]

Do you think maybe they're compensating for something?  ;D

Are you suggesting "fuselage envy"?  ;D

My question is, with fewer and fewer people flying now days because of terrorism, the hassle of security, and mainly cost.
Why the hell do they keep spending money making planes bigger to carry more people? You know they are going to have a hard time filling a plane that big, and you know it is going to cost more to fly it so who pays in the long run?
The customer!
Or am I missing something? Is the need for a plane this size really there?
Either way it is going to be a sight to behold when completed!!!

[Hagar]

Why the hell do they keep spending money making planes bigger to carry more people? You know they are going to have a hard time filling a plane that big, and you know it is going to cost more to fly it so who pays in the long run?
The customer!

The situation might be a little different right now but I can remember exactly the same objections to the Boeing 747 when it was first proposed. One popular headline at the time was "It will never catch on".

[Wing Nut]

You know, I asked the same question several months ago, but now that I've thought about it, it makes sense.  If they can fit more people into one plane, it means less flights, and less expense for the airline.  The only question is where did they put the bar?  :)

[Craig.]

virgin have got one up front i believe. with plans for a gym aswell.
with technology as it is, that shouldnt cost to much more than the A340 to operate. filling it isnt a problem its being used on mainly high yeild routes, america-asia.
Europe-asia,, and the australia routes. its going to be horribly cramped in there though, bottom layer is believed to be 2-5-2 top layer 3-4-3 perhaps the other way round.
Remember companies like fed-ex are also buying them so i am looking forward to getting to see these beasts in memphis one day, just for the thrill of seeing such a huge plane fly.

[Hagar]

now that I've thought about it, it makes sense.

It makes a lot of sense. In the UK & Europe, airspace is terribly overcrowded now & the ATC services are almost at breaking point. In theory at least, a larger aircraft capable of carrying more passengers means less aircraft to deal with. The British government announced plans only this month for extending airports & even building new ones to cope with projected increased air traffic over the next 20 - 30 years. It's quite possible they got it wrong (again) as I've been told by those in the know that the airline business is in serious decline & might never recover.

The only problems I can forsee are the runway & parking facilities for a much larger aircraft (not to mention hangarage & maintenance facilities) & handling the increased amount of passengers & baggage on each flight in the terminal.

[Craig.]

side note of the size and runway thing. Very few airports right now can handle the A380. LAX may never be able to support it, due to poor planning of the airport. Most airports are in a rush to make it possible to accept this plane.