Airbus A380

[chrisadams]

Hey all,
I've got to do a project on what makes the Airbus A380 unique, I know the obvious (i.e double decker etc) but can someone help me make my presentation slightly more unique

Thanks in advance

chrisadams

[LemonButt]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A380

[Wing Commander Chad Studdington]

The wings can only leave Broughton at certain times so they can be on the barge at Mosyn in time to go out with the high tide.

[thedr2]

You could talk about the use of Carbon Composites in the construction. How that saves weight, and therefore fuel consumption. It's second only to the 787 in composite percentages.

Also talk about the difficulties that come in constructing an aircraft of that size, i.e. Thrust, runway requirements, safety regulations, and how they were overcome. There should be plenty of good articles on the internet to answer your questions.  

[swiftus27]

They were made SOLELY for the reason of being used at airports with no slots available at prime times (Ahem, CDG and LHR).   They are not more fuel efficient than planes that already existed.

[thedr2]

They were made SOLELY for the reason of being used at airports with no slots available at prime times (Ahem, CDG and LHR).   They are not more fuel efficient than planes that already existed.

Per seat they are more efficient than a 747-400, and I'd be surprised (though I don't have the figures), if they weren't more efficient than 777s and A330s per seat too.

[alexgv1]

Without the wingtip fences, the wingspan would have had to have been 5 metres longer. This would have made the plane impossible because it would be over the 80m width limit imposed by commercial airports.

[Pilot Oatmeal]

They have to take off on Runway 24L at Manchester (EGCC) because if it took off on runway 24R its tail/rudder would block the ILS (Instrument Landing System).

 

[broadbander]

They have to take off on Runway 24L at Manchester (EGCC) because if it took off on runway 24R its tail/rudder would block the ILS (Instrument Landing System).

 

A380 operating procedures have been changed at Manchester now. A380s now use the same runway for arrival and departure runway as all other traffic. The timings of the EK17/EK18 service coincide with single runway ops at Manchester and means it should arrive on either 23R or 05L and depart on 23R or 05L depending on wind direction.

MAN A380 ops

[Wing Commander Chad Studdington]

They are planes. (Just a thought in case you needed to be reminded) 

[Curse]

Airbus tries to sell them for building demolition, too. But the first test at Le Bourget this year failed.

[Wing Commander Chad Studdington]

They can be used to turn aircraft around very very quickly. (JFK incident)

[LemonButt]

Airbus is currently developing the A390, which is based on the A380 design.

[Ilyushin]

It also comes in a Mach 23-version.

[Wing Commander Chad Studdington]

Some say it is banned from Washington state and that if it were a new prototype it wouldn't randomly catch fire during tests. All we know is its called the A380.

[flightsimer]

in reality, there is nothing special about the A380 except for its size. It was built using the same old ways as all aircraft before it, just scaled up in size. One interesting thing though would be the ways it is transported for final assembly. It is taken over road in the middle of the night in convoys of trucks.

now the 787 is a totally new process and design. Everything about it is unique.

[LemonButt]

in reality, there is nothing special about the A380 except for its size. It was built using the same old ways as all aircraft before it, just scaled up in size. One interesting thing though would be the ways it is transported for final assembly. It is taken over road in the middle of the night in convoys of trucks.

now the 787 is a totally new process and design. Everything about it is unique.

This is so true...take a smaller plane and increase thrust/wingspan/seating and you get the A380.  The Concorde used the fuel system to change its center of gravity allowing supersonic flight.  The A380 doesn't really have anything unique like this.  The 747 already had two decks, just not the length of the entire fuselage. 

[thedr2]

I would disagree with both of the two posts above. You can't just make a big, two deck, four engined A320 and expect it to work.

Do you really think they would have had it over ten years in development if they were just making it a little bit bigger? Seriously, wake up and smell the sausages, Boeing fan-boys. 

[Wing Commander Chad Studdington]

I would disagree with both of the two posts above. You can't just make a big, two deck, four engined A320 and expect it to work.

Do you really think they would have had it over ten years in development if they were just making it a little bit bigger? Seriously, wake up and smell the sausages, Boeing fan-boys.  

Obviously not, it's not a big A320, its an A340 with another A340 fuselage stuck to the roof. 

But in seriousness while there is no one thing that makes in unique it is a whole lot of work to have actually got it up in the air. If it was easy to do I'm sure Boeing would have just extended the top deck of the 747 when Airbus originally announced A3XX project.

Bear in mind this is a massive aircraft that can use all the airport facilities, taxiways and aprons of most big airports, still fit in all the size limits and them fly several thousand miles more efficiently than a family car.

Why yes, I am an Airbus fanboy! 

[Wing Commander Chad Studdington]

Out of interest does anyone know where I could find some concepts of the A3XX when it was officially announced. Does it look pretty much the same as the final A380 did?