380FOCAL
28th Apr 2005, 18:44
Now it can be revealed.
There is on the drawing board, plans for the A480, A580 and A680. Plans for the A780 and A880 also exist, albeit as concepts.
Each successive mark will get bigger and bigger until, the A880 which is destined to be 500 miles in length.
This cunning fuel saving design is meant to be parked in London (or Paris) and stretch all the way to Paris (or London for the return trip).
Passengers will board via a standard jetway, and will enter into a luxurious and well appointed cabin area. After a short trip of two hundred and fifty miles or so to their seat (remember to CHECK YOUR BAGS), they will find accomodations like on no other aircraft. Large sofa like seating with a fridge, and fully appointed wet bar. A personal microwave oven for heating individual snacks and of course the essential wide screen plasma TV.
After a record breaking "flight" of less than a minute, passengers will then walk the two hundred and fifty miles of carpeted aisle to the rear exit where they will deplane at their destination. Signs will remind them to reset their watches as their continental holiday has already begun.
A future version of the A880, designed for long haul routes may even contain a luxurious high speed train to whisk you safely to you seat.
As well as the obvious fuel and maintenance savings, this design has many less obvious advantages. For one thing, it satisfies the most stringent noise abatement requirements. Though Airbus are not stressing this in defference to the more timid of the travelling public, it requires no flight crew to operate. It's less of a terrorist target, and if anything does happen - it might be miles away from your seat. Finally being less of a terrorist target, it's hoped that security measures are not necessary which means your trip can be completed in a fraction of the current journey time.
There is on the drawing board, plans for the A480, A580 and A680. Plans for the A780 and A880 also exist, albeit as concepts.
Each successive mark will get bigger and bigger until, the A880 which is destined to be 500 miles in length.
This cunning fuel saving design is meant to be parked in London (or Paris) and stretch all the way to Paris (or London for the return trip).
Passengers will board via a standard jetway, and will enter into a luxurious and well appointed cabin area. After a short trip of two hundred and fifty miles or so to their seat (remember to CHECK YOUR BAGS), they will find accomodations like on no other aircraft. Large sofa like seating with a fridge, and fully appointed wet bar. A personal microwave oven for heating individual snacks and of course the essential wide screen plasma TV.
After a record breaking "flight" of less than a minute, passengers will then walk the two hundred and fifty miles of carpeted aisle to the rear exit where they will deplane at their destination. Signs will remind them to reset their watches as their continental holiday has already begun.
A future version of the A880, designed for long haul routes may even contain a luxurious high speed train to whisk you safely to you seat.
As well as the obvious fuel and maintenance savings, this design has many less obvious advantages. For one thing, it satisfies the most stringent noise abatement requirements. Though Airbus are not stressing this in defference to the more timid of the travelling public, it requires no flight crew to operate. It's less of a terrorist target, and if anything does happen - it might be miles away from your seat. Finally being less of a terrorist target, it's hoped that security measures are not necessary which means your trip can be completed in a fraction of the current journey time.
