Seloco,
Your comment,
"I wonder if others would agree that the A380's currently perceived "unloveliness" is actually because it is TOO SHORT?!"
The shorter the fuselage the higher the resultant nose high attitude of the aircraft, in a pitchup from a strong vertical updraft.
e.g., The Northwest Airlines Flight 705, a Boeing 720B (8 feet shorter than a Boeing 707) was pitched up to a nose high attitude in a strong vertical updraft. The crew used forward pitch control with little effect on the nose attitude, due to the vertical relative wind. Full nose down stabilizer trim was then used in an attempt to lower the nose. the aircraft then exited the updraft into normal relative wind conditions and with the full nose down stabilizer trim setting, the aircraft pitched over into a vertical dive and came apart in the air.
This accident occurred February 12, 1963 over Miami, Florida. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) determined that the probable cause of this accident was the unfavorable interaction of severe vertical air drafts and large longitudinal control dieplacements, resulting in a longitudinal upset from which a successful recovery was not made.
Beauty, or the lack thereof, is not a primary concern in aircraft design, but it may be a hint!
Last edited by wsherif1; 22nd Apr 2005 at 05:13.