THERE WILL BE NO QC 2 FOR YOU
A380 is louder than assumed
Media: Frankfurter Rundschau
Author: Wolfgang Schubert
Date: 05 November 2005
Fraport and expansion opponents present results of measurements/not tested in normal every-day conditions
The Airbus A 380 was as loud as a Boeing jumbo jet 747 during the test landing in Frankfurt a week ago. Moreover the [A380] causes dangerous wake vortices because of its size, communicated the German aircraft noise monitoring organization on Friday in its measurement results. Fraport confirmed the measuring data to a large extent.
Frankfurt • "The shouts of joy [about the A380] are to be referred to the land of fairytales", said Sascha Friebe, chairman of the German aircraft noise monitoring organization (DFLD). Lufthansa managers, airport CEO William Bender, Minister President Roland Koch and Chief Burgomaster of Frankfurt Petra Roth had talked about a "quiet giant bird” after the landing before 10,000 spectators last Saturday, which flew in "like a glider."
The measurements of the aircraft noise service in Moerfelden Walldorf, which considers itself as an "independent non--governmental organization" and is predominantly organized in the airport development opposition, show the opposite. The mega-airplane, which should have been three to four decibels quieter than the largest passenger airplane the Boeing 747-400 according to manufacturer data, was as loud as other large-capacity aircraft during the landing. The measuring instrument of DFLD registered 67 decibels over Neu-Isenburg south of Frankfurt.
The noise might have been even stronger. On Friday airport operator Fraport submitted its own results of measurement, which are even higher than those of the DFLD. For Offenbach-Bieber Fraport indicated 70.3 decibels, in Offenbach-Lauterborn was it 71.8, in Frankfurt-South 75.3 and at level of the Stadtwaldhaus just before touch down 82.3. In comparative values with a 747 plane, which had landed during the same morning, were only lower at the Stadtwaldhaus. In Frankfurt-South and in Offenbach-Lauterborn the A 380 was substantially louder
During takeoff, Fraport registered values that were below those of the 747. The Airbus however only weighed 400 tons. If it would be fully occupied for a flight to Tokyo and would have been refueled, the plane would have weighed 560 tons and would have been much louder than the 65.7 decibels over Raunheim and the 74.5 over Weilbach.
Fraport emphasized however that the measured values of only one landing and one takeoff of a prototype is not representative. The test plane was even equipped with measuring instruments at the fuselage and the wings, which would have caused additional surge noises.
The aircraft noise monitoring organization criticized also that the A 380 was not tested under everyday life conditions. The air traffic control (DFS) granted the pilots "ideal landing conditions". The distance to the next jet for instance was with ten miles so large that the A 380 could land "with low speed and therefore quietly". DFS spokesperson Axel Raab said, they had opted for a large distance for safety reasons because of possible turbulence.
Those are extremely large according to data of the DFLD. The A 380 has caused, "a good two minute tornado with noise values of about 70 decibels," said Friebe. Such turbulence he has “never experienced". If the plane would have flown very low over Raunheim, “the roofs would have blown off".
Wolfgang Schubert
I wonder how that PAX Evac test is stacking up?
