747focal,
if all 747 derivatives could pass the pax evacuation check why shouldn't the A380 ? Just because it's a few feet highter? As You said, everything evolves, and so do escape slide technologies
for the statement about aircraft noise, if I got it right, during approach/landing with an A320 the greatest source of noise is not the engine anymore, it's the air travelling over extended flaps and landing gear. So what about increasing speeds, it's increasing airframe noise.
And for rotation speeds above 350 kts, what kind of tyres will those planes have ? Full aluminium discs as the latest speed-record cars ? Certainly aborted take-offs would be very interesting with the amount of grip they are producing, but then we are talking about a 20 kilometer runway anyway.
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This Airbus is o.k., but why did it come with a RENAULT key ??