What is wrong with the BIG 'Bus?

[1279shp]

Airbus stakeholder BAE Systems said the 555 seat A380 plane was being delayed by problems with systems developed for the world's largest airliner and that stakeholders were loath to press on with the mooted A350 until the bigger plane's problems were resolved.

Paris hosts the world's largest air show from Monday and the hefty A380 is expected to star.

But delays in it have prompted complaints from airlines and added urgency to calls for EADS, which owns 80 percent of Airbus, to sort out internal debates holding up appointment of its new co-chief executives.

"Some of the systems are not as they should be on the A380," BAE Chief Executive Mike Turner told a meeting of journalists late on Sunday.

He said sorting out those problems was key to moving forward with the mid-sized A350 given that Airbus engineers were already being stretched by the A380 as well as work on developing the A400M military transport plane.

"At the moment, we are committed to (ensuring) the reliability of the A380 and doing the A400M," said Turner.

Already Europe's biggest defense company and its top player in the US market, BAE is constantly asked if it might sell its 20 percent stake in commercial airliner maker Airbus, calls which have increased in light of the planemaker's recent trouble launching the A350 while rival Boeing stacks up orders for its new 787 model.

"If the day comes when we can get better value for our 20 percent stake, we'd sell it," Turner said.

He said the current spat between the United States and the European Union over aircraft development subsidies boiled down to two sides which do benefit from such state money, though he expressed surprise at the US stance on the topic: "I'm really surprised by how convinced they are that they are right."

(Reuters)

[QAR ASR]

I heard it was problems with the wing box or spar, and the undercarridge. Also, as with most projects and women, Overweight.

[Few Cloudy]

Wing box and spar problems will be showing up first on the torture rig - way before they show up on the ship.

If that is the case, it is quite a headache at this stage.

[Kato747]

Mr Boeing must be laughing his arse off! God Bless him

The A380's gonna drop the Airbus Consortium like a bout of Ebola.

Well, if a company's going to sell "disposable" airplanes..... maybe they should get into "Huggies" as well...... both seem to be full of sh*te.

[Rainboe]

I suspect this is all total twaddle. The A380 will meet its problems, just like every new airframe/engine combination new development, and just as the 747 did. Looking back, look how the 747 encountered massive problems once in service. It drove Boeing to the brink of insolvency. It's also been the biggest moneyspinner in aviation history. Why should the 380 be any different? It will be overweight, it will overrun its budget horribly, there will be big problems once in service, but let's not forget that it will earn a massive amount of money eventually! Problems do not mean Airbus/EADS being driven under!

It's funny, if Boeing is so convinced the future is in medium haul, point to point traffic, why are they talking about a Super 747? A market that is supposed to be 'not there'? Just watch this space (the giant people mover one)! It's going to be a long term success for the next 50 years. And I'm afraid a current 40 year old design and airframe is not going to cut the mustard for the next 40 years!

If you could buy shares in this outfit, now is the time to do it!

[rubik101]

I agree with Rainboe and take delight in the fact that all those who deride the A380 (mailnly 747 pilots with a streak of something in their bloodstreams it seems) will soon be flying the second biggest commercial airliner and who ever wants to be second? The problems with the A380 are no more or less than those of all aircraft developed over the last 50 years.
If you fly a Jumbo, get used to the idea that you have a last been overtaken. It's a little like Ferrari in F1. Top dog for a long time and along comes a newcomer/outsider and, oh what a surprise! Not even second any more! At least you Boeing fans have the comfort of knowing that you can't be lower than second!

[Idunno]

Well, if a company's going to sell "disposable" airplanes..... maybe they should get into "Huggies" as well...... both seem to be full of sh*te. With the amount of plastic Boeing is gonna put into the 787 - maybe you should bite your lip?

[togaroo]

pot - kettle - black!!

[CosmosSchwartz]

It's funny, if Boeing is so convinced the future is in medium haul, point to point traffic, why are they talking about a Super 747?

It's funny, if Airbus is so convinced the future is in long haul, hub to hub traffic, why are they talking about an A350?

Works both ways. Same sh!t, different company name. The sooner all you Boeing v Airbus guys realise this the better. The sooner they merge the better!

[747FOCAL]

It's starting to shape up like a BIG BUST. :E

[Techman]

There you go with your porn again. :rolleyes:

[Rainboe]

Rubik......I am a 747 pilot , albeit recently retired, but flying again soon. I love the 747, but I cannot understand the people who want to deride an undoubtedly superb piece of engineering because of some minor technical development problems. Whatever it takes will get done.

[Atcham Tower]

<Whatver it takes will get done>

But for Gawd's sake, don't ask for help from the Eurofighter team -it'll be ready in 2020.

[rej]

I find it a real shame that many people out there, and I'm certainly not pointing fingers at anyone on this thread, are almost willing the A380 to fail.

I think that the project is a brave move which can only improve the aviation industry in the long-term. Yes its a gutsy move but I'm sure the same was thought of many years ago when Boeing unveiled the 747 and see what a great workhorse that has been.

All the very best Airbus and lets hope one success story emerges from a european union ('cause god only knows the political one is a farse of even bigger proportions than anything that industry can produce).

[WindSheer]

Its always the same....there will always be morons such as kato747 who worship Boeing, forgetting the issues they suffered like DC-10 cargo doors blowing out mid flight!!

The A380 is an incredible feat of engineering, and despite all the 'ugly' remarks it gets I think it has the most incredible wing/engine combination I have ever seen. Its incredible.

I am certainly not anti-boeing, but I hate this anti airbus thing that is going on with Boeing and its fans. Grow up!!
The 380 won't fail......we built the concorde over here, and don't you forget it!! We have the engineers, you have the mechanics!:cool:

[xetroV]

The news message from this topicstart was a little old, wasn't it? The Paris air show had already finished when this was posted, and apparantly it has been quite a succesful week for Airbus.

Anyway, the A380-bashing is childish at best, not something one would expect on a forum for professional pilots. :rolleyes:

So, to provide a little balance to this "discussion", here's a story (http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2005/06/14/Navigation/180/199071/Creating+A+Titan.html) that shows what a truly remarkable aircraft this really is. I think that's the sort of stuff real aviation enthousiasts should talk about.

[newswatcher]

WindSheer, McDonnell Douglas did not join the Boeing fold until 1997, so perhaps a bit unfair to saddle Boeing with DC-10 cargo door problems!
:confused:

[Caslance]

If Boeing can lay claim to the Phantom II and the MD8x/90 then they have to accept ownership of the issues associated with the DC10 as well, don't they?

If you think I'm joking about the first bit, you can't have visited their website recently.

[newswatcher]

Caslance, there are references to the aircraft you mention on the Boeing site, because they have integrated the "old" Boeing and MD sites. Certainly if you look at the informative f4 (http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/f4/) URL, you will see "proper" attribution to McDonnell Aircraft.

[West Coast]

"we built the concorde over here"

I've heard of that plane before, is it that really fast French plane?


Cas
When you marry you take in the whole family. Doesn't mean your responsible for their antics before you married tho.

[moggiee]

I've heard of that plane before, is it that really fast French plane?
No, it's the really fast ANGLO-FRENCH airliner that had no competition from the USA and therefore ran into lots of trumped up legislative issues.

Remember, for supersonic research NASA had to borrow a really fast Russian (Ukranian?) aeroplane because they had none of their own.

Now grow up, for God's sake!

[unfazed]

Windsheer

Those "mechanics" built a nice space shuttle !

[SIDSTAR]

The 380 will be a huge success - eventually. Same as the 747 was in its time. However, Boeing were right to say it couldn't be developed for 8 billion$. They forecast it would cost $12bn and it's at that level already and a long way from ready for service. The real reason the B company didn't enter that market was cash. B has to answer to shareholders who demand a decent company profit whereas A do not - at least not yet.

[aintsaying]

Does anyone have any information on the topic of this thread?? Some of us out here would be interested to hear some rumors. So far a comment about Langing gear and box beam. Hopefully someone could add an answer along the lines of the thread topic, and hopefully not add to this p!ss!ng contest.

[rubik101]

Can't help on that score, sadly. And Rainboe, I didn't deride the 747, merely pointed out that it is no longer the largest civil aircraft in the skies. Second biggest, not biggest, second.

[atyourcervix73]

Just to add my voice to this reasoned discussion...:rolleyes:

I think the A380 is butt ugly...sure its a magnificent engineering feet, I agree the engine wing combination is superb, and hopefully its gonna be a runaway commercial success...but is it just me...or does this aircraft remind you of a turtles head at the front.....and have a tail that seems to be out of all proportion


Just my thoughts.:O

[DC10FAN]

I agree entirely; position of cockpit windows looks all wrong to me. Sorry Airbus but the 747 is far better looking imo.

[aviator's_anonymous]

Rumor from the grape vine from inside sources tell me that they are having trouble loading the aircraft, and the delay has problems that have to do with the flight envelope and things like that. The 6 month delay of the aircraft apparently is VERY optimistic, so that's what they were told at the conference.
Apparently they're having trouble finding the CG before they start the engine, or something along the lines like, they can't find it until the engines have been started. Which raises an interesting question, if you can't load plan the loading of an aircraft before the engine starts, can you legally load the aircraft? anyways, that's just what i heard......beleive it or not... we'll just have to wait and see ...

[rotornut]

position of cockpit windows looks all wrong to me
I'm afraid I have to agree. However, some time ago I recall reading on the Airbus website that the cockpit was designed specifically to overcome the main problem with the 747 cockpit: poor ground visibility. So perhaps Airbus traded off some elegance for practicality.

See:http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a380/flight_deck.html

[Bluesteel705]

Looking at it from a purely economical perspective the more 'stuff' (Pax/freight/ostrich eggs for some bizarre reason) one can shove inside an aircraft the more economical it is, therefore in the long if not short term the A380 will no doubt be successful.

[eal401]

does this aircraft remind you of a turtles head at the front.....and have a tail that seems to be out of all proportion
The real issue here is how anal do you have to be to care?