A380's suitable for AEW or Maritime S&R ASW roles?

[Icare9]

Reading that many airlines are mothballing their a 380 fleets, isn't this an opportunity for the MoD to purchase and convert the widebody frames to AEW/ASW/AS&R roles?
Without much modification surely supply and support roles at the very least?
Just bringing back PPE by the shedload must be wirth punt?

With the slump in civil aviation likely to take many years to recover, there must be many other airframes suitable for a variety of support roles?

[Green Flash]

Or maybe a couple or 3 B737 or A320 pax/freighter combis to replace the 146's?

[GeeRam]

Reading that many airlines are mothballing their a 380 fleets, isn't this an opportunity for the MoD to purchase and convert the widebody frames to AEW/ASW/AS&R roles?
Without much modification surely supply and support roles at the very least?
Just bringing back PPE by the shedload must be wirth punt?


Way too big and expensive to operate for the role surely.........which is exactly why the airlines are rapidly getting shot of them.

They are not a viable conversion to freight either, although the seats can be removed, all cargo in the PAX space has to be hand loaded, again not an option, when a 777 can carry a bigger cargo payload, not to mention the 747F being even better.

[chevvron]

Or maybe a couple or 3 B737 or A320 pax/freighter combis to replace the 146's?
Plenty of 737Maxs available.

[ORAC]

AEW/ISR platforms are shrinking to business jet size from 707 size, not growing. Which is why SAAB is doing so well in the market. With the cargo fleets filled by C-17/A-400M/Y-20 I really cant see any military market.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Reading that many airlines are mothballing their a 380 fleets, isn't this an opportunity for the MoD to purchase and convert the widebody frames to AEW/ASW/AS&R roles?
Without much modification surely supply and support roles at the very least?


Simple and short answer, No.

Slightly longer one - modification is never easy, simple or cheap. D&D and flight trials would be long and expensive. The A380 is way too big to fill any role apart from pax transport. Anyway, E-7 is coming to fill AEW, and P-8 is coming to fill ASW & LRSAR roles - or at least they were until the UK's GDP decreased thanks to CV19, which is going to mean an even bigger hole in the Defence budget

[atakacs]

AEW/ISR platforms are shrinking to business jet size from 707 size, not growing. Which is why SAAB is doing so well in the market. With the cargo fleets filled by C-17/A-400M/Y-20 I really cant see any military market.
And most likely to be autonomous drones in the not too distant future

[2Planks]

Just think of the amount of Dairy Cream Sponge you could get on a 380. A kipper fleet crew could stay airborne for months!

[Green Flash]

I hear that Harry Gows are planning a fleet of pie re-supply drones designed to home on to the P8 and lob pastry based ordnance into the sonobouy launchers :ok:

[Saintsman]

Slightly longer one - modification is never easy, simple or cheap.

Plus, with the MOD's record on modifications, the cost would be astronomical!

[Fareastdriver]

Depends on how this Corvid 19 works out. It is possible that in eighteen months or so it will, like SARs and various historical flu viruses, die out or a cure may be found. In that case the 380s will be dragged off their chocks and punched back into service.

[FullWings]

The only military use I can think of would be a tanker conversion but they already have those. Suppose if it’s cheap enough you could use it as a target?

I like the A380 as a passenger, reports are it’s nice to fly but the empty weight is equivalent to two 777Fs. It was doomed before CV-19 and I don’t think things have improved since...

[NWSRG]

These are massive passenger aircraft...so why not keep a small fleet in reserve for transporting massive numbers of passengers?

Disaster relief? The ability to evacuate big numbers quickly? I'm sure the UN could afford to keep 4 or 5 maintained (by Emirates?) and stored for emergency use globally?

Can't see much use otherwise...perhaps conversion to hospital aircraft, life the DC10 that flies around Africa providing eye surgery?

Mind you, it needs suitable airfields, which might be the clincher...

[PAXboy]

The right aircraft at the wrong time. Such a shame as it is lovely for the Pax.

[donpizmeov]

I think this idea has some merit.

Huge fuel capacity, so long on station time. Which is nice for the blunties to see on paper.

For crew, plenty of galley space. I mean more DCS than the catering department can handle galley space. Keep the showers, for less post flight time to the bar.

Four jet engines, so no broadband noise, and let's face it, maritime needs 4 engines.

P8 is for weenies

[Big Pistons Forever]

The closest the SAR and ASW folks will get to an actual A380 on the premise is when they crack the pull tab on the top of the aluminum beer can in the mess....

[John Eacott]

Just think of the amount of Dairy Cream Sponge you could get on a 380. A kipper fleet crew could stay airborne for months!

Just leave the lounge in place: barista coffee and cake at 38,000ft :cool:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_6528_b01639aa19069c884d60149de6ada9eac7557c8f.jpg

[Green Flash]

Slight thread drift but I believe that a 380 cargo was designed but the launch customer pulled out(?). I'm sure I read recently that someone is starting to convert the surplus 380's into freighters.

[Wycombe]

Slight thread drift but I believe that a 380 cargo was designed but the launch customer pulled out(?)

Was Fedex, wasn't it?

[Less Hair]

UPS and FedEx Express had firm ordered new A380 freighters but Airbus halted that version when they had those harness troubles in the early days of the passenger version. The freighter had been intended to be the base for heavier weight passenger versions and stretches as well. Only a pair of wings got built with some different high lift system.
Converted passenger aircraft might make sense as package freighters but the cabin floors are not good for general cargo and the upper deck needs new high level lifters. Maybe for express cargo? Think about all those EK A380 coming off lease. More promising than AEW or anti submarine for sure.

[Green Flash]

Thanks Wyc/Less H

[chopper2004]

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/900x583/e1f9a161_d07a_4bfd_a78b_666e1a3a5f3d_4ff997bd14100367c948261 a36e7d4dfdb0400d8.jpeg

[DirtyProp]

Still ugly....

[GeeRam]

Slight thread drift but I believe that a 380 cargo was designed but the launch customer pulled out(?). I'm sure I read recently that someone is starting to convert the surplus 380's into freighters.

Not freighters, just taking the seats out and making it a Combi. As said already, it means lengthy hand loading, and is likely only a temporary Covid-19 duration mod. Might have been Lufthansa doing it from memory?

[unmanned_droid]

I worked on the analysis of the wing for the A380F - in fact it was my first major job in engineering. It was designed to a different set of loads to the passenger variant to represent a different fatigue spectrum and flight profiles which better suited the freighter business case.

The Freighter specific variant didn't make it because it couldn't operate in to enough freight specific airports as they stood, and those airports seemingly didn't want to expand. The 747 could.

I guess there's potential to retrofit cargo doors on the passenger variants, but maybe only one at each end.

I suspect that these aircraft will become niche lease for max passenger capacity periods only.

[mustangsally]

Three decks of bladders. It will never work as a freighter even hand loading is to labor intense to make any sense. How many beer cans can be made from just a single 380. Maybe InBev can buy them cheap!

[NutLoose]

Would make a nice mobile hospital for in theatre.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

Just leave the lounge in place: barista coffee and cake at 38,000ft :cool:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_6528_b01639aa19069c884d60149de6ada9eac7557c8f.jpg
Isn't that the cockpit?

[NutLoose]

Sad to say, there might be a lot of pilots tending bar soon Traffic.

[Bengerman]

Lovely aircraft to fly. Great aircraft to be a passenger. Buggar to finance.

[air pig]

Would make a nice mobile hospital for in theatre.

Not big enough and more to the point probably not able to get to the place you want it.

[NutLoose]

Sad isn’t it when you think that if the RAF bought 5, they could move the whole of the RAF In one airlift.

[Green Flash]

Go on Nutty, I'll bite. 850 x 5 = 4250. Thought the current number for RAF was about 32000?

[dead_pan]

It would make an awesome bomber...

[West Coast]

It would make an awesome bomber...

Make an awesome target as well...

[Captain Radar....]

WHY is this thread still alive?
The proposal is totally ridiculous and serious discussion of it pointless.
Put the thread in the bin along with the 380.

[Radley]

Wot e sed.

[salad-dodger]

Yep, time to get rid, not a great idea.

[salad-dodger]

Go on Nutty, I'll bite. 850 x 5 = 4250. Thought the current number for RAF was about 32000?
he’s not the sharpest tool in the box!

[cattletruck]

I think it will make a great aerial laboratory.
A 38,000ft bar with a research problem.

[GlobalNav]

Ahhh, the “stealth” C-380

[NumptyAussie]

ahhh entering into the depths of ridiculous... a mother ship for Virgin Galactic as per B52 (might have the wrong aircraft there,but cannot be asseed looking it up) & the X-15...

[WingNut60]

I guess if the price was right maybe a head of state/VIP transport?
Can just see the thinning red pate waving from the top of the stairs.
But not for another 4-1/2 years