A380 is supposed to fly at Le Bourget next month?
 

I just read an article that claims that Airbus is hoping to fly an A380 at Le Bourget next month?

Just keep it away from the trees. :E :E

What a waste of bandwith :rolleyes:
Any references ?

Mods, if you decide to move this piece of cr@p, please be so kind to spare JetBlast. :}

A model one perhaps?? :p

Well since I have done more research it appears the reporter made a typo. the airshow is not until 2005, there is no 2004 show. :rolleyes:

ps. Bre901 - Don't be such a monkey. :p

That would be kinda interesting as the A380 production facility was only opened four days ago!!!

Take a look at 747FOCAL's location!

:rolleyes:

The facility was opened TO THE PRESS a few days ago.

It's been open for a very long time now.

747FOCAL, why don't you just keep your "supposedly" amusing remarks to yourself! They're neither funny nor appropriate!:confused:

You can be mad at me all you want. I just wanted to know if this reporter was off his rocker or not. I knew the factory just opened. Bunch of cranks.

Not my fault they have only sold 129 and Boeing with one order got almost half that with another 500 orders in the pipeline.

OK. You remark about keepint it away from trees his stupid and insensitive.

Your remark about BRE901, glad to see you edited it!

129 orders so far for the largest ever passenger plane, I don't think that's bad at all. And I hope many more orders will come in once the A380 is in the air. Are you envious over there? Just can't handle the idea that a non USA company is going to beat the 747/American pride in size?

500 orders in the pipeline for the 7E7... where did you get this information from? If it's true, well done Boeing!

Must admit I watched with some amuzement a docu on TV about the A380, showing the stand-up bar and dining tables comparable with a cruise ship.
What next...bowling alleys?
More likely, cheek to jowel seating, in order to actually pay for the big iron.
Still, in Asia expect it will be needed...eventually.:ooh:

Toulouse - Alright, I admit the comment about the trees was a bit insensitive. I was more poking fun that if they are rushing so this can fly in a month they better keep it away from the public in general.

The info regarding the 500 orders is in the papers here and represents the combined orders of several airlines. They are not firm orders as of yet. Here is the quote along with the source. It is not the entire article:

Boeings dreams for 7E7 jetline take off
The Business 05/09/04
author: Tracey Boles

BOEING's new aircraft, the 7E7 Dreamliner, has received a big boost with 25 airlines making price enquiries for a total of 500 aircraft, The Business can reveal. The number of "request for proposals", a key step to firm orders, has staggered executives at the world's largest aerospace company because they have come so soon after launch.


:ok:

411A... I'd say that's just marketing by Airbus. Sjowing potential clients just how large the A380 is. Not going to search the internet, but I'm sure Boeing pulled similar marketing stunts in the past, specially with the 747. Just checked some of their photos of the 7E7... love the windows that aren't in a straight line, they sort of wave up and down along the cabin. Can you imagine trying to look out a window where it's at one if its higher positions, also saw what appears to be a rather "modest" bar/counter with fresh flowers...:cool:

"BOEING's new aircraft, the 7E7 Dreamliner, has received a big boost with 25 airlines making price enquiries for a total of 500 aircraft. "

Boeing really must be struggling if they are getting excited about price enquiries:O

OK 747FOCAL, glad you see how that comment could be seen as "insensitive"...
Regarding the other news item, nothing on boeing.com about it, but I certainly hope its true and I'm sure these orders will eventually come in.
Sorry for ranting on about this, but I'm just getting fed up with all the knocking Airbus gets on these forums, especially from Americans. You know what I mean, "scarebus" or lets laugh at the silly 380. It's such a waste of time (I'm not accusing you of doing so by the way), but why can't people just grow up and admit that Airbus is a great company, just as is Boeing, thus leading to healthy competition. I'm sure, and know, both companies have their flaws, but they both build excellent aircraft.

:ok:

Boeing makes good planes, and so does Airbus - happy?

The difference is that Airbus give their planes away at ludicrous prices healthily supported (in a vastly greater manner than boeing) by government subsidies.
Not very competitive at all.

OK blueloo. And where do you get your prices from? Recently to European loco's made large orders. Easyjet with Airbus (Boeing obviously couldn't make as attractive an offer as you well pointed out) and Ryanair with Boeing, well in this case Airbus obviously couldn't match Boeing's offer. Anyway, let's face it, business is all about offering a good product at a good price, and Boeing and Airbus are both businesses.

About government subsidies, I'm not going to get too deep in to that as I'm not too sure about the whole issue, but let's just say Airbus is a consortium of a number of EU countries... that's the way thinhs work here. And what about Boeing military, is Boeing not getting lots of nice state dollars???

Do not mention the tanker deal, that'll get them all upset!

Edit: Oooops! ;)

I was at the factory to report on the "opening" and the facts about Le Bourget are these: Le Bourget organisers and Airbus marketeers would dearly love to have the A380 at the show and preferably to have it in the flying display - for obvious reasons. The Airbus people actually producing the aircraft say 'fine...but' all depends on how severe the effect is on the test-schedule, and how smoothly the schedule is going by then.

A personal bet: unless the programme has gone decidedly pear-shaped, it'll be there. Me too!

Isn't the first flight due at the end of this year?

Regarding the interior fit, I doubt we'll see the shops, gym etc. touted in some corners. However, the airlines have an opportunity here to offer more space in all classes. Not much of a difference to First or Business given current products available, but the addition of an inch or two to the economy seat, in width and pitch, offered at the same price would give the A380 operator a clear advantage. I believe the aircraft's performance would support this?

Nice to see the comment about the stand-up bars and dining tables. Wot a joke.

If the airlines could get away with 3-6-3 on both decks they would.

God help us all.