A380 over MAN??

[TURIN]

Large white 4 engined at about 5000ft. Made a funny noise too. Heading east at about 1630hrs. Was it an A380 or did I imagine it?

[Kestrel_909]

Was it an A380 or did I imagine it?

I doubt very much it was an A380 and I don't think you imagined it.

[Been Accounting]

Not a funny noise ... more like a specific low tone?

[longarm]

Could well have been an Airbus A300-600ST out of Chester with A380 bits in it?

[chiglet]

longarm...an A300ST has two engines, turin saw FOUR
watp,iktch

[eal401]

A340-500? Can't think of anything else that could be mistaken for a 380. Other than a 380 of course!!

[spekesoftly]

Could well have been an Airbus A300-600ST out of Chester with A380 bits in it?

Think you'll find that the A380 bits (wings) built at Chester are transported by barge, not Beluga.

[normal_nigel]

I think you'll find that Belugas do fly into BAe at Chester.

[VnV2178B]

Agreed, Belugas do fly to Chester, they transport smaller bits than the A380 wings though, including R-R engines, Toulouse bound.

AFAIK, the A380 has not yet ventured out of mainland Europe, Paris for the show and Spain/Portugal for icing tests is about all.

VnV

[spekesoftly]

I think you'll find that Belugas do fly into BAe at Chester.

They do, frequently, but to transport Airbus wings other than for the A380, which are too large for the Beluga.

[AIRWAY]

and Spain/Portugal for icing tests is about all.

Icing tests in Portugal and Spain when they are burning at the moment and have been for awhile

[VnV2178B]

Ooops!

it was the engine flying test bed that was doing the icing tests not the A380 - that was a couple of months back according to the post-flight reports I have just checked.

The ground might be in flames, but I bet it's still 'kin cold outside at 35000.

VnV

[saman]

I think you'll find that BAe Chester is now one of the Airbus UK plants, the other being Filton. And it's officially been called Broughton for a few years but we all still call it Chester or Hawarden! Thus only 20% of it is owned by BAE Systems just like BAE own 20% of the plants in Toulouse, Hamburg, Nantes, St Nazaire Madrid, Getafe...