Oxymoron? Hmm.

I can't help remembering how the 380 project was pooh-poohed on here as soon as it surfaced, and that much of the ridicule came - and continues to do so - from UK posters. Now she's begun taxiing tests the tide almost seems to be turning to patriotic support.

Personally I hope the A380 is a huge success, that the project does make a profit and that it creates a new paradigm in commercial aviation, bringing in more passengers and more jobs. However, I wouldn't forget that it's a colossal gamble, with a large part of the stake put up by taxpayers who had no choice in the matter. It had damn well better work.

If it doesn't, well, shades of Concorde.

Direct link:
http://www.m6.fr/content/video/info/..._02_150405.asx
or mms://stream1.m6.fr.ipercast.net/m6.fr/6minutes/d/31/d050415190000SARAV3100002.wmv
Cut/Past and open it in media player if clicking doesn't work.

Thanks for the link nyt; great to see it moving courtesy of those 4 massive RRs :D

Are they trying to imply that Boeing is not receiving any government monies and is a private venture without any corporate welfare ?
Any company that big only exists at the pleasure of the various governments and financial support is only a small part of a companies viability.

How many airports the A380 is planned to operate to have Cat3 already? Surely virtually all of them? We're not talking about a regional jet here.

Errrrr.... Once companies get that big, they ARE the government

No, we're not talking about a RJ. We are talking though, about every possible alternate, both destination and en route.

puff,
very informative post. You know that it is overweight by 20 tonnes? Who told you?
And you also know it's underperforming when it hasn't even flown yet?
Please spare us any further cr*p like this.

Completely agree with you El lute...
To many wannabee's here on this forum that comment on stuff they don't even have a slightest clue what they're talking about.
Sad but true.....

Whoops, got the can opener out again - yum, these worms look great!

Sorry guys and gals - I heard this ugly rumour from a chap whose airline has ordered the A380 and it's just the crew-room talk .. and it does say rumours and news!

El lute - perfect summation.

unwise

surely the autoland stipulation is to discourage handflying where autoland is available? If 380 was to be banned from non-autoland airports I think the matter would have arisen well before now.

It is sadly unromantic that beancounters don't like handflying but it is up to training and sim time to maintain currency so the statistically safer option is retained for passenger operation.

3Greens

Check your PM

I sent you a PM last week

Been watching the network to see whether the rumour would emerge....

Looks like there's something in what puf m'call says....

Just caught a conversation with an engineer who say's the figure is closer to 30 tonnes and first flight is delayed until June.

Apparently, they've weighed it - but I can't believe it's that much overweight as it would be an absolute disaster and complete oversight for the project.

Anyone else got anything on this?

Ah.

Yes, because if the first flight had been delayed until June....

....they would of course be hurtling up and down TLS' runways at ever higher speeds on a daily basis....for the next 6 weeks?

Doubt it.

pff m'call

hear the one about the dog that bit the hand that fed it?

Kuningen, this is nothing to do with the British press. They are doing their job - reporting the contents of a US report on the A380.

The fact that it's biased against Airbus is nothing to do with the Times. The journalist didn't write the study - it is an American-backed analysis as is clearly stated in the opening paragraph.

Beside, the Times went to Airbus for a response - that's called balanced reporting.

The report's authors are all identified in the article, and a bit of Googling will give you their contact details. If you don't like the Americans' conclusions, take it up with them and please stop shooting the messenger.

Konkordski,

Perhaps Airbus were slow to react - but what would you have them do - respond to something they hadn't read? Even the Seattle press manage a more balanced perspective:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine..._airbus18.html

The messenger isn't worth the bullet.

I'm not a commercial pilot or wannabee, however I'm sure that those who are and happen to be Muslim are really impressed with that comment.

As an aside I hope the A380 proves successful both in performance and commercial viability.

A380, no rudder?
 

Heard from a taxi-driver of Toloose, A380 will not have a rudder. Instead it will have two FEYCS (Fully electronical Yaw Control System) which will receive Yaw data from the IRS and command the outermost spoilers and the FADECS for asymmetric thrust to counteract for Yaw.

Regards

Hmmm saw a photo in flight, and it did look rudder-less.

(or perhaps the rudder was hard over to one side and therefor behind the main body of the fin?).

Never heard of FEYCS before... Can anyone shed any light on this?

Perhaps its time to change my name!