Double decker airplanes..the future?

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Nostromo
There was a TV documentary a few months ago on Discovery Wings channel where they featured a mid-air accident involving an Airbus that occured a few years ago. In it, the aircraft was subject to severe low level windshear effects due to the turbulance created by another plane taking off a few minutes earlier. The result was that both wings of the Airbus snapped off completely and the plane crashed, killing everyone on board. The investigation that followed blamed the new bonding substance that Airbus had used to fix the wings to the fuselage instead of the usual rivets. Of course, Airbus Industire vehemently protested against the verdict, but in subsequent interviews, a lot of Pilots went on air (many of them British) to declare that they felt that they felt Boeings were safer in the air than Airbuses.

I am not a technician and have no idea if this is true or not. But the fact remains that a lot of pilots and enginners feel that way and that is good enough for me. Although I won't refuse to fly on an Airbus, I always feel safer in a Boeing.
[/quote]

I am not a fan of Airbus but if this was and AA flight it was actually blamed on incorrect pilot training when dealing wih windshear - Airbus were not to blame[msnscared]

[jolliffee]

I have flown Airbus quite a bit and found them not worse than any other. If you want to talk about iffy planes then the DC10 would go on for pages. But I do prefer the 747 for longer flights, a nice plane..[msnsmile2]

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by jolliffee
I have flown Airbus quite a bit and found them not worse than any other. .[msnsmile2]
[/quote]

Don't get my earlier comments wrong. Personally, I have not had any problems with either Airbus or Boeing...or MD for that matter. But it is just the psychological thing of having 'grown up' with Boeings and feeling that they are safer. There may be nothing in it, but the attitude of some of the crew adds to that feeling.

[benfilo]

[quote]Originally posted by Nostromo
There was a TV documentary a few months ago on Discovery Wings channel where they featured a mid-air accident involving an Airbus that occured a few years ago. In it, the aircraft was subject to severe low level windshear effects due to the turbulance created by another plane taking off a few minutes earlier. The result was that both wings of the Airbus snapped off completely and the plane crashed, killing everyone on board. The investigation that followed blamed the new bonding substance that Airbus had used to fix the wings to the fuselage instead of the usual rivets. Of course, Airbus Industire vehemently protested against the verdict, but in subsequent interviews, a lot of Pilots went on air (many of them British) to declare that they felt that they felt Boeings were safer in the air than Airbuses.


just an average wing weieghs in at 25 ton and when full carries about the same weight in fuel, I can't swear to it , but i honestly can't see the wing being glued on (some people from airfix would dissagree}
I have a few friends there so I'll try and get some info, I'm pretty sure they are held on by large diameter rods.

During my training there the importance of sealing and painting everything was emphasised, the reason being corrosion problems and conductivity when the plane is struck by lightening (happens very often) Anyway one of the instances that stuck in my mind was of a Jumbo flying to Hawaii (I think) part of the roof came away and dragged a stewardess to her death, the cause was corrosion due to poor sealing. Having said that the plane survived due to good structure and piloting.
I would be interested to see some statstics on both manufacturers, I'll bet there's not a lot between them







]

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:[i]Originally posted by benfilo[/i

just an average wing weieghs in at 25 ton and when full carries about the same weight in fuel, I can't swear to it , but i honestly can't see the wing being glued on (some people from airfix would dissagree}
I have a few friends there so I'll try and get some info, I'm pretty sure they are held on by large diameter rods.
]
[/quote]

I am no techy Benfilo and you're probably right. All I know is what they showed and told us in the TV Documentary and I would have thought that an organisation like Discovery Channel would have got their facts right. Airbus apparently did use some sort of high-tech bonding substance in place of rivets in certain parts of the aircraft, including the area where the wings were attached. The Airbus spokesman did NOT deny this, but merely defended their procedures and refused to admit that the plane would not have crashed it had use traditional rivets instead.

[benfilo]

it could be that the bonding is of the skins to the stringers, these run down the length of the wing, given a choice I wouldn't fly on any of them[msnscared] don't like it, wish I was rich I'd sail accross

[Nostromo]

I am probably old fashioned and I am sure that the Airbus Industrie technicians know exactly what they're doing, but there are times when one gets the feeling that Airbus are trying hard - perhaps a shade too hard - to get a step ot two ahead of Boeing. Watching some of their new and 'revolutionary' methods of aircraft construction and testing - like this new bonding material to hold the bits together - makes ordinary people like me uneasy at times [msnscared].

[benfilo]

better not tell you about the 3/16 of an inch rivets that hold part of the wing topskin on then[msnwink]

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by benfilo
better not tell you about the 3/16 of an inch rivets that hold part of the wing topskin on then[msnwink]
[/quote]

Oh, I know that already. I saw some boxes of 3/16" rivets in Walmart that were clearly marked "To be used to hold aircraft wings together" and came complete with an instruction booklet in 7 languages. It was quite good value at $9.99 for a box of 100 rivets and there was even a "buy one, take one free" sale on at the time.

[benfilo]

they've probably brushed them up off the tarmac at orlando airport, [msnwink]