Double decker airplanes..the future?

[Steve and Dawn]

I must say i tend to agree with most things people are saying here...... I rember two incidents with Airbus both Virgin I beleive. One was on the Japan route where the pilot went to turn the aircraft left and it turned right. This was blamed on a computer error. Another was the very skillful landing of an Airbus at Heathrow returning from LA, where one of the main undercarriage did not come down. Then of course there was the fateful display at the paris airshow where the test pilot was blamed for that. This interesting though Quote: "The Black Boxes were taken undamaged from the aircraft 2 hours after the crash, but unfortunately they have been out of control of justice for 10 days, and since May 1998 it is proven that the Flight Data Recorder was substituted during this period. The Lausanne Institute of Police Forensic Evidence and Criminology (IPSC) comes to the conclusion that the Black Boxes used in the trial to declare the pilot guilty are NOT the ones taken from the aircraft"

The Captains version: "Captain Asseline flew the aircraft manually. He had been instructed by Air France to overfly the airfield at 100 ft above ground. When he increased throttle to level off at 100 ft, the engines did not respond. So after some seconds he got worried and thought there was something like a short-circuit in the completely computerized throttle control. So he pulled the throttle back all the way and forth again. By that time the aircraft had touched the trees.

After the accident, Captain Asseline was very astonished when he saw on an amateur video tape that the gear was only 30 ft above ground when the aircraft was passing over the runway. He affirms the altimeter of the Airbus A320 indicated 100 ft."

So I think I will wait and see......



Steve & Dawn

[The Cook crew]

Hi all

Some facts on the A380:
50% of the aircraft is engineered in the UK. The wings are built at a purpose built site in Broughton, Flintshire.
It's due to go into service with Singapore Airlines in 2006.
First test flight is in March this year.
3 further aircraft are already built and are at the Final Assembly Line in Toulouse, France.
250 aircraft already ordered - Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, UAE to name just a few customers.
A freighter version of the aircraft goes into production in the summer of this year.
£250 million pound will buy you your very own A380
It's more fuel efficient than your car.

How do I know - I work at Airbus UK on the A380. Last week was a really proud moment for everyone working at Airbus. There has been some negative press though. Competitors say there's no market for something so big. What rubbish when long haul flights are in increasing demand. We are due to travel to Orlando at the end of May this year. It's been a complete nightmare trying to get a half decent flight as the schools are on holiday and seats are non existent unless you're prepared to spend 9 hours packed like sardines in a chartered aircraft. Maybe in a year or two the A380 could change all this when it's in full service.

[benfilo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by The Cook crew
Hi all

Some facts on the A380:
50% of the aircraft is engineered in the UK. The wings are built at a purpose built site in Broughton, Flintshire.
It's due to go into service with Singapore Airlines in 2006.
First test flight is in March this year.
3 further aircraft are already built and are at the Final Assembly Line in Toulouse, France.
250 aircraft already ordered - Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, UAE to name just a few customers.
A freighter version of the aircraft goes into production in the summer of this year.
£250 million pound will buy you your very own A380
It's more fuel efficient than your car.

How do I know - I work at Airbus UK on the A380. Last week was a really proud moment for everyone working at Airbus. There has been some negative press though. Competitors say there's no market for something so big. What rubbish when long haul flights are in increasing demand. We are due to travel to Orlando at the end of May this year. It's been a complete nightmare trying to get a half decent flight as the schools are on holiday and seats are non existent unless you're prepared to spend 9 hours packed like sardines in a chartered aircraft. Maybe in a year or two the A380 could change all this when it's in full service.[/quote][clap] I agree with you. (I'm an ex employee)

[The Cook crew]

To all you who have any doubts about the safety of the A380 let me give you some reassurances.

The Civil Aviation Authority are all over this aircraft rigorously checking every part of it. It is after all the first aircraft of it's type so of course safety is paramount. The test flight in March includes every possible eventuality that could occur in flight. This includes stalling the aircraft, running the aircraft on one engine, deliberately s[bad language filtered out]ing the tail end of the aircraft on take off, and all sorts of nasty emergency landings. As for the wings, 2 sets have been purpose built for testing. They are put under extreme pressure testing to see if they crack or break. I'm glad to say no problems have been found. (No glue or rivets from Walmart used here then)

Airbus know that this aircraft can make or break them. The A380 will not be allowed to go into service until it's proven to be safe. They've invested billions into this project so there's no way they would launch a new unsafe aeroplane - to do so would be the end of the company and it's many subsidiaries. As for Boeing, I guess that they're just a wee bit peeved that they didn't design this first. They have however launched the 7E7 Dreamliner which is a new version of the 747 but not comparible to the A380. Airbus' reaction, the imminent launch of another A3XX series aircraft. For once the British seem to be one step ahead of America. Granted, it doesn't happen very often, but be proud that this country seems to of got something right this time. Don't sit there thinking all the worst scenarios. Put your faith in British Engineering.

[John Rocke]

This plane will be something Europe has a whole will be proud of. It won't have the same visual impact of Concorde but there is no reason why anyone should feel because its new that it won't be as safe as anything else in the skies and most certainly a good deal safer than some of the other aircraft it will replace.
If the Americans let it fly in their skies, and they will, you can rest assured that it is safe.
Put me down for a return trip on the first flight to Orlando.

j rocke.

[brizzle]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:This includes stalling the aircraft, running the aircraft on one engine, deliberately s-c-r-a-ping the tail end of the aircraft on take off, and all sorts of nasty emergency landings.[/quote]

So aircraft are tested against the tail hitting the flor on take-off and still be OK(ish).
That's nice to know because that's one of my 'irrational' fears I have developed as I've aged...

Brizzle.

[sunseeker]

well im glad im flying on a beoing then, cos they dont crash. do they?

Dave

[benfilo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by sunseeker
well im glad im flying on a beoing then, cos they dont crash. do they?

Dave
[/quote]

hi Dave check this out, you could print it give you something to read on your boeing[msnwink] http://www.jacdec.de/special747.htm

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by The Cook crew
To all you who have any doubts about the safety of the A380 let me give you some reassurances.

The Civil Aviation Authority are all over this aircraft rigorously checking every part of it. It is after all the first aircraft of it's type so of course safety is paramount. The test flight in March includes every possible eventuality that could occur in flight. This includes stalling the aircraft, running the aircraft on one engine, deliberately s[bad language filtered out]ing the tail end of the aircraft on take off, and all sorts of nasty emergency landings. As for the wings, 2 sets have been purpose built for testing. They are put under extreme pressure testing to see if they crack or break. I'm glad to say no problems have been found. (No glue or rivets from Walmart used here then)
Airbus know that this aircraft can make or break them. The A380 will not be allowed to go into service until it's proven to be safe. They've invested billions into this project so there's no way they would launch a new unsafe aeroplane - to do so would be the end of the company and it's many subsidiaries. As for Boeing, I guess that they're just a wee bit peeved that they didn't design this first. They have however launched the 7E7 Dreamliner which is a new version of the 747 but not comparible to the A380. <span style="color:red">Airbus' reaction, the imminent launch of another A3XX series aircraft. For once the British seem to be one step ahead of America.</span id="red"> Granted, it doesn't happen very often, but be proud that this country seems to of got something right this time. Don't sit there thinking all the worst scenarios. Put your faith in British Engineering.
[/quote]

TCC, I agree with the things you are saying, especially the bit about the CAA checking every part of it for safety. (The Walmart thing was a joke obviously ). But it is that policy of Airbus Industrie of "doing better than Boeing" that worries me a bit. There has been a bit too much publicity about that so-called competition in the last few years and speaking as a passenger,It makes me nervous. It reminds me of White Star Line's determination to do better than thier great rival Cunard at the dawn of the 20th Century. So what did White Star do to achieve their ambition? They went and built the Titanic.

I am not even suggesting that the A380 is going the same way as the Titanic, but feel that it will be better for all concerned if Airbus Industrie worrly less about Boeing and more about the practicalities of keeping their planes safe and afloat. If their publicity exercises in recent times are anything to go by, the latter seems to be taking the second place.

[sunseeker]

Hi benfilo im not pro beoing, i was just being sarcastic. sorry.
it doesnt bother me what i fly on, still the safest way to travel who ever builds the plane. A friend of mine was just about to take of from Thailand at the begining of the year on a 747 when a engine blew apart. scary stuff huh.

Dave