Although I know very little about aviation, I feel confident that the A380 will be considered a success in the end and although I’ aware there are some people here who don’t care much for the French, I think it’s safe to say that France evidently has a lot of competent engineers.
The French have some of the best engineers in the world but because they regulate and subsidize industry so heavily, they end up completing a lot of projects that would not survive a rational cost/benefit analysis. The Concorde is a classic example- a magnificent aircraft that had no hope of paying for itself. As for the A380, the jury is still out IMO.
“Airbus parent company EADS has announced a new break-even point for its troubled A380 programme - 420 aircraft as opposed to the previous 270, the BBC reports. Current orders for the A380 stand at 159”
The discovery channel had an interesting series of shows about making of the A380, and it looked like a hectic build. One can’t help but admire a great achievement. Hopefully for them it will be a financial success as well.
I don’t think there’s a whole lot of doubt about the aircraft itself any more than regular uncertainty of any new airframe that needs time in the saddle to be proven. Airbus has competently built lots of airplanes, and this one will likely fly just fine too.
The question about the 380 is a strategic one. Airbus has gambled their future on the economic success of this plane, and they’ll need to sell a whole lot more of them if the company is to remain a going concern. With or without government subsidies if they don’t sell, they don’t sell.
The criticism of airbus’s decision to build this plane is more about whether there is a big enough market for them at this point in time, or not. Only time will tell.
My hunch is that Boeing’s decision to not pursue that market but to go after the more modest size routes with the 787. Boeing’s already sold enough planes to pay for the project and that’s without delivering a single one yet.
It is an engineering success, no doubt. Whether it is a business success remains to be seen. Of course, given the various subsidies available to Airbus, it will be difficult to determine exactly what a business success would be.
Much like the Concorde, it comes down to what your definition of success is. Boeing was very wise to pass on building an SST, and I think they have been equally wise on take a pass on the super jumbo concept.
I think in the end, the A380 will be a success because now that Airbus has overcome its biggest problem—the wiring system—deliveries will start picking up over the next two years. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised that Airbus delivers 6-8 A380’s to Singapore Airlines by summer 2008 and are able to move forward delivery dates for Qantas and Emirates Airways during 2008.
ping
Airbus is not only French.
“I think it’s safe to say that France evidently has a lot of competent engineers.”
Well, good for you Westernculture. You just get your biddy on that plance and fly, fly, away. Oh, btw, have you by chance ever heard of a plane of the name “Comet”? Check it out...