Posted on 01/18/2005 7:45:22 AM PST by Happy2BMe
I heard it will be configured to carry about 550 passengers. Airline travel is a big enough hassle already, without getting on such a huge plane with so many people. Not me. Maybe a new airline company will be created, called Noah's Ark. I guess it will appeal to herds of tourists headed for Disney from Europe? Or maybe to herds of DemoRats leaving LAX for Paris?
FedEx just needs one US hub and one or two Asian hubs to justify it for trans-Pacific freight. They shouldn't have any trouble arranging that. Do you think Memphis would balk if they threatend to move their hub from that city (although that city is not well located for the Asian service.)
Despite the sour grapes on this thread, Airbus is burying Boeing badly. Boeing better shape up, or we'll lose the commercial airline market entirely.
Thanks, didn't notice the UPS logo.
Make that FedEX and UPS will be two that might make a profit.
This has nothing to do with AirBus, but how and why do winglets work and what do they do?
That's a sharp looking plane.
I'm going to get flamed for this:
AirBus planes are actually pretty nice. I had a chance to fly on a newer one a few years back. I was impressed.
That being said, I'm also a BMW owner. 1985 E28 535i. The car is just plain built better than most American cars. It's cheap to maintain and runs like a champ at 192k miles. Everything built in Europe is not inferior.
However, the new AirBus A380 is just plain overkill. Besides, we haven't even see the test flights yet!
That's one big juicy terrorist target no matter which airline buys them. But US airlines won't buy them for this reason. Cargo carriers have...UPS I believe.
http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/concorde.html
I'm pretty confident they considered that.
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I agree with you. But our gubmint can't even agree on something as basic as defending our border and sovereignty from an alien invasion (thus destroying our economy through a devalued market and currency) - let alone something like coming together to subsidize crucial industries for the sake of national survival.
By the time the bureaucrats in D.C. figure out that all of Asia and now all of Europe have subsidized to muscle the U.S. into mediocracy and 3rd-World-Status, it will have been too late.
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Main Entry: me·di·o·cre
Pronunciation: "mE-dE-'O-k&r
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin mediocris, from medius middle + Old Latin ocris stony mountain; akin to Latin acer sharp -- more at EDGE
: of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance : ORDINARY, SO-SO
As I posted on another thread...
Actually, on the terrorist issue I'd rather be flying one of these then on a 747. The new Airbus is going to be one of the few planes flying that has a double-door system on it's cockpit- basically it's like an airlock, where only the inner or outer door can be open at any one time, not both. This provides a far higher degree of safety hijack-wise, and ensures that a terrorist can't rush the cockpit when stewardesses are bringing drinks to the pilots etc. The A380's the only plane that has this as standard, although El Al have fitted it on many of their planes as well I believe.
Personally, I'm looking forward to flying on one. Should be interesting if nothing else.
To be honest, if the choice was up to me, I would avoid flying on this plane for the simple reason that boarding and de-boarding would probably take forever. How long would it take to board 800 passengers?
To Me its a Major Terrorist Death Trap!
"The bigger the better" is usually the USA line. Interesting that Europe's most well-subsidized industry has chosen to bet on this monster. What will the hemp-chewing socialists at DU say about a massive flying bourgiose casino.
I may be looking at this wrong but based on the downward drag graphics it looks like it'd be much easier to control in the event of engine failure as well.
Heh heh heh heh heh.
It is.....and an OVERWEIGHT one...the Aibus co already fired a VP and is frantically substituting composites for major components to reduce weight.
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