[Cicero]

"It's definitely not the most common way," said Chuck Eastlake, aerospace engineering professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. "The reason is that the ability of the nose wheel to rotate 90 degrees introduces the possibility of failure, exactly like what we saw."

Hmm. I don't know why we should be kinder to Airbus just because it's a French company. It sounds as if, once again, they chose to use questionable technology, as they did with the laminated tail assembly. If the O-ring leaks, which is not uncommon, then you're in serious trouble. Just one more thing that has to be constantly checked for safety.

[Morgan in Denver]

You beat me to the French connection, but I get to say it's Bush's fault first.

[safisoft]

Hmm. I don't know why we should be kinder to Airbus just because it's a French company.

First, Airbus is not a French company. It is a consortium made up of British, French, German, and Spanish companies.

Second, the A320 has a huge percentage of parts manufactured by U.S. companies.

It sounds as if, once again, they chose to use questionable technology, as they did with the laminated tail assembly.

You are making it sound as if composite vertical stabilizers are an Airbus thing. They are not. All Boeing 757, 767, and 777 have the composite vertical stabilizer. When you get the Boeing 787 it will be the most 'laminated' aircraft in history.