Boeing 747-8 vs A380: A titanic tussle

FlightInterational.com ^ | 14/02/06 | Staff

[phantomworker]

*I use the term "mass" as all aircraft weigh nothing at the point of takeoff.

Interesting. I didn't know that.

[Paleo Conservative]

[CWOJackson]

Juan Trippe?

[CWOJackson]

Oops. The 747.

[COEXERJ145]

Do you know what plane killed PanAm?

N739PA, "Clipper Maid of the Seas"

[CWOJackson]

My dream flight would have been on the Boeing Model 314. If you go to the Boeing Museum of flight they have very little on it. What a shame...it was one heck of a plane.

[Paleo Conservative]

What's wrong with this picture?

[Fast Ed97]

I loved those airplanes!

[CWOJackson]

Besides there being none with Braniff or any other airline?

[CWOJackson]

A great plane that should have done far better.

[COEXERJ145]

It looks like a canary that was overfeed.

[AGreatPer]

QQquick story from the Eastern Airlines going out of business:

We were trying to catch our cruise ship after missing the sailing out of San Juan.

We go to San Juan, went to the airport and found a small airline going to what ever island (I forget).
A beautiful red head sold me my $99 ticket.
She took my bags and put it on the plane.

Now time to fly, I get on the DC8 and SHE WAS THE PILOT.

We never got above 500 feet. She said we just got new engines and I don't want them to rip out of the wings.

Strange experiences we all have.

[longtermmemmory]

Other than no a380 deliveries, I don't know. Do tell...

[CWOJackson]

That is flying.

I went from Nome to Port Clarence on a local carrier...I can't remember who or what type of aircraft now. Small twin engine Cessna or Beechcraft.

While we're waiting and they're weighing us and our bags, we're watching a mechanic working on the plane...pounding on something under the cowling.

He finally wipes his hands off, takes off the coveralls, walks in and asks us if we're ready. He was the pilot. I loved it...my partner was a little less enthused.

[Paleo Conservative]

Braniff did away with yellow within a couple of years of their "end of the plain plane" ad campaign which began in October 1965. The yellow paint didn't fare too well with all the strong sunlight it got especially on Mexican and South American routes. It was only put on 707's

[Central Scrutiniser]

The 380 has its niche.

The A318/319/320/321 has been killing Boeing.

2005 sales (Air Transport World, Feb 2006, page 9)

Boeing sold:
569 737's
43 747's
15 767's
157 777's
and 235 787's

Airbus sold:
918 A318/319/320/321
7 A300-600F
64 A330's
15 A340's
87 A350's
and 20 A380's


Competition is good!

Airbus produced 378 aircraft last year, Boeing produced 290.

[COEXERJ145]

I think it also went on a few 727's as well.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Nothing like handicapping American companies that have to compete against foreign companies which are subsidized by their governments.

Boeing gets its fair share of Government cheese, and a good percentage of their planes are made with foreign parts.

[Central Scrutiniser]

The L1011 was an excellent aircraft that's gone on to become a great air cargo carrier.

Wrong, there are almost no L1011 cargo planes. As far as planes still flying, ATA has 5 or 6 that they do military charters with, ThaiSky airlines has a couple of old DL planes, and a few scattered carriers have them (Kampuchea Airlines) rotting on ramps in Asia. Most of the old ATA, TWA and DL L1011's have been scrapped.

[CWOJackson]

There's no doubt Airbus has been doing well with the smaller and midsize market, but the 380 is history repeating itself. You remember the history of the Clippers. Since few cities had airports and no land planes had the range, flying boats were your only option for transcontinental flight.

WWII changed that. Airports everywhere and tremendous strides in aircraft design. Coming out of WWII France wanted to regain his place in the aviation market so they put a lot of time and money into the largest, grandest...and most obsolate flying boats ever built. I wish I could recall the name/model.

Naturally they were grand flops; ending up their days flying caro. I think several of them ended up flying ore in South America.

That's the problem with the 380...they are big. Too big.