EURO LEADERS CLAIM LEAD OVER USA!

Drudge Report/AFP News ^ | 1/18/05 | AFP

[Smartaleck]

Well.......Concord didn't work out. Let's try something else.

[ddantas]

Oh wow, just can't wait to make a 10 hour flight with 850 people crammed into a box.

Actually, the inside looks quite nice.

[theFIRMbss]

> They remind me of 14 yo girls making fun of each other

The difference between
Europeans and young girls
is that in four years

the girls will be good
for some thing. Europeans
will still be themselves . . .

[jettester]

I remember when we did the Evac Test for the MD-11 at MDC and they had to find people to do the job.. They literally found people on the streets and bussed them in. As it was a few mishaps occurred and I believe one lady suffered some broken bones falling down the slides. No matter how much instruction they got, they wanted to sit down and slide on their butts instead of jumping off into the slide like they were told. MDC barely got certified on that one.

[conservativecorner]

I think Boeing is right concerning what travelers want which is direct routes. The Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner fits the bill nicely for this purpose, and in the end I think it's gonna be a huge success. IMHO.

[William of Orange]

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Europe was "unstoppable" when it pooled its efforts.

Hitler also claimed he would be unstoppable once he "united" Europe...

[johnmilken]

This is like those small towns who make the WORLD'S BIGGEST CHOCOLATE PUDDING just to put themselves on the map before realizing that a) no one wants a pudding that big, and b) they're on the map as the chocolate pudding jerks.

[Daus]

"The A380 will be the future of air travel," its chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, said.

This is a niche plane. It will have value in a small amount of long haul, high volume, international flights. Also, some of the cargo people will pick it up.

Boeing decided to bet the larger market niche. Planes which could function as long haul international, or medium haul domestic.

Ego is what usually does you in. The 380 is an ego plane.

[highimpact]

"We'll put up one of our planes ... you europeons put up two of yours. I prmoise that our plane will knock both of yours down FIRST.."

The next FOX reality show: "Survivor in the Skies." F22 pilots versus Airbus Pilots. I'd pay to see that...

[Soul Seeker]

Is it just me, or does all this enthusiasm for a 35 year project seem a bit excessive? Usually exultant tones such as this would herald a peace accord or liberation of a country. Somehow a large plane remaining untested fails to impress.

I would like to know how they plan to justify the expense. Can they promise 800 passengers every flght, or will they have to charge an exorbitant amount to cover the loss?

[BillM]

From Phuket to Bangkok (30 Min) they currently run shuttles of 777's. They are cheap and full. It's a different model from North America.

[Ginifer]

Guess they don't remember The "Hindenburg". Ranted and raved about this to and we all know how that ended. If not, then here is a little info:

Lakehurst/New Jersey, May 6th 1937, 7 pm: The "Hindenburg" has come all the way from Europe - a luxurious flying hotel, faster than any ship. The pride of the Third Reich prepares to land, and hundreds of onlookers have gathered to watch.

Then, all of a sudden, a burst of flame just forward of the upper fin. In a matter of seconds, the largest airship ever built goes down in a fiery blaze.

35 people died in the flames - and nobody knew why. Sabotage? A bolt of lightning? The mystery surrounding the disaster has never been resolved - until now. In many years of research, a NASA scientist at Cape Canaveral has found proof that neither the hydrogen in the hull nor a bomb was to blame, but the fabric of the Hindenburg's outer skin and a new protective coating. A single spark of static electricity was enough to make it burn like dry leaves. The "infallible" German engineers had designed a flying bomb just waiting to explode.

[highimpact]

This is like those small towns who make the WORLD'S BIGGEST CHOCOLATE PUDDING just to put themselves on the map before realizing that a) no one wants a pudding that big, and b) they're on the map as the chocolate pudding jerks.

ROFLMAO!

[JLS]

Let's see European governments have banded together to build aircraft. The US does not build aircraft. Pretty easy to have a lead in those circumstances. That the European governments can subsidize a plane bigger than US private companies have chosen to build is of course another matter. As others have suggested, US manufacturers may well know their market better than goernments in Europe.

[So Cal Rocket]

Actually, the inside looks quite nice.

If you think the airlines will give up seats in order to put in a piano bar, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in.

[jdm]

"How would you like to be at the luggage claim with 839 other passengers looking for your bags?"

yeah, like this!

(over the intercom)

"The carousel will begin moving shortly. We thank you for your patience."

3 hours later...

[cohokie]

One of the ironies of the falling dollar is that all planes are priced in dollars but Airbus pays for the planes in Euros (labor, materials, etc). This along with the deep discounts provided to carriers and the inflexible labor market in Europe are going to make it difficult for Airbus to make $$$ on the A380.

[Attillathehon]

Titanic or Hindenberg?

Maybe the Spuce Goose.

[Daus]

Actually, the inside looks quite nice.

You will never see an actual plane outfitted like that. That bar stool is there in place of a $4K first class ticket. Unless the drinks are $1K a pop, you can forget about it.

Though Virgin is saying they are going to have gambling, that they may be able to yank $4K out of you quick enough to justify it. :)