[Conspiracy Guy]

The 380 has no market. The EU is forcing small countries to buy it. Most US Airports can't support it's size.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Morning and welcome to Free Republic.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Declining sales is not to be blamed on unfair competition, but rather, in my opinion, on management that has failed to reinvest in R&D and new product development. While Airbus’ 10 or so current models all have the same type rating, have extensive design commonalities, and are all based only two different fuselage cross-sections, Boeing’s line-up was as of two years ago a hodge-podge of 6 mostly different products, mostly poorly integrated, and, as mentioned, averaging 20 or more years of age.

Preach it from the mountain, brother! About time someone calls Boeing (or really, the old McDonnell-Douglas management) to account for it's missteps. The "EU subsidy" argument is getting tiresome.

[Rudder]

Does the A380 have a future? Airbus has built a plane that offers airlines better fuel efficiency

It gets zero miles on zero gallons. Fuel efficient? It doesn't even have an engine.

[Mr. Quarterpanel]

...and the 747 borrowed heavily from the C-5 military transporter design.

Except that the C5 was a Lockheed design. DOH!!!

[SamAdams76]

I think Boeing is missing the boat on these large jetliners. Airbus is forecasting 1,500 of these super jetliners to be built but I think they are too conservative. I see between 10,000 to 15,000 super jetliners roaming the skies within 50 years.

Air travel is on the verge of a massive explosion as hundred of millions of people increase their living standards to where they can afford to fly. Also, as terrorism is being controlled (thanks to Pres. Bush), people will feel safer flying.

These super jetliners will bring down the cost of air travel. People in America will take weekend trips to Europe and Europeans will be taking weekend trips to Asia and vice versa. Trans-continental air travel will not be just for the rich anymore.

You may laugh now but 25 years from now, you will be able to travel from New York to London for under $100 (in today's dollars) on these super-jetliners. There will be so many of these super jetliners in the air that they will have to be stacked vertically in layers (separated by 5,000 vertical feet) so that more aircraft can use the same air routes.