Airbus A380 Test Flight - Comparison with Boeing
The world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, has completed its first flight.
The long-awaited test lasted almost four hours, with the A380 circling the Bay of Biscay before returning to base.
The A380 took off from its production site in Toulouse with a crew of six and about 20 tonnes of test equipment.
Thousands of aeroplane enthusiasts clapped and cheered as the twin-decked, four-engine “superjumbo” made a flypast before landing.
Regional effort
Speaking after he landed the plane, test pilot Claude Lelaie said the flight was a “milestone”.
“You have seen a lot of ground tests, a lot of wind tunnel tests, simulators - for the first time you can see all the systems working together in the real world in the air,” said Mr Lelaie.
Jacques Rosay, who flew the A380 during take-off, said the plane behaved “immaculately” and that as a pilot “you handle it like you handle a bicycle”.
France’s President Jacques Chirac called the test flight a “total success”.
“A new page of aeronautical history has been written,” he said in a statement. “It is a magnificent result for European industrial cooperation.”
The A380’s maiden voyage was powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, which were designed specially for the superjumbo.
A380 and Boeing 747 compared
The Airbus vs Boeing competition has been interesting to watch in recent years. With the increasing number of world travellers, and limited airport capacity, there is a need for a very large carrier eg. 500+ seats. But the market can only support one such product. So Airbus stepped up with the A380 superjumbo, which in a typical three-class configuration supports 555 seats (and 853 in single cattle-class configuration). It’s a double-decker 4-engined 10 billion dollar baby.
Boeing went for a more modest successor to the illustrious 747-400, namely the 787 Dreamliner, to debut in 2010. It’s a 2-engined composite-framed liner seating 223, ie. half that of the A380. So it’s gonna use more advanced materials, and wing design, but otherwise not be a radical departure from current models.
VS
Sources: National Geographic, Evan Summer’s blog,
Comment by Find out a good Australian Accent
Groundbreaking, i was claim I’m floored. Extremely don’t often does an individual practical knowledge some page that is certainly both equally educative along with pleasurable. Only desire to tell you that you’ve success your nail around the scalp. Ones thought will be fabulous. Thx is almost all My partner and i really have to say!