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| Airbus A380 | |
|---|---|
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Singapore Airlines 9V-SKA, the first A380 in commercial service | |
| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Airbus |
| Maiden flight | 27 April 2005 |
| Introduced | 25 October 2007 with Singapore Airlines |
| Primary user | Singapore Airlines |
| Produced | 2004 – present |
| Number built | 13 as of February 2008 |
| Program cost | €12 (US$17.1) billionFACTBOX-Sizing up the Airbus A380 double-decker. Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. |
| Unit cost | $319.2 million |
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, an EADS subsidiary. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France,"A380, the 21st century flagship, successfully completes its first flight", Airbus S.A.S., 27 April 2005. and made its first commercial flight on 25 October 2007 from Singapore to Sydney with Singapore Airlines. The aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX during much of its development phase, but the nickname Superjumbo has since become associated with it.
The A380\'s upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage. This allows for a cabin with 50% more floor space than the next-largest airliner, the Boeing 747-400,A380 First Flight FAQ (question 4). Airbus S.A.S. Retrieved on 2007-09-25. and provides seating for 525 people in standard three-class configuration or up to 853 people in all economy class configuration.A380 Specifications. Airbus S.A.S. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.Martin, Mike. "Honey, I shrunk the A380!", Flight International, 18 June 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. The A380 is offered in passenger and freighter versions. The A380-800, the passenger model, is the largest passenger airliner in the world, superseding the Boeing 747, but has a shorter fuselage than the Airbus A340-600 which is Airbus\' next biggest passenger aeroplane. The A380-800F, the freighter model, is offered as one of the largest freight aircraft, with a listed payload capacity exceeded only by the Antonov An-225.A380 Freighter Specifications. Airbus S.A.S. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. The A380-800 has a design range of 15,200 kilometres (8,200 nmi), sufficient to fly from New York to Hong Kong for example, and a cruising speed of Mach 0.85 (about 900 km/h or 560 mph at cruise altitude).
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# there is no automatic collision detection, fontsize:XS # so shift texts up or down manually to avoid overlap shift:(25,-10)
at:2007 shift:15,-6 text: Airbus delivers first A380-800 at:2006 shift:15,-6 text: Certification and delays at:2005 shift:15,-6 text: Maiden flight at:2004 shift:15,-6 text: First engine delivered at:2002 shift:15,-6 text: Component-manufacturing starts at:2001 shift:15,-6 text: Airbus consortium is merged at:2000 shift:15,-6 text: Commercial launch of the A3XX at:1996 shift:15,-6 text: Large Aircraft Division formed at:1993 shift:15,-6 text: Boeing cancels similar project at:1991 shift:15,-6 text: Market demand researched
Airbus started the development of a very large airliner (termed Megaliner by Airbus in the early development stages) in the early 1990s, both to complete its own range of products and to break the dominance that Boeing had enjoyed in this market segment since the early 1970s with its 747. McDonnell Douglas pursued a similar strategy with its ultimately unsuccessful MD-12 design. As each manufacturer looked to build a successor to the 747, they knew there was room for only one new aircraft to be profitable in the 600 to 800 seat market segment. Each knew the risk of splitting such a niche market, as had been demonstrated by the simultaneous debut of the Lockheed L-1011 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10: both planes met the market’s needs, but the market could profitably sustain only one model, eventually resulting in Lockheed\'s departure from the civil airliner business. In January 1993, Boeing and several companies in the Airbus consortium started a joint feasibility study of an aircraft known as the Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT), aiming to form a partnership to share the limited market.
The first completed A380 at the "A380 Reveal" event in Toulouse, France.
In June 1994, Airbus began developing its own very large airliner, designated the A3XX. Airbus considered several designs, including an odd side-by-side combination of two fuselages from the A340, which was Airbus’s largest jet at the time.Norris, Guy; Mark Wagner (2005). Airbus A380: Superjumbo of the 21st Century. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2218-5. The A3XX was pitted against the VLCT study and Boeing’s own New Large Aircraft successor to the 747, which evolved into the 747X, a stretched version of the 747 with the fore body "hump" extended rearwards to accommodate more passengers. The joint VLCT effort ended in July 1996, and Boeing suspended the 747X program in January 1997. From 1997 to 2000, as the East Asian financial crisis darkened the market outlook, Airbus refined its design, targeting a 15 to 20 percent reduction in operating costs over the existing Boeing 747-400. The A3XX design converged on a double-decker layout that provided more passenger volume than a traditional single-deck design.
Fatigue Test Airframe MSN5001 at IMA in Dresden 2005
On 19 December 2000, the supervisory board of newly restructured Airbus voted to launch a €8.8 billion program to build the A3XX, re-christened as the A380, with 55 orders from six launch customers. The A380 designation was a break from previous Airbus families, which had progressed sequentially from A300 to A340. It was chosen because the number 8 resembles the double-deck cross section, and is a lucky number in some Asian countries where the aircraft was being marketed. The aircraft’s final configuration was frozen in early 2001, and manufacturing of the first A380 wing box component started on 23 January 2002. The development cost of the A380 had grown to €11 billion when the first aircraft was completed.
Boeing, meanwhile, resurrected the 747X programme several times before finally launching the 747-8 Intercontinental in November 2005 (with entry into service planned for 2009). Boeing chose to develop a derivative for the 400 to 500 seat market, instead of matching the A380\'s capacity.
A380 MSN001 about to land after its maiden flight
Five A380s were built for testing and demonstration purposes. Kingsley-Jones, Max. "A380 powers on through flight-test", Flight International, 20 December 2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-25. The first prototype, serial number MSN001 and registration F-WWOW, was unveiled at a ceremony in Toulouse on 18 January 2005. Its maiden flight took place at 8:29 UTC (10:29 a.m. local time) 27 April 2005. The prototype, equipped with Trent 900 engines, departed runway 32L of Toulouse Blagnac International Airport with a flight crew of six headed by chief test pilot Jacques Rosay, carrying 20 tonnes (22 short tons) of flight test instrumentation and water ballast. The take-off weight of the aircraft was 421 tonnes (464 short tons); although this was only 75 percent of its maximum take-off weight, it was the heaviest take-off weight of any passenger airliner ever flown.
In mid-November 2005, the A380 embarked on a tour of Southeast Asia and Australia for promotional and for long-haul flight testing purposes, visiting Singapore, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur. During this tour, the livery of Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines were applied in addition to the Airbus house livery. On 19 November an A380 flew in full Emirates livery at the Dubai Air Show.
At the 2005 Paris Air Show
On 1 December 2005 the A380 achieved its maximum design speed of Mach 0.96, in a shallow dive, completing the opening of the flight envelope. The aircraft\'s maximum allowed operational speed is lower, at Mach 0.89, and its cruising speed is Mach 0.85.
On 10 January 2006 the A380 made its first transatlantic flight to Medellín in Colombia, to test engine performance at a high altitude airport. It arrived in North America on 6 February, landing in Iqaluit, Nunavut in Canada for cold-weather testing."Airbus tests A380 jet in extreme cold of Canada", MSNBC, 8 February 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. The same aircraft then flew to Singapore to participate in the Asian Aerospace 2006 exhibition, in full Singapore Airlines livery.
On 26 March 2006 the A380 underwent evacuation certification in Hamburg in Germany. With 8 of the 16 exits blocked, 853 passengers and 20 crew left the aircraft in 78 seconds, less than the 90 seconds required by certification standards.Daly, Kieran. "Airbus A380 evacuation trial full report: everyone off in time", Flight International, 6 April 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. Three days later, the A380 received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to carry up to 853 passengers."Pictures: Airbus A380 clears European and US certification hurdles for evacuation trial", Flight International, 29 March 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
Flight test engineer\'s station on the lower deck of A380 F-WWOW at the 2006 Farnborough International Airshow.
The first A380 planned for delivery to a customer, serial number MSN003 and registration F-WWSA, took to the air in May 2006. The maiden flight of the first A380 with GP7200 engines serial number MSN009 and registration F-WWEA took place on 25 August 2006.
On 4 September 2006 the first full passenger-carrying flight test took place."Airbus A380 completes test flight", BBC News, 4 September 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. The aircraft flew from Toulouse with 474 Airbus employees on board, in the first of a series of flights to test passenger facilities and comfort. In November 2006, a further series of route proving flights took place to demonstrate the aircraft\'s performance for 150 flight hours under typical airline operating conditions.
Airbus obtained type certificate for the A380-841 and A380-842 model from the EASA and FAA on 12 December 2006 in a joint ceremony at the company\'s French headquarters.EASA Type-Certificate Data Sheet TCDS A.110. EASA (12 December 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-03.FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet NO.A58NM Rev 2. FAA (14 December 2007). Retrieved on 2008-01-07. The A380-861 model obtained the type certificate 14 December 2007.
As of February 2008, thirteen A380s had flown, and the five A380s in the test programme had logged over 4,565 hours during 1,364 flights, including route proving and demonstration flights. As of December 2007, the A380 had visited 26 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam.
On February 1, 2008, Airbus successfully completed the first test of an airplane with GTL-based fuel with the A380.A380 GTL fuel test. Airbus. It was fueled with 40% GTL on one engine, which translates to 10% of the total fuel amount.Airbus tests new fuel on A380 - USATODAY.com
Initial production of the A380 was plagued by delays attributed to the 530 km (330 miles) of wiring in each aircraft. Airbus cited as underlying causes the complexity of the cabin wiring (100,000 wires and 40,300 connectors), its concurrent design and production, the high degree of customisation for each airline, and failures of configuration management and change control.Heinen, Mario (19 October 2006). The A380 programme. EADS. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.Kingsley-Jones, Max. "The race to rewire the Airbus A380", Flight International, 18 July 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-21. Deliveries would be pushed back by nearly two years.
Specifically, it would appear that German and Spanish Airbus facilities continued to use CATIA version 4, while British and French sites migrated to version 5. This caused overall configuration management problems, at least in part because wiring harnesses manufactured using aluminium rather than copper conductors necessitated special design rules including non-standard dimensions and bend radii: these were not easily transferred between different versions of the software.What Grounded the Airbus A380? - Cadalyst Manufacturing
While Airbus attributes the delays entirely to wiring, industry analyst Richard Aboulafia, noting that the first A380 will be around 5.5 tons heavier than intended, speculates that the weight problems "[go] a long way in explaining the delay", and that "wiring alone did not explain what we were all hearing. It sounds like weight-reduction design changes are a big part of the delay, too."Wallace, James. "Airbus A380 a bit too superjumbo", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 28 October 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
Airbus announced the first delay in June 2005 and notified airlines that delivery would slip by six months, with Singapore Airlines expecting the first A380 in the last quarter of 2006, Qantas getting its first delivery in April 2007 and Emirates receiving aircraft before 2008. This reduced the number of planned deliveries by the end of 2009 from about 120 to 90–100.
On 13 June 2006, Airbus announced a second delay, with the delivery schedule undergoing an additional shift of six to seven months. Although the first delivery was still planned before the end of 2006, deliveries in 2007 would drop to only 9 aircraft, and deliveries by the end of 2009 would be cut to 70–80 aircraft. The announcement caused a 26% drop in the share price of Airbus\'s parent, EADS, and led to the departure of EADS CEO Noël Forgeard, Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert, and A380 programme manager Charles Champion.Clark, Nicola. "Airbus replaces chief of jumbo jet project", International Herald Tribune, 4 September 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. In the wake of the new delay, Malaysia Airlines and ILFC were reported to be considering the cancellation of their orders.Thomas, Geoffrey. "MAS prepares to cancel A380 order", ATWOnline, 20 June 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. Karp, Aaron. "ILFC considers $3 billion A380 cancellation as pressure on Airbus mounts", ATWOnline, 21 June 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. Launch customers Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qantas also were reported to be angered by the delays and expecting compensation.Jamieson, Bob. "More setbacks for Airbus Superjumbo jet", ABC News, 14 June 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. However, on 21 July 2006, Singapore Airlines ordered a further 9 A380s and stated that Airbus had "demonstrated to our satisfaction that the engineering design for the A380 is sound [and that] it has performed well in flight and certification tests and the delays in its delivery have been caused more by production, rather than technical, issues."Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Farnborough: SIA shocks the air show by ordering 20 Airbus A350s, nine further A380s", Flight International, 21 July 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
On 3 October 2006, upon completion of a review of the A380 program, the then CEO of Airbus, Christian Streiff, announced a third delay, pushing the first delivery for Singapore Airlines to October 2007, to be followed by 13 deliveries in 2008, 25 in 2009, and the full production rate of 45 aircraft per year in 2010.Airbus confirms further A380 delay and launches company restructuring plan. Airbus S.A.S (3 October 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-03. The delay also increased the earnings shortfall projected by Airbus through 2010 to €4.8 billion.Robertson, David. "Airbus will lose €4.8bn because of A380 delays", The Times, 3 October 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-03. The customer with the largest A380 order, Emirates, saw its first delivery pushed back to August 2008 and said as a result that it was considering scaling back its order,Clark, Nicola. "New A380 jet delays confirmed", International Herald Tribune, 3 October 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-03. potentially in favour of the rival Boeing 747-8. However, Emirates never scaled back the order but placed additional orders for A380s in 2007. Virgin Atlantic deferred its deliveries by four years, to 2013."Virgin Atlantic is to defer its order for the new Airbus A380 by four years", BBC News, 26 October 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-26. The third delay was followed by the first cancellations to hit the A380 programme. On 7 November 2006 FedEx cancelled its order for 10 A380F freighters in favour of 15 Boeing 777 Freighters.Quentin Wilber, Dell. "Airbus bust, Boeing boost", The Washington Post, 8 November 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-08. In March 2007, the last remaining customer for the A380F, UPS, announced the cancellation of its order.UPS to Cancel A380 Freighter Order Airbus suspended work on the freighter version in order to concentrate on delivering the passenger version, but said the freighter remained on offer.Airbus says A380F development \'interrupted\'. Flight Global. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. As of March 2007, Airbus estimated a 2014 entry into service for the A380F.Airbus to Boost A330 A340 Line. Bloomberg via Seattle PI. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
The first aircraft sold, MSN003 registered 9V-SKA, was handed over on 15 October 2007, following a lengthy acceptance test phase, and entered into service on 25 October 2007 with a commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney (flight number SQ380)."First A380 Flight on 25-26 October", Singapore Airlines, 2007-8-16. Retrieved on 2007-08-16. Two months later Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choong Seng said that the A380 was performing better than both the airline and Airbus had anticipated, burning 20% less fuel per passenger than the airline\'s existing 747-400 fleet."SIA\'s Chew: A380 pleases, Virgin Atlantic disappoints", ATW Online, 2007-12-13. Retrieved on 2007-12-13. The second A380 for Singapore Airlines, MSN005, was handed over by Airbus on 11 January 2008 and registered as 9V-SKB."2nd A380 delivered to Singapore Airlines", Airbus, 2008-1-11. Singapore Airlines currently operates its first two aircraft, in a 471-seat configuration, between Singapore and Sydney, and this will then be expanded to include Singapore–London from 18th March once the third aircraft is delivered."A380 to fly to London from 18th March", Singapore Air, 2008-1-30. Subsequent routes may include the Singapore–San Francisco route via Hong Kong, as well as direct flights to Paris, Tokyo and Frankfurt.
The first aircraft for Qantas (second airline to take delivery of the A380), MSN014, had its maiden flight on 25 January 2008. Qantas has announced it will use the A380, in a 450-seat configuration,About Qantas - Newsroom - Introducing The Qantas A380 on its Melbourne and Sydney to Los Angeles and Melbourne and Sydney to London routes.
The first Engine Alliance powered A380 MSN011, which is due to enter service with Emirates Airline, had its maiden flight on 4 September 2007."EXCLUSIVE: Airbus test flies first A380 for Emirates Airline", Flight Global, 2007-9-6. Emirates will receive the aircraft in September 2008 and will initially deploy the plane on its Australian services to Sydney and shortly after to Melbourne. Air France has said that its A380s will be used on its Paris to Montreal and New York routes.
As of October 2007 Airbus had assembled 23 A380s, and was expecting the first aircraft equipped with the new electrical system (which replaces the root cause of the massive programme delays), MSN026, to be ready for \'power-on\' in early 2008."Airbus confident ahead of A380 service entry with Singapore Airlines", Flight Global, 2007-10-1.
A380 cabin cross section, showing economy class seating
The new Airbus is sold in two models. The A380-800 was originally designed to carry 555 passengers in a three-class configurationAirbus A380 Cabin or 853 passengers (538 on the main deck and 315 on the upper deck) in a single-class economy configuration. In May 2007, Airbus began marketing the same aircraft to customers with 30 fewer passengers (now 525 passengers) traded for 370 km (200 nmi) more range, to better reflect trends in premium class accommodation. The design range for the -800 model is 15,200 km (8,200 nmi). The second model, the A380-800F freighter, will carry 150 tonnes of cargo 10,400 km (5,600 nmi).The triple-deck cargo hauler. Airbus S.A.S.. Future variants may include an A380-900 stretch seating about 656 passengers (or up to 960 passengers in an all economy configuration) and an extended range version with the same passenger capacity as the A380-800.
The A380\'s wing is sized for a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) over 650 tonnes in order to accommodate these future versions, albeit with some strengthening required. The stronger wing (and structure) is used on the A380-800F freighter. This common design approach sacrifices some fuel efficiency on the A380-800 passenger model, but Airbus estimates that the size of the aircraft, coupled with the advances in technology described below, will provide lower operating costs per passenger than all current variants of Boeing 747. The A380 also features wingtip fences similar to those found on the A310 and A320 to alleviate the effects of wake turbulence, increasing fuel efficiency and performance.
The flight deck
Airbus used similar cockpit layout, procedures and handling characteristics to those of other Airbus aircraft, to reduce crew training costs. Accordingly, the A380 features an improved glass cockpit, and fly-by-wire flight controls linked to side-sticks.Cockpit. Lufthansa. The improved cockpit displays feature eight 15-by-20 cm (6-by-8-inch) liquid crystal displays, all of which are physically identical and interchangeable. These comprise two Primary Flight Displays, two navigation displays, one engine parameter display, one system display and two Multi-Function Displays. These MFDs are new with the A380, and provide an easy-to-use interface to the flight management system—replacing three multifunction control and display units. They include QWERTY keyboards and trackballs, interfacing with a graphical "point-and-click" display navigation system.A380 flight deck. Airbus S.A.S. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. One or two HUD (Head Up Display) its optional.[1]
A Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on the wing of an Airbus A380
The A380 can be fitted with two different types of engines: A380-841, A380-842 and A380-843F with Rolls-Royce Trent 900, and the A380-861 and A380-863F with Engine Alliance GP7000 turbofans. The Trent 900 is a derivative of the Trent 800, and the GP7000 has roots from the GE90 and PW4000. The Trent 900 core is a scaled version of the Trent 500, but incorporates the swept fan technology of the stillborn Trent 8104.Trent 900 engine. Rolls-Royce. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. The GP7200 has a GE90-derived core and PW4090-derived fan and low-pressure turbo-machinery.GP7200 engine features. Engine Alliance. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. Only two of the four engines are fitted with reverse thrusters.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0UBT/is_2005_May_2/ai_n13829246
Noise reduction was an important requirement in the A380\'s design, and particularly affects engine design.Environment. Lufthansa.A380 Family. Airbus. Both engine types allow the aircraft to achieve QC/2 departure and QC/0.5 arrival noise limits under the Quota Count system set by London Heathrow Airport, which is expected to become a key destination for the A380.
The A380 can run on mixed synthetic jet fuel with a natural-gas-derived component. A three hour test flight on Friday, February 1 2008 between the Airbus company facility at Filton in the UK to the main Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, was a success. One of the A380\'s four engines used a mix of 60 percent standard jet kerosene and 40 percent gas to liquids (GTL) fuel. The aircraft needed no modification to use the GTL fuel, which was designed to be mixed with regular jet fuel. Sebastien Remy, head of Airbus SAS\'s alternative fuel program, said the GTL used was no cleaner in CO2 (carbon dioxide) terms than regular fuel but it had local air quality benefits because it contains no sulphur.Lalor, Dan. "A380 makes test flight on alternative fuel", Reuters, 1 Feb 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. Dunn, Graham. "PICTURES: Airbus conducts A380 alternative-fuel demonstration flight", Flight Global, 1 Feb 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
While most of the fuselage is aluminium, composite materials make up 25% of the A380\'s airframe, by weight. Carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, glass-fibre reinforced plastic and quartz-fibre reinforced plastic are used extensively in wings, fuselage sections (such as the undercarriage and rear end of fuselage), tail surfaces, and doors. The A380 is the first commercial airliner with a central wing box made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic, and it is the first to have a wing cross-section that is smoothly contoured. Other commercial airliners have wings that are partitioned span-wise in sections. The flowing, continuous cross-section allows for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Thermoplastics are used in the leading edges of the slats. The new material GLARE (GLAss-REinforced fibre metal laminate) is used in the upper fuselage and on the stabilizers\' leading edges. This aluminium-glass-fibre laminate is lighter and has better corrosion and impact resistance than conventional aluminium alloys used in aviation. Unlike earlier composite materials, it can be repaired using conventional aluminium repair techniques.Airbus A380 Superjumbo. Aerospace-Technology.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-26. Newer weldable aluminium alloys are also used. This enables the widespread use of laser beam welding manufacturing techniquesRötzer, Isolde (January 1 2005). Laser Beam Welding (.pdf). Fraunhofer Society Material and Beam Technology - IWS, Dresden, Germany. Retrieved on 2007-05-14. — eliminating rows of rivets and resulting in a lighter, stronger structure.
The A380 employs an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture, first used in advanced military aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and the Eurofighter Typhoon. It is based on a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) design. Many previous dedicated single-purpose avionics computers are replaced by dedicated software housed in onboard processor modules and servers. This cuts the number of parts, provides increased flexibility without resorting to customised avionics, and reduces costs by using commercially available computing power. Together with IMA, the A380 avionics are very highly networked. The data communication networks use Avionics Full-Duplex Switched Ethernet, following the ARINC 664 standard. The data networks are switched, full-duplexed, star-topology and based on 100baseTX fast-Ethernet.Networking. Lufthansa. This reduces the amount of wiring required and minimizes latency. Adams, Charlotte. "Test cards for the Airbus A380", Aviation Today, 1 July 2002. Retrieved on 2007-10-16. The Network Systems Server (NSS) is the heart of A380 paperless cockpit. It eliminates the bulky manuals and charts traditionally carried by the pilots. The NSS has enough inbuilt robustness to do away with onboard backup paper documents. The A380\'s network and server system stores data and offers electronic documentation, providing a required equipment list, navigation charts, performance calculations, and an aircraft logbook. All are accessible to the pilot from two additional 27 cm (11 inch) diagonal LCDs, each controlled by its own keyboard and control cursor device mounted in the foldable table in front of each pilot.
The A380-800 layout with 550 seats displayed
Power-by-wire flight control actuators are used for the first time in civil service, backing up the primary hydraulic flight control actuators. During certain maneuvers, they augment the primary actuators. They have self-contained hydraulic and electrical power supplies. They are used as electro-hydrostatic actuators (EHA) in the aileron and elevator, and as electrical backup hydrostatic actuators (EBHA) for the rudder and some spoilers.Adams, Charlotte. "A380: ‘more electric’ aircraft", Aviation Today, 1 October 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
The aircraft\'s 350 bar (35 MPa or 5,000 psi) hydraulic system is an improvement over the typical 210 bar (21 MPa or 3,000 psi) system found in other commercial aircraft since the 1940s. First used in military aircraft, higher pressure hydraulics reduce the size of pipelines, actuators and other components for overall weight reduction. The 350 bar pressure is generated by eight de-clutchable hydraulic pumps. Pipelines are typically made from titanium and the system features both fuel and air-cooled heat exchangers. The hydraulics system architecture also differs significantly from other airliners. Self-contained electrically powered hydraulic power packs, instead of a secondary hydraulic system, are the backups for the primary systems. This saves weight and reduces maintenance.
The A380 uses four 150 kVA variable-frequency electrical generators eliminating the constant speed drives for better reliability. The A380 uses aluminium power cables instead of copper for greater weight savings due to the number of cables used for an aircraft of this size and complexity. The electrical power system is fully computerized and many contactors and breakers have been replaced by solid-state devices for better performance and increased reliability.
The A380 features a bulbless illumination system. LEDs are employed in the cabin, cockpit, cargo and other fuselage areas. The cabin lighting features programmable multi-spectral LEDsCabin Interior, Mood Lightning. Diehl Aerospace, Germany. Retrieved on 2007-05-14. capable of creating a cabin ambience simulating daylight, night or shades in between. On the outside of the aircraft, HID lighting is used to give brighter, whiter and better quality illumination. These two technologies provide brightness and a service life superior to traditional incandescent light bulbs.
The A380 was initially planned without thrust reversers, as Airbus believed it to have ample braking capacity. The FAA disagreed, and Airbus elected to fit only the two inboard engines with them. The two outboard engines do not have reversers, reducing the amount of debris stirred up during landing. The A380 features electrically actuated thrust reversers, giving them better reliability than their pneumatic or hydraulic equivalents, in addition to saving weight.
The A380 produces 50% less cabin noise than a 747 and has higher cabin air pressure (equivalent to an altitude of 1500 metres (5000 feet) versus 2500 metres (8000 feet)); both features are expected to reduce the effects of travel fatigue.Inside the A380. ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. The upper and lower decks are connected by two stairways, fore and aft, wide enough to accommodate two passengers side-by-side. In a 555-passenger configuration, the A380 has 33% more seats than a 747-400 in a standard three-class configuration but 50% more cabin area and volume, resulting in more space per passenger. Its maximum certified carrying capacity is 853 passengers in an all-economy-class configuration.
Compared to a 747, the A380 has larger windows and overhead bins, and 60 cm (2 feet) of extra headroom. The wider cabin allows for 48 cm (19 inch) wide economy seats instead of 43 cm (17 inch) seats on a 747, although the seat pitch of 81 cm (32 inch) is the same as that on a 747.Onboard the Airbus A380. Fodors. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. Singapore Airline\'s economy-class seats feature 27 cm (10.6 inch) LCD screens in each seatback, as well as an AC power supply in most seats; business-class seats are 84 cm (34 inches) wide, can lie flat for sleeping, and have 39 cm (15.4 inch) LCD screens.Singapore Airlines A380 - Comfort, space and luxury. Singapore Airlines. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
Airbus\' initial publicity stressed the comfort and space of the A380\'s cabin,Airbus Cabin Showroom. Airbus S.A.S.. Retrieved on 2007-05-14. anticipating installations such as relaxation areas, bars, duty-free shops, and beauty salons. Virgin Atlantic Airways already offers a bar as part of its "Upper Class" service on its A340 and 747 aircraft, and has announced plans to include casinos, double beds, and gymnasiums on its A380s."Virgin eyes gyms, casino, double beds on A380 jet""Could the A380 Become Tomorrow\'s \'Cruise Ship of the Sky\'?: A Peek at the Airbus Giant" Singapore Airlines offers twelve fully-enclosed first-class suites on its A380, each with one full and one secondary seat, full-sized bed, desk, personal storage, and 58-cm (23-inch) LCD screen at a 20% to 25% price premium over standard first class seating. Four of these suites are in the form of two "double" suites featuring a double bed.Singapore Airlines A380 - A class beyond first. Singapore Airlines. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. Emirates has not yet revealed their front-end A380 productPossible Cabin Configurations Of The Airbus A380 Interior. Airline World, Wordpress.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. although Qantas Airways has shown their product which features a long flat-bed that converts from the seat but does not have privacy doors.Qantas and the A380. Qantas. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
Major structural sections of the A380 are built in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Due to their size, they are brought to the assembly hall in Toulouse in France by surface transportation, rather than by the A300-600ST Beluga aircraft used for other Airbus models. Components of the A380 are provided by suppliers from around the world; the five largest contributors, by value, are Rolls-Royce, SAFRAN, United Technologies, General Electric, and Goodrich.Babka, Scott. "EADS: the A380 Debate", Morgan Stanley, 5 September 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
A380 transporter ship Ville de Bordeaux
The front and rear sections of the fuselage are loaded on an Airbus Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ship, Ville de Bordeaux, in Hamburg in northern Germany, from whence they are shipped to the United Kingdom."Towards Toulouse", Flight International, 20 May 2003. Retrieved on 2006-09-18. The wings, which are manufactured at Filton in Bristol and Broughton in North Wales, are transported by barge to Mostyn docks, where the ship adds them to its cargo. In Saint-Nazaire in western France, the ship trades the fuselage sections from Hamburg for larger, assembled sections, some of which include the nose. The ship unloads in Bordeaux. Afterwards, the ship picks up the belly and tail sections by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA in Cádiz in southern Spain, and delivers them to Bordeaux. From there, the A380 parts are transported by barge to Langon, and by oversize road convoys to the assembly hall in Toulouse."A380 convoys", IGG.FR, 28 October 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. New wider roads, canal systems and barges were developed to deliver the A380 parts. After assembly, the aircraft are flown to Hamburg, XFW to be furnished and painted. It takes 3,600 litres (950 gallons) of paint to cover the 3,100 m² (33,000 ft²) exterior of an A380.
Airbus sized the production facilities and supply chain for a production rate of four A380s per month.
Emirates Airline has placed the most orders so far. (A380 F-WWDD in the airline\'s livery at the 2005 Dubai Airshow)
Sixteen customers have ordered the A380, including an order from aircraft lessor ILFC. Total orders for the A380 stand at 192 as of 29 February 2008.Airbus orders & deliveries. Airbus S.A.S (11 March 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-11. 27 orders originally placed for the freighter version, A380-800F, were either cancelled (20) or converted to A380-800 (7), following the production delay and the subsequent "freezing" of the program. Airbus expects to sell a total of 750 aircraft, and estimated break-even at 420 units, increased from 270 due to the delays and the falling exchange rate of the US dollar. In April 2007, Airbus CEO Louis Gallois said that break-even had risen further, but declined to give the new figure. Industry analysts anticipate between 400 and 880 sales by 2025. As of 2006, the list price of an A380 was US$ 296 to 316 million, depending on equipment installed."Airbus raises price of A380 plane", BBC News, 23 June 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orders | A380-800 | 78 | 0 | 34 | 10 | 10 | 24 | 33 | 3 | 192 |
| A380-800F | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | -17 | -10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Deliveries | A380-800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
According to a statment made by EADS chief Louis Gallois in October 2007, Airbus expects to deliver 13 A380s in 2008, 25 in 2009 and 44 per year from 2010 onward."Airbus makes first delivery of A380 superjumbo", AFP Newswire via Google, 14 October 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
Several concerns about the A380 have arisen during its development. Airbus has addressed these concerns as required to obtain a type certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency and its American counterpart, the Federal Aviation Administration.
Early critics claimed that the A380 would damage taxiways and other airport surfaces. However, the pressure exerted by its wheels is lower than that of a Boeing 747 or Boeing 777 because the A380 has 22 wheels, four more than the 747, and eight more than the 777.777 Family. Boeing. Retrieved on
