I'm getting on a 737 at DFW. 2 gates over is an Airbus A380. First time I've seen one. My it's HUUUUUGE. The tail seems as large as a building.

Mean Gene,

They are huge. The diameter of those engines inside their cowlings are really close to the diamater of the entire 737 that you're flying.

Similar to the 787 as I recall - at 0 kts the wingtips are at the wing root (base of the fuselage). At cruising speed/altitude they are near the top of the fuselage.

Flappy bird.

We get a couple a week over our office, Qantas I think. We're on the departure path at IAH so we get them low & slow.

Ugly, ugly airplanes.

Not enough lavatories.

My first ride in one was in the rear, against a bulkhead, in a seat that didn't recline, all the way from Dubai. You'd think that being next to the lavatories would mean you could get to one any time you like...but no. Too few lavs meant too long lines.

I'll take a 747 any day.

I took this a few weeks ago in Abu Dhabi.


JP

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Ugly, ugly airplanes.

Not enough lavatories.

My first ride in one was in the rear, against a bulkhead, in a seat that didn't recline, all the way from Dubai. You'd think that being next to the lavatories would mean you could get to one any time you like...but no. Too few lavs meant too long lines.

I'll take a 747 any day.

Not to mention the Queen of the Skies is far prettier than the Flying Guppy.

At 0545 every morning one flys over on final to a DFW

Ugly as sin and you're right, HUUUGE. They're impressive aircraft but I understand their days could be numbered.

Want to see droop and rise, watch a B52 take off, super impressive, especially when you consider their age.

Yeah, they are Yuuuuge, but as mentioned, ugly.

It’s the airplane with the overly large forehead.

And if you want wing flex, don’t look at an Airbus. Look at the sleek and smooth-flying 777.

A wise man once said: "if it ain't Boeing, I ain't going".

My nephew helps build the wings - as a QC inspector at Airbus Industrie Broughton site.

tac

Mrs.BurtonRW and I flew Qantas to/from Australia last year (including Flight 7 on the return) in one of their A380s. We were in the premium economy cabin and while I thoroughly enjoyed the extra width of the seats, I was very unimpressed by the recline and literally unusable footrest. That said, I would not have survived in regular coach, so there’s that.

I thought the plane was very impressive, if not a little goofy looking. Our cabin boarded on the top deck and I never went downstairs, but there was plenty of room to get up, walk around, and stretch. Didn’t have any trouble with lines for the lavatories, either.

I’d be happy to fly in one again.

-Rob

One of Airbus’ biggest mistakes. A costly, fuel inefficient error.

Much rather long haul on a Boeing Dream Liner.

A gross weight of 1.2 million lbs is impressive too. The 747-8 grosses at 980,000 lbs as a comparison.

quote:

Originally posted by nojoy:
A gross weight of 1.2 million lbs is impressive too. The 747-8 grosses at 980,000 lbs as a comparison.

However the -8 is a marvel of economy compared to the -400 and the 380.

When I was going through differences training for the -8, I was stunned when I heard that it could carry 100,000 more pounds of cargo than the -400 and do it on nearly 20% less fuel burn. In practice, our fuel burns were always less than projected by the flight planning software. Sometimes to the point of having to drop to lower altitude to burn a little extra gas to get down to landing weight. As previously mentioned, fuel efficiency, or lack thereof, is one of the major problems being experienced by A380 operators, at least that's what I have been told by folks on the operations side of those airlines.

Having said that, I have ridden on a 380 in business on the upper deck, and once (in a giant stroke of luck) in one of the cubicle type suites which is about as close to rock star living as I'll ever have. In both cases, it was a very nice, comfortable interior, and made the long flights much more tolerable.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
One of Airbus’ biggest mistakes. A costly, fuel inefficient error.

Does that have more to do with rather the plane is full of paying passengers? Or has the 787, 777, A350 made the super jumbo obsolete?

I still remember when the 380 first arrived at LAX. Quite the fanfare. I see them frequently now on approach and takeoff. It’s amazing that it stays in the air.

I did quite enjoy my flight on Norwegian 787. Very quiet.