A380 first flight 4/27!

[sandman2122]

It took off today, imagine that...............

 

[bocefus]

"Is Airbus benefitting from NASA studies? Don't know. Would NASA exist today without Werner Von Braun? Don't know about that either."

Seems as though you get your subsidies and loan info from Airbus publications and your history from French texbooks. I suggest you take time to see what industry experts such as the Teal Group and the UK's very own Airclaims have to say regarding the matters. By the way, NACA, the predecessor of NASA was alive and well when Von Braun was just a Nazi pup. You might also note that he benefited greatly from the research and works of Goddard. Would the EU exist today without the Marshall plan? I think I have the answer.

 

[Flywrite]

So I see on TV that the 380 flew today, then I see this thread and figure I will see what the reaction is. Perhaps predictably the thread, like so many others, has disolved into political bickering.

Do ANY of you guys remember when you just thought airplanes were neat?

Do ANy of you remember a time when your only reaction to seeing this thing fly would be "Wow..."?

 

[EuroWheenie]

bofecus

I'm sorry, but my French skills does not allow me to read French history books. I generally get my information from the i-net and aviation publications such as Flight International. Where do you get yours? Or let's put it differently, most of the things you and I read are slanted in slightly different directions. Where one decides to put ones trust is an individual decision. I'm basically in the middle, in that I suffer from no illusions that EADS doesn't receive vast subsidies in the form of repayable loans. Likewise, I'm under no illusions that Boeing doesn't receive vast subsidies too, whether in the form of tax breaks or R&D support. Why the US decided to open this can of worm is beyond me, but I might have been because of pressure from Boeing who, perhaps, hadn't thought it all the way through.

I trust you understand that my statement re. Von Braun was made in jest. I honestly cannot tell you how much EADS has benefitted from NASA research, just as I cannot tell you how much Airbus has benefitted from Messerschmitt, Fokker and Dassualt R&D. I do know that the wing on the Falcon 50/900 owes very much to the Dassualt F1 fighter, but what does that prove?

As for the Marshall plan, thank you very much. It did have the added benefit of providing the US with a market for it's products, which I expect was one of the reasons for the plan.

Latest

A380 is over the atlantic now, with live feed coming from the chase plane. She is a sight to behold!

 

[EuroWheenie]

Flywrite

Point taken. I was in awe over the A380 when she took off; I probably won't be quite so impressed once the 787 takes to the skies but I wish her all the best regardless. This industry is sadly left with only two players in the +100 seat segments, with the players living on each side of the Great Salty Divide. That sometimes get's some of us worked up a bit too much, even when we shouldn't. After all, our respective employeers decide what metal we get to play with, and as long as it doesn't try to kill us and keeps us in beer and sandwiches, who cares what badge its got on the bonnet?

I do remember when all aircraft was neat, and I still think that most flying machines are nice. With a few noticeable exceptions of course. In my younger days I considered myself a Boeing boy. Why? Because the first aircraft I got to ride the jumpseat in was a Boeing 720 from Conair. The opposition back then largely consisted of Douglas, and had the internet been around back then I'm sure there would have been equally heated debates of Boeing vs. Douglas.

As a European I am proud of what Airbus has accomplished. They have managed to out sell and out produce Boeing. They do have the strongest family of aircraft on offer at the moment. Boeing has suffered severe set backs in the last couple of years, and has seen former stars dwindle and disappear. Boeing has failed to renew its line-up, and Airbus has stolen the limelight. However, Boeing may very well be about to turn the tables and that will leave Airbus catching up. So much the better, if you ask me; it'll keep everyone on their toes and in turn we should see better aeroplanes as a result. And for the industry we're working in, that can only be a good thing.

Now if Embraer decides to go upmarket just one step at a time, maybe in 10 or 20 years we'll have 3 competitors and I'd welcome that with open arms. Competition you know, it's great for us consumers!

 

[TonyC]

Do ANy of you remember a time when your only reaction to seeing this thing fly would be "Wow..."?

I'm watching the video feeds now as it's still airborne, with the backdrop of a snowcapped mountain range, and that's exactly what keeps coming out of my mouth - - "Wow"

How apropos that the registry is F-WWOW.


We have witnessed the beginning of a new age of aviation, folks.


Stop your bickering and enjoy the view for a while, will ya?


Think of a 707 on steroids.



Does anybody else think the placement of the vertical stabilizer relative to the horizontal stabilizer looks a little odd? It seems the horizontal is situated farther aft.


I'm thinking it resembles a dolphin... enough so that I'm inclined to nickname it that.



.

 

[EuroWheenie]

TonyC

Well said. I'll get off this board now, open a can of Stella and watch the landing from my best chair.

Yeah, that feed with the mountains in the background. How lucky can these guys get with the weather eh

 

[XGmaninGA]

Caution, wake turbulence.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Well said. I'll get off this board now, open a can of Stella and watch the landing from my best chair.

Life's to short to drink $hitty beer.

 

[EuroWheenie]

Hugh Jordan

I'll let you know that Stella Artois is one of the finest lagers in my book, and the only one that was available in my fridge. Jupiler is fine too, but one of the finer things about living in Belgium is that you'd be hard pressed to find a bad beer - and there's more than 300 to choose from! Sure as hell beats the pants off the coloured water called Bud


Latest

She's back on the ground, landed a few minutes ago at around 12:25 UTC. Is it just me, or were those wings flexing a little more than usual?

Congratulations Airbus, a very nice performance!

 

[TonyC]

Perfect landing... all pods and tips intact...



Now if he can just find the gate! !








.

 

[CSY Mon]

And UP she goes! Man, that is a thing of grace and it'll blow the whale clear out of the skies!

A thing of grace...?
Aye Mr. Euro, ya been smoking ganja donw at the Bazooka club again.?

To call the French Fatso graceful is a bit of a stretch..

First delivery by end 2006; it will sell and it will make Airbus tons of money.

He-he, are we also predicting the future now?
How about getting some lottery tickets and share the winnings with the board.
I would drink a Stella to that...

 

[EuroWheenie]

CSY

Hi mate, been a while since we crossed swords in cyberspace

Well to my drunken eyes it looked just great. Obviously not a supermodel like the Concorde, but still graceful. I suppose you being a whaledriver and all makes you kind of biased

Mind the 'gators mate, and see you soon I hope.

By the way, the Ganja supply has run a tad dry as of late. Really should fire up the motor and head north ...

 

[rvsm410]

Orange flight suits! They look like the astronauts getting off the space shuttle after a landing a KSC....do you suppose this is their Space shuttle...

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

I'll let you know that Stella Artois is one of the finest lagers in my book, and the only one that was available in my fridge. Jupiler is fine too, but one of the finer things about living in Belgium is that you'd be hard pressed to find a bad beer - and there's more than 300 to choose from! Sure as hell beats the pants off the coloured water called Bud

Living in Belgium and drinking Stella Artois is akin to living in the Pacific Northwest and drinking Bud.

 

[EuroWheenie]

Hugh

Never been to the Pacific Northwest; is that in Russia? Kamchatka per chance? Anyways, if you'd been in Belgium you'd know that the Stella we get here is not quite the same as the export, or even worse licensed brewed, versions. And for lunch, anything stronger than 5.7% is a bit too heavy for me. Now I do enjoy the occasional Leffe Brun or even, on special occasions, a Chimay Bleu. I've even been known to down a Hoegaarden or 10. But not for lunch.

rvsm410

I belive the reason for the orange suits is ease of identification in case of, well, an outcome other than what was planned. I suppose it's the same reason the Space Shuttle guys and gals are wearing orange. A good idea is an idea worth stealing, as the Japanese used to say

 

[CSY Mon]

Yeah Mate, I am a bit biased.."If it ain't Boeing, I ain't Going"

Actually I am going every day now, we are short of drivers and I am working overtime...It does cut into my beer time, but it sure is good for keeping the bill collectors at bay.

As for Buses and Concords and such.

Man, I am surprised the Brit and French taxpayers put up with the Concorde thing: Enormous tax burdens to build a handful of fast jets so the rich and famous don't have to spend 7 hours on an Atlantic crossing...

Yeah, it was a symbol of technical excellence, but a money looser from day one and it sure did not benefit Joe-six pack that paid for the whole mess.


At least Airbus is making money as a commercial entity, and it should after having been shored up by various Governments for years.

Uh, back to the A-380 (Thread creep is my speciality) Yeah, big and ugly it is, but I must say the Frogs have grown balls to build that thing.
It could flop faster than ya could say white elephant, or it could be the future of commercial aviation...

Don't really care as my seniority would not get to the Fatso untill I timed out at 60, and at that time ya will see my arse parked at a Bahamian beach with a cold 'rita in hand thinking of my glory days on the whale...

 

[EuroWheenie]

CSY

Not just the Frogs mate; without the Spanish there'd no no tailfin to keep the nose in the right direction. Without the English there'd be no wings to generate lift and no power to propel the thing forward. Without the Germans there'd be no forward and aft fuselage, and without the Americans there'd be no landing gear to stand on. About the only thing the French do is bolt the thing together ... and they allegedly do so in the presence of a horde of German engineers (quality control being their speciality as we all know).

As for the Concorde. Quite an expensive exercise, but then again who could have foreseen that the oil price would skyrocket? Still the most beautiful man-made thing to grace the skies, and I count myself extremely lucky to have had the chance to pax in it (LHR-JFK, return on a Whale).

"If it ain't a Boeing yada yada yada". Can't follow you there, but then again you are a thick headed Noggie of dubious reputation so that's allright

Low and slow bro, og drik lige en omgang bajere for mig

 

[CSY Mon]

"If it ain't a Boeing yada yada yada". Can't follow you there, but then again you are a thick headed Noggie of dubious reputation so that's allright

Hey careful there ya little big-mouth...I may have to beat year ugly face against a brickwall a few times to the sound of Boeing, Boeing, Going, Going.

Yeah, I am sure the Krauts and Spaniards and all them guys are involved in the Big Atari Bus as well, but they forgot to include a designer with a soul: The thing just does not look right.

Planes are supposed be somewhat pleasant to the eye...

Can ya imagen Airbus engineers designing a woman?
She would probably be a big and functional milk and baby factory, excellent at house hold chores, but so butt-ugly that nobody would want to chat her up, or even ask her out for a date...

Nah, for a thing of grace I go the Boeing way.......

 

[bocefus]

"Can ya imagen Airbus engineers designing a woman?
She would probably be a big and functional milk and baby factory, excellent at house hold chores, but so butt-ugly that nobody would want to chat her up, or even ask her out for a date... "

And her "family" would pay people to take her out