Damn, that's one big airplane.

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In summary: PLAIN]http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a380/images/02.jpg In summary, the conversation was about the size and impact of the A380 airliner, with comparisons to other large planes like the 777 and the Spruce Goose. Some participants expressed concerns about the limited number of airports that can accommodate the A380, while others argued that smaller commuter lines might be the way of the future. The conversation also included admiration for the engineering and design of the A380 and other planes, as well as some humorous comments about the size of the A380 and its potential impact on cars and people. Overall, there was a mix of opinions on the practicality and profitability of massive airliners like
  • #1
Cyrus
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Putting size into context. It's as big as an 8 lane roadway, sheesh. Those engines could swallow up cars.
http://photos.airliners.net/photos/photos/9/8/1/0957189.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #2
Here is a 777 for comparison:

http://photos.airliners.net/photos/middle/1/4/3/1006341.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #3
And Props go out to Air bus for creating a plane that will have limited airports it can fly to because it is so honking big and heavy. Great business sense.
 
  • #4
There are a lot of airports in the world that are putting big money into their infrastructures to accommodate these aircraft. There is a major camp in the airline business that thinks that massive aircraft are going to be the only way the companys are going to survive. Of course, I think they are dead wrong. The smaller commuter lines are going to be the wave of the future (at least in the US anyways). We shall see.

Didn't someone a while ago post a comparisson between the A380 and the Spruce Goose? It was still smaller than the Spruce Goose which should give you a bit of insight into what Howard Hughes really accomplished.

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=1szvzv8u1ry2g?method=4&dsname=Wikipedia+Images&dekey=Giant+Plane+Comparison.jpg&sbid=lc01a&linktext= [Broken]
 
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  • #5
The A380 looks like a 747 on steroids. :rofl:
 
  • #6
I have been designing some airport underground structures for this heavy ass plane. Dimensions and weights:

http://www.content.airbusworld.com/SITES/Technical_Data/docs/AC/DATA_CONSULT/AC_A380.pdf
 
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  • #7
FredGarvin said:
There is a major camp in the airline business that thinks that massive aircraft are going to be the only way the companys are going to survive. Of course, I think they are dead wrong. The smaller commuter lines are going to be the wave of the future (at least in the US anyways). We shall see.

Easyjet and Ryanair (both small airlines) here in the UK prove your point rather well. They're making very good profit without the need of investing on massive airliners. I have come to believe however that airliners are rather pivotal for the demands of our society. Jumbo jets nowadays exist to satisfy the apparent urge and need of getting on one plane only to get to your desired destination (longhaul flights of course). Moreover airliners such as the 744 and A380 have been manufactured to stay, unlike the concorde.
 
  • #8
DM said:
Easyjet and Ryanair (both small airlines) here in the UK prove your point rather well. They're making very good profit without the need of investing on massive airliners. I have come to believe however that airliners are rather pivotal for the demands of our society. Jumbo jets nowadays exist to satisfy the apparent urge and need of getting on one plane only to get to your desired destination (longhaul flights of course). Moreover airliners such as the 744 and A380 have been manufactured to stay, unlike the concorde.
I agree that the long flights, trans oceantic etc... are always going to be the realm of the big ships. I guess the business models will have to take into account what they think the future international travel will be like. I agree that they will never go away, but I think they're required numbers are very limited.
 
  • #9
haynewp said:
I have been designing some airport underground structures for this heavy ass plane. Dimensions and weights:

http://www.content.airbusworld.com/SITES/Technical_Data/docs/AC/DATA_CONSULT/AC_A380.pdf
That is really cool to see some actual engineering requirements. Thanks for sharing that! I'd be interested to hear of any happenings/hurdles you encounter because of the beast.
 
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  • #10
How come half the cars in the A380 picture have drifted out of their lanes? :rofl:
 
  • #11
Astronuc said:
The A380 looks like a 747 on steroids. :rofl:
It is a 747 on steroids.
 
  • #12
As long as we're posting plane pictures

http://home.comcast.net/~cubz2008/plane.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #13
BobG said:
How come half the cars in the A380 picture have drifted out of their lanes? :rofl:

Yah what's with these drivers, are they just in utter shock at how big it is that they get into crashes? :rofl: :rofl:
 
  • #14
No, the engines are sucking the cars into it. Notice only the cars forward of the engines are drifting :rofl:
 
  • #15
Another big bird (bigger than the A380, actually),

[URL][PLAIN]http://photos.airliners.net/photos/middle/7/6/3/1032367.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #16
That Airliners Net is a pretty cool site. I love this picture! :rofl:
 
  • #18
I like this one, you can feel the G forces

http://photos.airliners.net/photos/middle/3/8/6/0297683.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #19
I love this shot too, it's good for a wall paper

http://photos.airliners.net/photos/photos/8/2/6/0028628.jpg [Broken]




I know about bird strike, but people strike?

http://photos.airliners.net/photos/photos/9/1/2/0686219.jpg [Broken]

Balls of steel my friend, balls of steel...

http://photos.airliners.net/photos/photos/5/0/6/1025605.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #20
Wow. Nice site, great pictures!
 
  • #21
Meh, it's big, sure

- but Hughes did it even better - made of wood, and a half century earlier!


sprucegoose.jpg
 
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  • #22
And if Hughes only had access to high bypass turbofan jet engines, or even turbo props, then the Spruce Goose might have flown. As it was, it barely flew without a load.

Note that the fuselages of the 747 and A380 are slightly larger, but the wings are smaller, and they actually fly fully loaded.
 
  • #23
Airbus ROCK! :cool:

I think they'll make all their money from the A380F - freight version.
 
  • #24
Argentum Vulpes said:
And Props go out to Air bus for creating a plane that will have limited airports it can fly to because it is so honking big and heavy. Great business sense.

Well their business sense seems to be paying off judging by the amount of workshop equipment I sell to the factory in Deeside where they make the A380 wings, they've got a huge amount of orders for these planes - business is good!

I can tell you that standing next to one of these wings is something else... You can actually stand up inside it at the widest end.
 
  • #25
cyrusabdollahi said:
Balls of steel my friend, balls of steel...

http://photos.airliners.net/photos/photos/5/0/6/1025605.jpg [Broken]
[/URL]

I'm not fallin' for it.

I'm sayin' this bird was on the tarmack, wheels down, and it's been PhotoShopped.

Either that, or the camera has a shutter speed of about 1/brazillionth of a second and a infrared beam across the runway for tripping the shutter.
 
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  • #26
cyrusabdollahi said:
Another big bird (bigger than the A380, actually),

[PLAIN]http://photos.airliners.net/photos/middle/7/6/3/1032367.jpg[/QUOTE] [Broken]

I think that's the Antonov 225, the soviets built it to carry their space shuttle. I think they only built one.
 
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  • #27
Astronuc said:
And if Hughes only had access to high bypass turbofan jet engines, or even turbo props, then the Spruce Goose might have flown. As it was, it barely flew without a load.

Note that the fuselages of the 747 and A380 are slightly larger, but the wings are smaller, and they actually fly fully loaded.


How so? He only took it 3 feet off the ground, quite illegally, because it was never certified to fly. How do you know it was not able to fly higher? The engines of the day were powerful, very powerful.
 
  • #28
DaveC426913 said:
I'm not fallin' for it.

I'm sayin' this bird was on the tarmack, wheels down, and it's been PhotoShopped.

Either that, or the camera has a shutter speed of about 1/brazillionth of a second and a infrared beam across the runway for tripping the shutter.
I agree. No way the pictuer would be that clear at the speed the place would have to be flying, and how close it is. Second, look at the airs behind the engines: there's nothing there. If it was flying at all, or even if the trubo was running, you would see it.
 
  • #29
Why would it not be clear? Use a telephoto lense from a distance. The engine blast would not happen until a few feet behind the engine. It does look like there is a vapor trail out the back of that tail boom.
 
  • #30
Dawguard said:
I agree. No way the pictuer would be that clear at the speed the place would have to be flying, and how close it is. Second, look at the airs behind the engines: there's nothing there. If it was flying at all, or even if the trubo was running, you would see it.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?...b_vq QRFP&photo_nr=1&prev_id=&next_id=1025605

She is flown by Russian Gromov Flight Research Institute`s senior test pilot, Kvochur, only 2 meters above ground,without extending landing gears!
 
  • #31
cyrusabdollahi said:
Why would it not be clear? Use a telephoto lense from a distance. The engine blast would not happen until a few feet behind the engine. It does look like there is a vapor trail out the back of that tail boom.
I can't back it up factually, but I doubt that any capure could capture an object moving that fast, that clearly. If they aren't landing, the F-15 would probably be going at least four hundred mph. That would require a ridicualously high framerate, and even then I don't think it coudl be clear enough to read to small paint on the side. Also, the photo has perfectly focused on the plane. I also don't buy the fact that there would be no engine blast visible. If the framerate was that good it should have captured the hot air behind it, and that has no distance on it.
 
  • #33
Doc Brown said:
Well their business sense seems to be paying off judging by the amount of workshop equipment I sell to the factory in Deeside where they make the A380 wings, they've got a huge amount of orders for these planes - business is good!

The thing I like about that factory is that the wings aren't just made by riviting aluminium sheet to stringers; the surfaces are machined.



That plane/beach photo is real by the way, it's in Central America somewhere. Can't remember the story but the runway is just off the beach. Apparently there was a problem on this particular island with dog overpopulation. To reduce numbers, owners were found to be taking their dogs down to the beach, and throwing them up behind the landing planes; the backwash blew the pooches right out to sea.
 
  • #34
Dawguard said:
I can't back it up factually, but I doubt that any capure could capture an object moving that fast, that clearly. If they aren't landing, the F-15 would probably be going at least four hundred mph. That would require a ridicualously high framerate, and even then I don't think it coudl be clear enough to read to small paint on the side. Also, the photo has perfectly focused on the plane. I also don't buy the fact that there would be no engine blast visible. If the framerate was that good it should have captured the hot air behind it, and that has no distance on it.
400 mph is not required to go in straight and level flight. It's probably doing half that speed, which is about as fast as an Indy car. If it is photoshopped, then my hat's off to who did it. That is a masterpiece of work there. I can usually spot the doctored pics pretty easlily.

It's a Sukhoi, not an F-15.
 
  • #35
brewnog said:
The thing I like about that factory is that the wings aren't just made by riviting aluminium sheet to stringers; the surfaces are machined.
What do they machine? Do they control the entire profile of the wing or just in sections? I have never heard of them doing that.
 
<H2>1. What is the largest airplane in the world?</H2><p>The largest airplane in the world is currently the Antonov An-225 Mriya, with a wingspan of 88.4 meters and a length of 84 meters.</p><H2>2. How much weight can a large airplane carry?</H2><p>The weight capacity of a large airplane varies depending on the specific model and design, but some can carry up to 640 tons of cargo.</p><H2>3. What is the purpose of a large airplane?</H2><p>Large airplanes are used for a variety of purposes, including commercial air travel, cargo transport, military operations, and scientific research.</p><H2>4. How does the size of an airplane affect its flight?</H2><p>The size of an airplane can affect its flight in several ways, such as increased lift and stability due to larger wingspan, and increased drag and fuel consumption due to larger size and weight.</p><H2>5. Are there any safety concerns with large airplanes?</H2><p>Safety is always a top priority in the aviation industry, and large airplanes undergo rigorous testing and maintenance to ensure safe operation. However, as with any form of transportation, there are always potential risks and safety protocols in place to mitigate them.</p>

1. What is the largest airplane in the world?

The largest airplane in the world is currently the Antonov An-225 Mriya, with a wingspan of 88.4 meters and a length of 84 meters.

2. How much weight can a large airplane carry?

The weight capacity of a large airplane varies depending on the specific model and design, but some can carry up to 640 tons of cargo.

3. What is the purpose of a large airplane?

Large airplanes are used for a variety of purposes, including commercial air travel, cargo transport, military operations, and scientific research.

4. How does the size of an airplane affect its flight?

The size of an airplane can affect its flight in several ways, such as increased lift and stability due to larger wingspan, and increased drag and fuel consumption due to larger size and weight.

5. Are there any safety concerns with large airplanes?

Safety is always a top priority in the aviation industry, and large airplanes undergo rigorous testing and maintenance to ensure safe operation. However, as with any form of transportation, there are always potential risks and safety protocols in place to mitigate them.

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