A380 is the largest aircraft in the world. Airbus A380. A photo. Video. Salon scheme. Characteristics. Reviews A 380 dimensions
The A380 is an aircraft developed by Airbus S.A.S. It is the world's largest passenger airliner. The vessel reaches 24.08 m in height and 72.75 m in length. The wingspan of the aircraft is 79.75 m. In a single-class configuration, it can carry 853 passengers, in a three-class configuration - 525. The maximum distance of a non-stop flight is 15,400 km.
The work of the creators
According to the developers, the greatest difficulties had to be faced in the process of searching for options to reduce the weight of the A380 aircraft. It was possible to make the aircraft lighter due to the wide application in the creation of not only power structural elements, but also auxiliary units, interior and much more. In addition, the most advanced technological solutions and modified aluminum alloys were used for these purposes. So, 40% of the mass of an eleven-ton center section is carbon fiber. Glare hybrid material is used for the production of the side and top panels of the fuselage. Laser welding of the skin and stringers of the lower fuselage panel made it possible to significantly reduce the number of fasteners.
The Airbus A380 is an aircraft that took about ten years to build. The cost of the grandiose project amounted to twelve billion euros. According to representatives of the Airbus company, in order for this amount to pay off, it is necessary to sell four hundred and twenty copies of the aircraft. Based on this information, you can calculate how much the plane costs. The amount is impressive - 28 million 571 thousand 428 euros for one copy.
How it all started
The A380 is an aircraft that began to be developed with the following goals: to expand the range of Airbus S.A.S. and remove the Boeing-747 from the leading position. Debates on the final configuration of the aircraft ended in 2001. The first components of the A380 wing were produced in January 2002. According to initial estimates, the cost of the program varied between 8.7 - 8.8 billion euros. After assembly, this amount increased to 11 billion (subsequently it was further increased).
It should be noted that the employees of the Airbus ECAR Moscow Engineering Center made an invaluable contribution to the design of the A380F model. Thanks to the efforts of Russian designers, a large amount of design work was carried out separate parts of the fuselage, strength calculations were made, on-board equipment was placed and support was provided for the serial production of the aircraft.
Where are the components manufactured and how are they transported?
Specialists in France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain are working on building the main sections of the airliner. Due to their large size, these components were delivered to Toulouse by water and land transport. Some parts still fit in the An-24.
The tail and nose elements of the fuselage were horizontally loaded onto the Ville de Bordeaux (owned by the Airbus concern) in Hamburg to go to the UK. Wing consoles made in Broughton and Filton were brought to Mostyn by barge. There, these elements were loaded onto the aforementioned Ville de Bordeaux. In Cadiz, the ship received tail components and lower fuselage sections. Everything was unloaded in Bordeaux. From there, the constituent elements were transported to Langon, and then delivered by land to Toulouse. The already assembled aircraft were sent to Hamburg for the final equipment. A380 is an aircraft that requires 3,600 liters of paint to cover (total skin area - 3,100 square meters).
Tests
Modern aircraft undergo the most serious tests before being released into flights. The A380 is no exception in this regard. Five aircraft were built specifically for versatile testing. The first board was presented in Toulouse in January 2005. On April 27 of the same year, the first flight was made. The flight team consisted of six people, led by Jacques Rossi, an experienced test pilot. A successful landing occurred after 3 hours 54 minutes. after takeoff.
A series of test flights started on December 1, 2005. It was then that the aircraft reached an impressive speed of 0.96 max during a gentle dive.
A380 - an aircraft (see photo above), which made its first transatlantic flight on January 10, 2006. The beginning of the same year was marked by the first unforeseen situation: during a static test at the Toulouse aircraft factory, the wing of one vessel unexpectedly cracked, unable to withstand a load of 145% of the nominal . As defined by aviation safety regulations, no change in integrity should occur at 150% load. As a result, the leadership of the Airbus consortium decided to make changes to the design of the aircraft's wings. Due to the addition of reinforcing elements, the total weight of the structure increased by thirty kilograms, fourteen of which were mounting bolts.
The first flight test of the A380 model with passengers on board was successfully completed on September 4, 2006.
Design features
A 380,800 is a modification designed to carry 555 or 583 passengers (depending on configuration). In 2007, Airbus began to offer customers a vessel with a smaller capacity (525 seats) in exchange for an increased flight range (it was possible to increase it by 370 kilometers). This transformation has made it possible to achieve maximum compliance with the trends of premium transportation.
There is another modification of the considered airbus. This is the cargo version of the A380-800F. capable of transporting up to one hundred and fifty tons of cargo. The maximum flight range is 10,370 kilometers.
In the future, it is planned to produce jet passenger aircraft of the A380-900 modification. They will have a larger capacity (656/960 passengers) with a similar flight range.
Pilot's workplace
In order to reduce the cost of additional crew training, all Airbuses are built with the same cockpit layout and flight characteristics. The A380 features an improved quality glass cockpit. The rudders can be manipulated remotely using electric actuators that are connected to the side control stick. The most modern information display devices are installed in the cockpit. These are nine interchangeable LCD monitors measuring 20 by 15 centimeters. Two of them are indicators of navigation data, two display basic information about the flight, two more inform about the operation of the engines, one provides data on the current state of the entire system. The remaining two monitors are multifunctional.
To refuel the aircraft in question, a mixture of natural gas and GTL can be used.
Materials used
How much does a plane cost More than twenty-eight million euros. The hefty price tag per aircraft is largely due to the use of advanced composite materials of construction, including plastic and metal reinforced with quartz, carbon and fiberglass. In addition, aluminum alloys are actively used in the manufacture of aircraft. In combination with laser welding, this eliminates the need for rivets.
Ensuring a comfortable flight
Experts have established that the noise level in the cabin of the A380 is half that of the Boeing-747. In addition, inside the aircraft under consideration, the air pressure is maintained for more than high level. Both of these factors are designed to provide less passenger fatigue during the flight.
Two ladders, located in the tail and bow parts of the aircraft, connect the upper and lower decks. The A380 has impressive customization options. That is why, as noted in the Airbus concern, the growth in production rates is not as high as previously thought. The aircraft can be equipped with a shower cabin, a bar counter, a lounge, a Duty Free shop. Thanks to the presence satellite channel passengers are provided with a telephone connection or a wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi).
Currently, air transportation in Russia using the A380 is not performed. An order has been placed for four sides, but so far none of them have been built.
Unexpected situations
The first incident occurred on November 4, 2010. On that day, a Qantas A380 was en route from Singapore to Sydney. One of the aircraft's engines failed just a few minutes after takeoff. The plane was forced to return to the airport in Singapore. None of the 433 passengers and 26 crew members were injured, Australian authorities said. In addition, landing gear tires burst at the emergency side during landing. After this incident, the company's management decided to suspend the flights of all Airbus A380 belonging to it for two days until the completion of their detailed check.
The second incident occurred on April 12, 2011. Then a board belonging to Air France caught the tail of a CRJ 700 aircraft with its wing. There were no casualties.
Conclusion
Airbus A380 is the result of hard work of developers and manufacturers. This aircraft outperforms its closest competitors in many ways. How much does an aircraft cost, what are the features of its design and the process of creation? All these questions are answered in the above article.
Airbus A380 is one of the most interesting and romantic aircraft. Many passengers dream of flying on a flagship double-deck airliner and are specifically looking for flights that operate on the A380.
Flight Search Avianity has collected information for those who want to fly on the largest aircraft in the world: airlines that fly the A380 and a list of cities where you can go on the legendary liner. The cost of the flight will not differ from flights operated on other types of aircraft, in some cases it will be cheaper.
There are only 13 air carriers in the world that have A380 aircraft in their fleet. In total, about 200 aircraft are operated. Russian airlines are not included in this list and do not even plan to buy double-deck airliners.
It is worth noting that most airlines are reducing purchases of A380 wide-body aircraft, as they cannot ensure their full load. Airbus announced a reduction in the production of double-deck aircraft A380. The company produced 27 aircraft in 2015, and in 2017 it will build 20 aircraft, then no more than 12 aircraft per year.
Airbus A380 aircraft are suitable for long-distance non-stop flights. Such flights are operated from major cities between continents.
Where can you fly on the A380 from Russia
The leader in the number of A380 aircraft and the only carrier that flies the A380 from Russia is. The carrier has 92 aircraft, a total of 142 aircraft have been ordered, flights are operated to 60 airports, including Moscow Domodedovo Airport.
Emirates flights on the A380 from Moscow
The only flight operated by Emirates Airline on the Airbus A380 from Moscow Moscow (DME) to Dubai (DXB). The plane arrives at Dubai International Airport, which is the transit hub of Emirates, from where you can take the A380 to other 39 cities. Despite the ability of the A380 aircraft to make long-haul flights, many flights are operated with a transfer at the Dubai airport in order to keep the liner busy. Due to the full load of Emirates flights, their flights are cheaper than direct flights from other airlines.
Indicates in the ticket description which aircraft will be used on the flight if this information is provided by the airline. When booking an air ticket on the websites of airlines or ticket agencies, the type of aircraft is also indicated in the flight information.
How do you know what type of aircraft will be on your flight?
If you are flying with one of the 13 airlines listed, you can choose to fly with the Airbus A380. Flights from Russia will be operated on aircraft of a different type. The flight on the A380 will be possible after a transfer at the airline's base airport.
List of airlines and destinations where the A380 flies
There are 92 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 flights from Dubai's base airport (DXB) to 39 destinations: Amsterdam (AMS), Bangkok (BKK), Barcelona (BCN), Beijing (PEK), Birmingham (BHX), Brisbane (BNE), Copenhagen (CPH), Dusseldorf (DUS), Frankfurt am Main (FRA), Guangzhou (CAN), Hong Kong (HKG), Dallas (DFW), Jeddah (JED), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Kuwait (KWI), London (LHR) , Los Angeles (LAX), Madrid (MAD), Manchester (MAN), Mauritius (MRU), Melbourne (MEL), Milan (MXP), Moscow (DME), Mumbai (BOM), Munich (MUC), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), Perth (PER), Prague (PRG), Rome (FCO), Seoul (ICN), Shanghai (PVG), Singapore (SIN), Sydney (SYD), Taipei (TPE), Toronto (YYZ), Vienna (VIE), Washington (IAD), Zurich (ZRH).
There are 10 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 from the base airport in Paris (CDG) to 10 destinations: Cote d'Ivoire (ABJ), Hong Kong (HKG), Johannesburg (JNB), Los Angeles (LAX), Mexico City (MEX), Miami (MIA) ), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Shanghai (PVG), Washington (IAD).
Asiana Airlines (Asiana Airlines)
There are 6 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 flights from base international airport South Korea - Incheon to Seoul (ICN) in 4 directions: Bangkok (BKK), Hong Kong (HKG), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK).
The airline has 12 Airbus A380s in its fleet. Operates A380 from London Heathrow Base Airport (LHR) to 7 destinations: Johannesburg (JNB), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), San Francisco (SFO), Singapore (SIN), Vancouver (YVR) , Washington (IAD).
There are 5 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 from China's international airports in Guangzhou - Baiyun (CAN) and Beijing - Beijing Capital (PEK).
From Beijing International Airport (PEK) to 3 destinations:
Amsterdam (AMS), Chengdu (CTU), Guangzhou (CAN).
From Guangzhou International Airport (CAN) to 3 destinations:
Beijing (PEK), Los Angeles (LAX), Sydney (SYD).
The airline's fleet has 8 Airbus A380 aircraft. Operates A380 flights from the base airport of the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi (AUH) to 5 destinations: London (LHR), Melbourne (MEL), Mumbai (BOM), New York (JFK), Sydney (SYD).
There are 10 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 flights from South Korea's base Incheon International Airport in Seoul (ICN) to 5 destinations: Atlanta (ATL), London (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG).
The airline has 14 Airbus A380s in its fleet. Operates A380 flights from Frankfurt am Main Base Airport (FRA) to 11 destinations: Beijing (PEK), New Delhi (DEL), Hong Kong (HKG), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami ( MIA), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Seoul (ICN), Shanghai (PVG), Singapore (SIN).
Malaysia Airlines (Malaysia Airlines)
There are 6 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 flights in only one direction from Malaysia's base Kuala Lumpur International Airport (ICN) to London (LHR).
Qantas (Kvontas)
The airline has 12 Airbus A380s in its fleet. Operates on the A380 from two airports in Australia: Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Sydney Airport (SYD).
Flights on the A380 from Sydney (SYD) are available to 4 destinations:
Dallas (DFW), Dubai (DXB), London (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX).
Flights on the A380 from Melbourne (MEL) are available to Dubai (DXB) and Los Angeles (LAX).
There are 7 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 flights from the base airport in Doha (DOH) to 4 destinations: Bangkok (BKK), Guangzhou (CAN), London (LHR), Paris (CDG).
The airline has 19 Airbus A380s in its fleet. Operates A380 flights from its home airport in Singapore (SIN) to 15 destinations: Auckland (AKL), Beijing (PEK), New Delhi (DEL), Frankfurt am Main (FRA), Hong Kong (HKG), London (LHR) ), Los Angeles (LAX), Melbourne (MEL), Mumbai (BOM), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), Shanghai (PVG), Sydney (SYD), Tokyo (HND), Zurich (ZRH) .
There are 6 Airbus A380 aircraft in the airline's fleet. Operates A380 from Thailand's base international airport Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok (BKK) to 6 destinations: Frankfurt am Main (FRA), Hong Kong (HKG), London (LHR), Osaka (KIX), Paris (CDG), Tokyo ( HND).
Airbus A380- wide-body double-deck four-engine turbojet passenger aircraft, created by Airbus S.A.S. - the largest serial airliner in the world (height 24 meters, length 80 meters, wingspan 80 meters). Capacity - 525 passengers in the cabin of three classes, 853 passengers in a single class configuration. It can make non-stop flights up to 15,400 km.
Story
The development of the liner began in 1994 under the code A3XX and continued for 10 years. The purpose of creating the Airbus A380 was the desire of the developer to expand the range of its products, as well as to deprive the dominant position in the wide-body passenger aircraft segment (the 747 dominated this segment for more than 30 years). McDonnell Douglas pursued the same goals with their - ultimately unsuccessful - MD-12 project. Since both firms were going to build a successor, they knew that in the consumer market segment - aircraft for 600-800 passenger seats - there would be room for only one such aircraft.
Everyone was aware of the risk of a split in such a specialized market, as was clearly demonstrated by the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar and MD DC-10: both aircraft met the needs of the market, but the market could only usefully support one of the models, which as a result forced Lockheed to leave the civil aviation market .
In January 1993, Boeing and several other companies in the Airbus consortium began a feasibility study on a Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT) airliner, seeking to form a partnership to carve out the limited-capacity market.
In June 1994, Airbus began development of its own VLCT, giving it the temporary designation Airbus 3XX. Airbus considered several designs, including a twin-fuselage combination from the Airbus A340, then Airbus' largest aircraft. At the same time, Boeing was considering a concept with a "hump" closer to the nose of the aircraft, which would allow more passengers to fit in. The VLCT partnership ended in 1996. And in January 1997, Boeing canceled its Boeing 747X program due to the East Asian economic crisis of 1997-2000, which clouded the market outlook. Airbus changed the project in the direction of reducing operating costs by 15-20% compared to the Boeing 747-400 that existed at that time.
The design of the A3XX converged on a fully double-deck design concept, which would allow for more passenger capacity than the standard single-deck or 747-like humpback design.
On December 19, 2000, the board of directors of the newly reorganized Airbus voted to launch the A3XX program and estimated the cost of the program at €8.8 billion. The A3XX finally received a full designation as the A380. Even then, 55 orders were received from 6 customers. The designation A380 is a break between the previous "Airbus" designations in the sequence from A300 to A340. The designation A380 was chosen because the number 8 resembles the cross-section of this double-deck aircraft. In addition, the number 8 is considered "lucky" in some Asian customer countries. The final configuration of the aircraft was approved in early 2001, and production of the first A380 wing components began on January 23, 2002. The cost of the program rose to €11 billion when the first aircraft was completed.
Production of aircraft components
The main structural sections of the airliner were built at factories in France, Great Britain, Germany and Spain. Due to their size, they were transported to Toulouse not by A300-600 Beluga (used to transport parts for other Airbus aircraft), but by land and water transport, although some parts were transported using our domestic An-124 aircraft.
The forward and rear fuselage sections were loaded horizontally onto an Airbus-owned Ville de Bordeaux vessel in Hamburg and from there shipped to the UK. Wing consoles were produced in Filton (a suburb of Bristol) and in Bravtin in North Wales, from where they were delivered by barge to Mastin, where Ville de Bordeaux loaded them, along with existing sections, on board the vessel. Then, for some more sections, the ship called at Saint-Nazaire in Western France and, further, the ship unloaded in Bordeaux. The ship then took on board the lower fuselage and tail sections in Cadiz and delivered them to Bordeaux. From there parts of the A380 were transported by barge to Langon (in the Gironde) and further overland to the assembly plant in Toulouse. To deliver parts of the A380, some roads were widened, new canals and barges were built. After all this, the planes went to Hamburg, where they were equipped and painted.
Each A380 requires 3,600 liters of paint to cover 3,100 m² of skin.
Testing
Five A380s were built for demonstration and testing purposes. The first A380, serial number MSN001 and registration F-WWOW, was presented at a ceremony in Toulouse on January 18, 2005.
The first flight began at 8:29 UTC (10:29 local time) on April 27, 2005. This aircraft, equipped with Trent-900 engines, took off from Toulouse International Airport with a flight crew of 6, led by test pilot Jacques Rosy. The plane landed successfully after 3 hours and 54 minutes. On December 1, 2005, the A380 reached its top speed of Mach 0.96 (versus a cruise speed of Mach 0.85) in a shallow dive, thus beginning a series of test flights to explore the range of operational flight conditions.
On January 10, 2006, the A380 made its first transatlantic flight, flying to Medellin, Colombia to test the aircraft for operation at a high altitude airport, before flying to Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, Canada, for testing in cold weather conditions.
In early 2006, during static tests at the Toulouse aircraft factory, the wing of one of the A380s (MSN5000) unexpectedly cracked when it reached 145% of its nominal load, while aviation safety standards require it to withstand a load of 150% of its nominal load.
The Airbus consortium management decided to make changes to the A380 wing design in order to increase its strength. The reinforcing elements together increased the weight of the aircraft airframe by 30 kg, of which 14 kg was due to mounting bolts.
March 26, 2006 A380 passed evacuation certification in Hamburg (Germany). With a total of 16 exits, 8 were blocked, 853 passengers and 20 crew members were evacuated in 78 seconds, against the requirements of 90 seconds for evacuation certification standards. Three days later, the European Safety Aviation Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave their approval for the Airbus A380 to carry up to 853 passengers. On August 25, 2006, the first flight of the A380 took place with GP 7200 engines (aircraft with serial number MSN 009).
On September 4, 2006, the first flight test of the A380 with passengers on board took place in a series of flights made to test the comfort and quality of passenger services. The plane took off from Toulouse with 474 Airbus employees on board. In November 2006, a lot of test flights took place in order to check the aircraft's performance under standard airline operating conditions. On December 12, the A380-841 and the A380-842 received EASA and FAA certification at a joint ceremony at the company's French headquarters. Model A380-861 was certified on December 14, 2007.
As of February 2008, the five A380s had logged a total of 4,565 flight hours and completed 1,364 flights including airline performance checks and demonstration flights.
Production and delivery
At the initial stage, the production of the Airbus A380 was complicated by the fact that each aircraft required 530 kilometers of electrical wiring. Airbus cited in particular the difficulty of wiring in the cockpit (100,000 wires and 40,300 connectors), that this separate, parallel project must meet the requirements of each airline, design change control, and change control. technical documentation. The German and Spanish Airbus factories continued to use CATIA version 4 software, while the British and French factories switched to CATIA version 5. This, at least in part, caused some problems in the area of control of design changes, since the laying of aluminum electrical wires required special rules, including the use of non-standard units and bending radii: problems were associated with the fact that versions of the software (CATIA) worked under different platforms.
Airbus announced the first delay in June 2005 and notified airlines that deliveries would be delayed by 6 months. This reduced the number of planned deliveries by the end of 2009 from 120 to 100-90. On June 13, 2006, Airbus announced a second delay in the delivery schedule for another six to seven months. Although the first delivery was scheduled for the end of 2006, deliveries in 2007 were reduced by only 7 aircraft, and by the end of 2009 to 80-70. The announcement sent Airbus' parent EADS stock down 26% and led to the resignations of EADS CEO Noel Forgrid, Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert and A380 Program Manager Charles Champion. October 3 new CEO Airbus announced a third delay after the completion of the program review, pushing back the first delivery to October 2007.
In 2008, 12 aircraft were delivered, in 2009 14 aircraft were delivered to customers, in 2010 - 27, and from 2011 it is planned to establish an annual production rate of 45 aircraft.
The delay also increased the shortfall in revenue projected by Airbus until 2010 to €4.8 billion.
As Airbus prioritized work on the A380-800 over the A380-800F (cargo version), orders for the A380-800F were either canceled or switched to A380-800 orders. Airbus has suspended work on the freighter, but said the A380 freighter is still in the pipeline.
Commissioning
First aircraft sold (MSN003, registration number: 9V-SKA) was delivered to the customer on October 15, 2007 after a lengthy acceptance test phase and entered service on October 25, 2007 on a commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney (flight number: SQ380).
2 months later, Singapore Airlines President Chu Chong Seng said the A380 was performing better than expected and consuming 20% less fuel per passenger than the company's existing Boeing 747-400s. The second A380 for Singapore Airlines (MSN005) was handed over to Airbus on 11 January 2008 and was registered as 9V-SKB. Until March 18, 2008, Singapore Airlines operated its two aircraft in a 471-seat configuration between Singapore and Sydney.
After the arrival of the third aircraft, it was decided to expand the number of air routes on the Singapore-London route. On March 18, 2008, Singapore Airlines A380 successfully landed at Heathrow Airport (London), thus making the first commercial flight to Europe.
The fourth A380 "Singapore Airlines", which came into the company's disposal from April 26 (9V-SKD), has been flying on the Singapore-Tokyo route since May 20.
Singapore Airlines named the following promising routes: Singapore - San Francisco, direct flights to Paris and Frankfurt, Hong Kong route, Melbourne - Singapore.
On January 25, 2008, the A380 (MSN014) Qantas (the second airline to order the A380) made its first flight. Qantas has said it will initially operate the A380 in a 450-seat configuration on its Melbourne-Los Angeles route. Subsequent routes may include Sydney-Los Angeles, and Melbourne-London, Sydney-London.
Project
The new Airbus was planned to be sold in two versions. The A380-800 modification was originally designed to carry 555 passengers in a three-class configuration, or 853 passengers (538 on the main deck and 315 on the upper deck) in a one-economy class configuration. In May 2007, Airbus began offering customers an aircraft with fewer seats (currently 525 seats in three classes) in exchange for 370 kilometers more range to better match premium seating trends. The flight range for the A380-800 model is 15,400 km. The second, cargo, modification of the A380-800F will be able to carry up to 150 tons of cargo over a distance of up to 10,370 km. Future variants may include the A380-900 with an increased seating capacity of up to 656 passengers (or up to 960 passengers in a single economy class), and extended range modifications with the same passenger capacity as the A380-800.
The A380's wing size is designed for a maximum takeoff weight in excess of 650 tons, with an eye to future versions, although the wing will need to be strengthened somewhat. The reinforced wing will be used in the cargo version of the A380-800F. This overall design approach slightly reduces the fuel efficiency of the A380-800 passenger version, but Airbus estimates that the size of the aircraft, coupled with the new technologies described below, will result in lower operating costs per passenger than any of the existing modifications.
The A380 also has end wings (winglets) similar to those seen on the A310 and A320 to reduce wake turbulence, improve economy and performance.
cockpit
Similar cockpit layouts, procedures and flight characteristics are used by Airbus on other aircraft to reduce crew training costs.
The A380 has an improved glass cockpit and remote control rudders using electric drives connected to the side control handle.
Information display devices in the cockpit: 9 interchangeable liquid crystal monitors 20x15 cm. Of the 9 monitors, 2 are navigation data indicators, 2 are the main flight data indicators, 2 engine operation indicators, 1 displays data on the current state of the entire system as a whole and 2 are multifunctional.
Engines
A380 can be equipped with two types of engines: A380-841, A380-842 and A380-843F with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine, and A380-861,A380-862,A380-863F,A380-864F with Engine Alliance GP7000 engine. The Trent 900 is the successor to the Trent 800, the GP7000 descended from the GE90 and PW4000. At its core, the Trent 900 is a scaled-down version of the Trent 500, but it also uses technology from the stillborn Trent 8104. Only two of the four engines have thrust reversers.
Noise reduction was an important requirement in the design of the A380, which was partly reflected in the design of the engines. Both engine types allow the aircraft to meet QC/2 departure and QC/0.5 arrival noise limits set by London Heathrow Airport, which is expected to be a key destination for the A380.
Fuel
The A380 can fly on a blend of aviation kerosene with natural gas GTL. A three-hour test flight on 1 February 2008 between Airbus' facility at Filton Bristol in the UK and Airbus' main plant in Toulouse, France was successful.
One of the A380's four engines used a mixture of 60 percent jet fuel and 40 percent GTL fuel supplied by Shell.
The aircraft does not require modification to use GTL fuel, which is designed to be mixed with conventional jet fuel. GTL does not contain sulfur compounds, which compares favorably with conventional kerosene.
Improved Materials
In the design of the Airbus A380, composite materials are widely used - metals and plastics reinforced with fiberglass, carbon and quartz fibers. New weldable aluminum alloys are also widely used, which, in combination with laser beam welding, has made it possible to get rid of rivets. In January 2012, microcracks were found on the hull of the wings.
Conditions for passengers
The noise level in the cabin of the A380 is 50% less than that of the Boeing 747, and a higher air pressure is also maintained inside the aircraft (equal to the pressure at an altitude of 1500 meters versus 2500 for the 747). Both of these factors are expected to help reduce passenger fatigue while traveling. The upper and lower decks are connected by two ladders, at the nose and tail of the aircraft, wide enough to accommodate two passengers shoulder to shoulder. In a 555-passenger configuration, the A380 has 33% more passenger space than in a standard three-class configuration, but the cabin has 50% more space and volume, resulting in more space per passenger. The maximum certified capacity of the aircraft is 853 passengers when configured with a single economy class. The announced configurations range from 450 seats (for Qantas Airways) to 644 (for Emirates Airline, with two comfort classes).
Ground operation
Previously, critics have argued that the weight of the A380 could damage airport taxiways. However, the pressure that the wheels of the liner exert on the surface is less than that of a Boeing 747 or, since the A380 has 22 wheels, which is 4 more than the 747 and eight more than the 777. Airbus measured the load on the pavement using a custom 580-tonne load wagon built to mimic the A380 chassis. The wagon was rolled over a section of the road surface where pressure sensors were placed.
Based on the wingspan of the A380, the US Federal Aviation Administration initially classified it as a Group VI aircraft, which requires a 60-meter-wide runway and 30-meter-wide taxiways, versus 45 and 23 for Group V, which includes the Boeing 747. Airbus initially stated that the A380 would be able to operate safely on Group V runways and taxiways without requiring expansion. In July 2007, the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) agreed to allow the A380 to use the 45m wide runways without restriction.
Moscow Domodedovo Airport became the first airport in Russia to be able to receive Airbus A380 aircraft on its runways. Such an order was issued by the Federal Air Transport Agency.
Distances
In 2005, ICAO developed preliminary criteria for observing takeoff and landing intervals, which turned out to be significantly longer than for the Boeing 747, as flight tests showed that the A380 leaves a much stronger turbulent wake. These criteria were in place until ICAO, JAA, Eurocontrol, FAA and Airbus looked into this issue during additional flight testing. In September 2006 working group presented its findings to ICAO.
In November of the same year, ICAO issued new recommendations. Instead of 10 nautical miles (19 km) for all aircraft types, the new intervals should be:
- For aircraft according to the ICAO classification "Heavy" - 6 nautical miles (11 km).
- For aircraft according to the ICAO classification "Medium" - 8 nautical miles (15 km).
- For aircraft according to the ICAO classification "Light" - 10 nautical miles (19 km).
Modifications
A380-700
The A380-700, formerly known as the A3XX-50R, is a 4m shorter version of the A380-800 with a capacity of up to 481 passengers and a maximum range of around 16,000 km. The prospects for the implementation of this project are very doubtful - the A380-700 will become a direct competitor and is unlikely to collect many orders due to its higher cost. Its length is 69 m.
A380-800
base model. A380-841 and 842 versions with Trent 900 engine. A380-861 and A380-862 versions with GP72XX engine. Length 73 meters.
A380-900
The A380-900, formerly known as the Airbus A3XX-200, is under development. It exceeds the length of the base model by just over 7 m (which, if the project is implemented, will make the A380 the longest aircraft in the world) - 80 m. The maximum take-off weight will be 590 tons, more powerful engines will increase the flight distance to 14,200 km. Maximum passenger capacity is 963 in one class and 656 in three classes. Emirates, Air France, Lufthansa and other airlines are interested in the modification. Airbus has stated that they will begin building the aircraft once the A380-800 is in production and plans to begin operations in 2015. It will be released in one version of the A380-941.
A380-1000
The A380-1000, proposed in 2010, will be 87 meters long and will carry 1,073 passengers in one economy class and 757 in three classes. The start of operation is planned for 2020-2025. It will be the longest aircraft and the second largest in the world (the first is the An-225 Mriya). Its wingspan will be 84 meters. It will be released in one version of the A380-1041.
A380-800F
Initially, Airbus accepted orders for a cargo variant. The proposed aircraft was inferior in terms of carrying capacity only to the An-225. However, production has been delayed until sales of the passenger version have stabilized, and there is currently no release date for the cargo version.
Advantages
In addition to delivering a range of benefits from a completely new airframe design, the A380 extends the concept of the Airbus unified aircraft family into the ultra-large-capacity aircraft category.
Due to the same cockpit layout, identical control procedures and flight characteristics of Airbus aircraft equipped with a fly-by-wire system, pilots already certified to fly one of these types of aircraft will need to undergo a short refresher course in order to be cleared to fly the A380.
Airbus designed the A380 in close collaboration with representatives from 60 of the world's largest airports to ensure that the aircraft enters commercial service with confidence.
Using the A380 is a socially sound and cost-effective way to cope with rising passenger traffic and airport congestion.
The alternative would be to increase the departure frequencies of operated aircraft, which would not only require multibillion-dollar investments in new runways, terminals and even airports, but would also cause more congestion and have a more negative impact on the environment.
Airbus' viewpoint on this issue is fully supported both by the broad involvement of the global air travel industry in the A380 program from its inception and, more explicitly, by the strong demand for the new aircraft.
The A380 has been designed with input from the world's major airlines to optimally meet the growing passenger traffic on the world's major long haul routes such as Dubai-London, Sydney-Los Angeles, Tokyo-US West Coast. But in the next 20 years, new segments of the transportation market will emerge and become stronger, which will require large-capacity aircraft to serve. Among them are primarily China and India, where the economy will develop particularly dynamically and more and more people will be able to fly abroad.
With a growing proportion of the world's population opting for long-haul flights for business and leisure travel, the use of the A380 will enable airlines to carry more passengers without having to pay for additional slots in their flight schedules.
A380Imagine a huge airliner with a length of about 73 meters and a height of just over 24 meters, it is almost the size of an eight-story building that has a wingspan of almost 80 meters and can accommodate up to 853 passengers. Although, you are probably among those people who saw, and maybe even flew in the belly of this four-engine "monster".
And this handsome man is not today the pinnacle of technological thought of engineers, designers, assemblers and another huge number of people of the Airbus corporation, as well as other companies, without which such a huge “chick” would not have been born - Airbus A380, double-deck, weighing 280 tons, wide-body, liner flying on long-haul flights.
The development of the A380 took more than twelve billion euros. And about ten years of development. And its capacity is 35 percent more than that of its main competitor, the Boeing 747. One of the problems in the construction of the A380 was the problem of weight, because an extra kilogram of load increases the consumption of precious fuel.
Therefore, it was necessary to make the outer shell as light as possible, but at the same time as strong as possible. For this purpose, a combination a large number a new aluminum alloy that is lighter and has better impact resistance than conventional aluminum alloys and composite materials, including those based on fiberglass. Since the factories for the production of components for the liner are located not only in France, but also in other countries, such as Spain, Germany and the UK, for the delivery of components to Toulouse, Airbis S.A.S. built for these purposes a special transport vessel, for the delivery of parts of the fuselage, by water.
Airbus A380 saloon
The aircraft is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent-900 engines or Engine Alliance GP-7000 engines. The A380 uses the latest integrated modular avionics IMA (Integrated modular avionics), which was first used on the modern F-22 fifth-generation fighter. Eight 15x20 cm displays are installed in the cockpit, which displays all flight information and data on the status of on-board systems.
The first flight of the Airbus A380-800 with Rolls Royce engines was made on April 27, 2005. And the transatlantic flight took place on January 10, 2006. And already on December 12, 2006, the A380-841 modification with Trent900 engines was certified. The variant with GP-7000 motors received a certificate in 2007 on December 14th.
Best Airbus A380-800 Seats - Emirates
The best seats on the Airbus A380-800 - Lufthansa
Airbus A380 cabin layout
In addition to the basic variant, there is also a luxury version of the A380, where passengers have their own bed, bar, lounge or gym. The A380 liner is capable of flying without refueling over a distance of fifteen thousand kilometers.
It is also proposed to produce a cargo version - A380-800F, with a carrying capacity of more than 145 tons and a range of 10,000 kilometers.
Specifications Airbus A380-800:
- Years of production: 2004 - present.
- Length: 67.90 m
- Height: 24.09 m.
- Wingspan: 79.75 m
- Wing area: 845 m
- Fuselage diameter: 7.14 m
- Cruising speed: 900 km/h
- Max speed: 1020 km/h
- Range of flight: 15200 km.
- Ceiling: 13100 m.
- Takeoff length: 2050 m
- Run length: 2900 m
- Number of passenger seats: 480 - 853 seats
- Crew: 2 persons
Airbus A380. Gallery.
Airbus A380 video
Airbus A380 is the largest aircraft in the world. More precisely, a passenger plane.
The height of this giant is 24 meters (~ 8th floor of a residential building), the length and wingspan are almost 80 meters each. On 2 decks in the cabin of three classes, 525 passengers are freely accommodated, in a single-class configuration - 853!
The development of the Airbus A380 spent 12 billion euros. It can make non-stop flights over a distance of up to 15,400 km, and the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is amazing - 560 tons.
welcome aboard the largest passenger aircraft in the world!
At the beginning of October, another dream related to aviation came true. Lufthansa is invited to a press tour to showcase one of its new Airbus A380 aircraft. The demonstration flight took place as part of the promotional campaign for the A380 show in European capitals.
It was possible not only to board the scheduled A380, but also to make a circular trip on a giant plane on the route Frankfurt - Prague - Budapest - Frankfurt, to stay with the pilots in the cockpit and film the work of the pilots during takeoff, flight and landing.
In ordinary life, these giants will not land at any such airport, so many people were waiting for the arrival of the A380 in the capitals of the Czech Republic and Hungary. Looking ahead, I will say that I did not even expect such solemn meetings and such a large number of spectators.
"Our" A380 had just arrived from Johannesburg and while the cleaning team was putting the salons in order. At this time, the co-pilot walked with a flashlight and examined the engine blades:
The sun came up, it was time for us to fly:
The first floor of the aircraft modification A380-800- these are three economy class cabins for 420 passengers. In total, such an A380 takes on board 526 passengers. By the end of the year, Lufthansa will already have 8 of the 18 ordered aircraft of these aircraft. In aircraft and airport infrastructure, Maintenance, the company is investing about five billion euros in crew training.
passenger seats for the economy class "Lufthansa" was developed by the famous German company Recaro. To be honest, I didn’t really like them - the backs are too thin and any movement in front of the seated passenger affects the comfort of the seated one.
Well done design portholes. With their standard external size inside the aircraft, they look large due to the enlarged internal frame. This large oval gives the impression of an open space inside the cabin.
The plane is very "quiet", the engines are almost inaudible. I was surprised by the short takeoff run - I followed the takeoff in Budapest, I thought that we would run for a long time along the runway, and the plane took off almost immediately.
The multimedia center with a 9″ screen is very good. In addition to the standard set with music, movies and games, the monitor displays a picture from three external cameras and complete information about the flight. Seat spacing 79 cm, seat width 52 cm:
For the duration of the flight, the aircraft cabins were completely at our disposal - it was possible to walk everywhere, sit, lie down, press buttons, climb into all holes.
Standard sets for breakfast and lunch were demonstrated. Special thanks for the metal appliances in Lufthansa economy class, of course. It would be high time for Aeroflot to switch to them.
For the convenience of photographing, he asked the flight attendant to turn on full lighting in the cabins. Not much better, but still:
On the second floor- two business class lounges. They say that these seats do not really like the company's management and they will be changed. Here there are 98 of them - an incredible number for an ordinary passenger liner. The set of options is standard for a modern business class - almost horizontal unfolding, individual light, socket and USB port for each:
Business class monitors size 10.6″, distance between chairs from 145 to 152 cm, seat width 67 cm:
Between the business class and first class cabins there is a huge vestibule with a kitchen and seats for flight attendants:
The subject of special pride of any serious airline - first class cabin. In the A380 Lufthansa, it is designed for eight passengers. Here everything is done practically, but without frills, like separate cabins. Eight chairs transforming into beds, each seat has a 17″ monitor. Seat spacing 213 cm, seat width 80 cm:
Lufthansa calls these chairs the best in their class:
Each first class passenger has his own wardrobe for clothes and belongings:
First class passengers have two such toilet rooms. There is no soul here, the Germans consider it superfluous, according to their experience, few people use a shower cabin during a flight.
A flight from Frankfurt to Tokyo and back will cost a first-class passenger 10,000 euros:
So we fly to Prague. They are already ready for the solemn meeting of the A380 megaliner:
Lufthansa chief pilot Werner Knorr:
The cockpit equipment resembles that installed in the A330 or A321 - in front of the pilots there is only a keyboard and a joystick on the side:
There are hundreds of people below, along the entire landing route - people are standing on the field, on the hillocks, on the roofs of houses:
I asked one of the Czech photographers at the airport to send me a couple of shots of our flight. Thank you Vojtech.
The cost of one A380 is $345 million.
To the right of the entrance to the cockpit is the crew cabin:
On the second floor you can climb two stairs - in front and behind the economy class:
A380 at Budapest Airport: