[CWOJackson]

The 380 is going to cripple Airbus.

[KeyLargo]

Nothing like handicapping American companies that have to compete against foreign companies which are subsidized by their governments.

[Last Dakotan]

The Boeing aircraft will triumph in Asia where Boeing has agreed to source parts in return for aircraft sales.

However, there will be a day when China enters this market with their own designs, then it will be all over.

[taxcontrol]

Ok you air craft design engineers, help me understand something. Why the double deck? Why not a wider body instead?

It is my understanding that an airplane with wings below the fuselage is less stable than when the body of the plane is 'slung' below the wing. So it would seem to me that a double decker would be even more unstable. Lastly, a wider body could be used to create a lifting frame but I would not see it impacting the stability of the aircraft.

Since I see that others are going with the double deck, I must be missing something.

[Last Dakotan]

...there is no improvement from the 1960s comfort standard,” says Carcaillet.

Sure there is... the passengers don't have to wear polyester.

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

John Leahy is quick to make, and he is unconvinced that his rival will manage to break out from the freight market. “Our competitor sold a few 747-8 freighters. This’ll be the first time in the history of aviation that anyone has made a successful programme out of just freighters,” he says.


Airbus's arguments are like listening to islamics bitch about victimhood. Its always the same line of whining baseless crap.
The new passenger version of the 747-8 was only annouced a few months ago.

[TeddyCon]

The A380 is Airbus's

A) éléphant blanc

B) Edsel

C) All of the above

D) Same difference

[Prophet in the wilderness]

No matter what the critics say, airlines were begging Boeing to come up with a derivative of the 747 like the one we have now 10 years ago, except ? Boeing could not have pulled it off at that time because of the engines, but, now ? they have the GEnx engines that have given the 747 a new birth on life.

[e_castillo]

How did they fix the landing gear problems?

[Seaplaner]

“The A380 is between 10% and 16% per seat heavier than the 747-8...The net result of these efficiencies is that the 747-8I’s operating costs are 22% lower than the A380’s per trip and 6% lower per seat, says Baseler [of Boeing].

As I recall, Boeing has an reputation of not exaggerating these types of comparisons. Does it seem to anyone else, however, that Airbus has been a little "cute" with the facts about such things as the final mass* of its A380-oppotamus?

.

*I use the term "mass" as all aircraft weigh nothing at the point of takeoff.

[zipper]

A380F story:

http://www.aviationweek.com/avnow/news/channel_awst_story.jsp?id=news/021306p1.xml

[SunkenCiv]

In addition to the below, I noticed a warning by India to the EU and Airbus not to criticize India's decision to go with the 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing wins $10 bln Qantas jet order
(Its Boeing, baby! Another $10B that Airbus DOESNT get)
Reuters
Posted on 12/14/2005 6:46:49 AM PST by Pukin Dog
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1540194/posts

"The Qantas order will push Boeing further ahead of Airbus in 2005 order numbers. Boeing had 800 orders as of November 30, its Web site showed. Airbus had 494 as of October 31, according to its Web site, but has since won a $10 billion deal to supply 150 single-aisle aircraft to China."

[SunkenCiv]

"Airbus’s ultra-large-aircraft forecast is consistent, Boeing’s follows every twist and turn," says Carcaillet.

s/b, Carcaillet doesn't have any real criticisms, just abusive rhetoric used as a diversionary tactic, rather than answer the real criticisms of the A380.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

There's an article in today's (Saturday) Wall Street Journal about structural wing defects now detected on the Airbus. Evidently there is an airshow in Singpore and Airbus hopes they get their arms around this problem before the show.

[magellan]

I would like to see Boeing create a 747-8I-LR, with a 10,000 nautical mile range. It would be well suited for the Sydney-London route.

I think the big blow to Airbus was Boeing's monster 777-300ER twinjet. What a beast. Damn near a 747-400ER with much better operating costs. It really killed the A340, and will rewrite the dynamics of much of long-range passenger travel.

But the next big battle is the 737/A320 replacement. And Boeing needs to get moving fast on that.

Airbus knows it got wrapped up in its own propaganda with the A380, and was caught flatfooted by Boeing with the 787. So it tosses out an A330 derivative (the A350), and uses political muscle and extreme discounting to sell enough to get a production go-ahead. But it seems clear Airbus does not intend to be caught flatfooted again.