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Airbus A380 Makes Historic First Landing in Chicago
- Thread starter dpaanlka
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Well, since they're still flying for the RAF, I don't see why not. Best British aeroplane ever.
The average government aircraft is used far less frequently than a commercial airliner. The VC-10s for BA flew from dusk til dawn, while I doubt the RAF ones have averaged even one flight a day over their lifespan. How long an airliner lasts depends mostly on how many times the cabin is pressurized (referred to as cycles), as each pressurization stresses the fuselage.
Basically, think of the RAF VC-10s as that 1988 oldsmobile eighty-eight that only has 10,000 miles on it because the little old lady that owns it only uses it to go to church on sundays.
Most (if not all, but I believe it is all) RAF VC-10s are converted airline VC-10s which had been retired by their owners.
Thats why they all have passenger windows, unlike dedicated tankers.
I sometimes think Emirates buys all these huge prestigious aircraft just for show. Do enough people really travel to Dubai to warrant 43 A380s, in addition to a plethora of 777s, A340s, 747s, etc...? I mean seriously, the whole country has a population smaller than metro Chicago.
They're all American helicopters?
Sikorsky = American
Lockheed = American
EDIT: Oh, I get it... that's odd. I don't think Marine One has as much presence as Air Force One, though. I can't imagine Air Force One not being American.
Air Force One is any plane the president is flying in. So it doesn't matter if it's a Cri-Cri, it's Air Force One.
How big is it compared to the Boeing 747 so I can get an idea of its size?
Never mind that, how big is it compared to a Hummer?
Never mind that, how big is it compared to a Hummer?
I watched the video at chicagotribune.com.
Did you see that thing land and taxi? The largest runway at O'Hare looked *puney* when the A380 was on it!
Looks like they had to clear the surrounding taxiways as well!
Did you see that thing land and taxi? The largest runway at O'Hare looked *puney* when the A380 was on it!
Looks like they had to clear the surrounding taxiways as well!
I don't think the A380 will be a sucess. Air travel is different than the days where everybody was shipped to the hubs and then dispersed in smaller planes to other locations-- we have more flights now, and they go to more places. Hence, the passenger load is smaller per flight, so it's hard to fill big planes sometimes. Plus, with the price of oil, airlines will jump to a more effectient plane. I was really hoping an A380 would be ready for my Singapore Airlines flight from LAX --> SIN last year, but with Airbus working on the A380 like how Microsoft was working on Vista/Longhorn, I just don't think Airbus will break even with this plane.
It's Boeing's time to shine, which they are. Look at the success of the 777, and the Yellowstone Projects are very interesting. Y1, the replacement for the 737, will blow the A320 out of the air. Y3 will be a great answer for the (what will be) aging 777-300's and 747's. (Y2 is designed to replace 767's and 777-200's to some extent, and ultimately became the 787).
It's Boeing's time to shine, which they are. Look at the success of the 777, and the Yellowstone Projects are very interesting. Y1, the replacement for the 737, will blow the A320 out of the air. Y3 will be a great answer for the (what will be) aging 777-300's and 747's. (Y2 is designed to replace 767's and 777-200's to some extent, and ultimately became the 787).
Unidentified VIP Customer: 1
Perhaps we need a new Air Force One?
Very unlikely, considering the number of hoops that EADS/Eurocopter had to jump through to get the EH10... ahem, US101 okay'd for the Marine One/VXX contract. (Foreign nationals cannot produce materials vital to national security.)
Besides, the VC-25 fleet entered service beginning in 1990, and isn't due for replacement anytime soon (bear in mind that the VC-137s served from 1959 until 1990)
This plane is an air traffic controllers worst nightmare. the recommended separation standards due to the amount of wake turbulence it produces are crazy.
