Airbus A380
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The Airbus A380 is a double-decker, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on April 27, 2005 from Toulouse, France. Commercial flights should begin in 2006 after 15 months of testing. During much of its development phase, the aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX, and the term Superjumbo has become synonymous with the A380.
The A380 is now the largest passenger airliner, topping the Boeing 747, which was the largest for 35 years. However, the Antonov An-225 retains the record of being the world's largest commercial aircraft.
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Design
The new Airbus will initially be sold in two versions: the A380-800, carrying 555 passengers in a three-class configuration or up to 800 passengers in a single-class economy configuration. Expected range for the -800 model is 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 km). The second model, the A380-800F dedicated freighter, will carry 150 tonnes of cargo 5,600 nautical miles (10,400 km).
Cockpit
Airbus made the cockpit layout, procedures and handling characteristics similar to those of other Airbus aircraft to reduce crew training costs. Accordingly, the A380 features an improved glass cockpit, and fly-by-wire flight controls linked to side-sticks.
The improved cockpit displays features eight 6-by-8-inch liquid crystal displays, all of which are physically identical and interchangeable. These comprise two Primary Flight Displays, two navigation displays, one engine parameter display, one system display and two Multi-Function Displays. These MFDs are new with the A380, and provide an easy-to-use interface to the flight management system—replacing three multifunction control and display units. They include QWERTY keyboards and trackballs, interfacing with a graphical "point-and-click" display navigation system.
Engines
Either the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7200 turbofan engines may power the A380. Both are derived from those installed in the 777. The Trent 900 is the scaled version of the Trent 800 but incorporating sweptback fan and counter-rotating spools of the stillborn Trent 8107. The GP7200 has GE90 derived core and PW4090 derived fan and low-pressure turbo-machinery. The Rolls-Royce Trent, the launch engine, initially gained most sales. However, the Engine Alliance GP7201 sales have grown, and now roughly match those of the Trent 900.
Technological features
When the 747 replaced the Douglas DC-8 as the biggest airliner, the technology used was essentially similar (similar flight controls, hydraulics, electrics and avionics) but scaled up for the size. The same however cannot be said about the A380 and the 747-400. As compared to the Boeing 747 the colossal size of the A380 requires novel approaches to application of technologies, especially for weight saving purposes, in order for it to meet its performance guarantees. Many of the technologies first used here may later be used by other jetliners as operational experience is accumulated.
Materials
The new material GLARE is used in the design. This aluminium-glass-fibre laminate has superior corrosion-resistance, impact-resistance and is lighter than common aluminium alloys used in aviation. It is used in the upper fuselage and on the stabilizers' leading edges. It also has the advantage of being able to be repaired using conventional aluminium repair techniques. Carbon-fibre reinforced plastics, glass-fibre reinforced plastic and quartz-fibre reinforced plastic are also used extensively in wings, fuselage sections and on doors. The A380 marks the first time that carbon fibre is used to make the central wing box of a commercial airliner. Thermoplastics are used in slats leading edges. Newer weldable aluminium alloys are also used. This enables the widespread use of laser welding manufacturing techniques—eliminating rows of rivets and resulting in a lighter, stronger structure. While Airbus intended to use GLARE across its future product line, Boeing's decision to go all-composite with its 787 has forced Airbus to choose a similar path with new materials on its A350.
Advanced avionics architecture
Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA)
IMA, first used in advanced military aircraft such as F/A-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon, is the main avionics architecture. It is based on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) design. Many previous dedicated single-purpose avionics computers are replaced by dedicated software housed in onboard processor modules and servers. This cuts the number of parts as well as providing increased flexibility without resorting to customised avionics. This reduces costs and benefits from the cheaply commercially available computing power.
Avionics Full Duplex Switched Ethernet (AFDX)/ ARINC 664
The avionics data communication networks employed is switched-Ethernet based AFDX following the ARINC 664 specifications. Together with IMA, the A380 avionics is very highly networked. The data networks are switched full-duplexed star-topology and based on 100baseTX fast-Ethernet. This reduces wires required as well as eliminating latency. The standard is based on widely approved and adopted standards like Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) and IP/UDP (Internet Protocols). This architecture is significantly more advanced than the bus-topology based ARINC 629 used in Boeing 777.
Network Systems Server (NSS)
The NSS is the heart of A380 paperless cockpit. It eliminates the bulky manuals and charts traditionally carried by the pilots. The NSS has enough inbuilt robustness to do away with onboard backup paper documents. The A380's network and server system stores data and offers electronic documentation, providing a required equipment list, navigation charts, performance calculations, and an aircraft logbook. All will be accessible to the pilot from two additional 11-inch diagonal LCDs. Each is controlled by its own keyboard and control cursor device mounted in the foldable table in front of each pilot.
Power-by-wire flight controls
Power-by-wire flight controls actuators are used for the first time in civil service. They function as ultimate flight control backups for the A380. In certain conditions they help the primary flight controls during certain manoeuvres. They have self-contained hydraulic and electrical power supplies. They are used as electro-hydrostatic actuators (EHA); used in some spoilers and as electrical backup hydrostatic actuators (EBHA) for the rudder.
350 bar hydraulic system
This is an improvement over the typical 207 bar (about 3,000 PSI) system found in other commercial aircraft since the DC4 Skymaster in 1942. First used in military aircraft like V-22 Osprey and F/A-18 Hornet, the use of a higher pressure reduces the size of pipelines, actuators and other components for overall weight reduction. The 350 bar (about 5,080 PSI) pressure is generated by 8 de-clutchable hydraulic pumps. Pipelines are typically made from titanium and the system features both fuel and air-cooled heat exchangers. The hydraulics system architecture also differs significantly from other airliners. Self-contained electrically-powered hydraulic power packs, instead of secondary hydraulic system, are the backups for the primary systems. This saves weight and reduces maintenance.
Electrical generation
The A380 uses four 150kVA variable-frequency generators eliminating the constant speed drives for better reliability. The A380 uses aluminium power cables instead of copper for greater weight savings due to the number of cables used for aircraft of this size and complexity. The electrical power system is fully computerized and many contactors and breakers have been replaced by solid-state devices for better performance and increased reliability.
LED and High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting
The A380 features a bulbless illumination system. LEDs are employed in the cabin, cockpit, cargo and other fuselage areas. The cabin lighting features programmable multi-spectral LEDs capable of simulating the cabin ambience illumination from daylight to night and various shades in between. HID lighting is used externally giving brighter, whiter and better quality lights. The two technologies used are far superior to the incandescent light bulb in terms of brightness and service life.
Electrical thrust reversers
Thrust reversers are one of the items that are often faulty in service. The A380 was initially planned to do away with thrust reversers as it has more than enough braking capacity. The FAA disagreed and Airbus elected to fit the 2 inboard engines with them. The A380 features electrical actuated thrust reversers. This gives better reliability than their pneumatic or hydraulic equivalents beside saving considerable weight.
Amenities
Initial publicity stressed the A380's space and comfort, allowing for relaxation areas, bars, duty free shops and the like. The only A380 customer likely to use this configuration is Virgin Atlantic, which has a bar in Business Class on most of its newer airliners and announced plans to include casinos on their A380s. Similar items were proposed in the past when large aircraft were announced, but airlines have always opted for more seats to lower ticket costs. Given the history of the airline industry, the A380 will significantly expand the improvements that the 747 made—more seats and lower seat-distance costs - while providing wider seats and better amenities. With 555 passengers, the A380 represents a 35 % increase over the 747-400 in standard three-class configuration, along with a nearly 50% larger cabin volume - meaning much more space per passenger. Some airports have planned terminal reconfigurations to facilitate loading and unloading from the A380's double-decker design.
Construction
Airbus operates 16 manufacturing sites across Europe, most of which produce parts for the new A380 airliner.
First, the front and rear sections of the fuselage are loaded on an Airbus RORO ship, Ville de Bordeaux, in Hamburg, northern Germany, once they are shipped to the United Kingdom. There the huge wings, which are manufactured at Filton in Bristol and Broughton in north Wales, are transported by barge to Mostyn docks, where the ship adds them to its cargo. In Saint-Nazaire, western France, the ship trades the fuselage sections from Hamburg for larger, assembled sections, some of which include the nose. The ship unloads in Bordeaux. Afterwards, the ship picks up the belly and tail sections in Cadiz, southern Spain, and delivers them to Bordeaux.
From there, the A380 parts are transported by barge to Langon, and by road to an assembly hall in Toulouse. New wider roads, extra canal systems and barges were developed to deliver the massive A380 parts. After assembly, the aircraft are flown to Hamburg to be furnished and painted. Final assembly began in 2004, with first aircraft (MSN001) displayed in January 2005.
History
Before starting the A380 project, both Airbus and Boeing had focused on cornering the very-large-airliner market. Airbus and Boeing had worked together on a study investigating a 600+ seat aircraft called the Very Large Commercial Transport, but this cooperation did not last long. Although both manufacturers issued various statements, the unspoken consensus was that there was probably room for only one maker to be profitable in the 600 to 800 seat market segment. Both knew the risk of splitting a niche market; the simultaneous debut of the Lockheed L-1011 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 had demonstrated this: either aircraft could technically fill the gap between the Douglas DC-8 and the Boeing 747, but the market could only sustain one of the two and eventually Lockheed left the civil airliner market. However, Airbus and Boeing decided to enter the new 600 seat market.
Boeing initially had the upper hand. The 747, though designed in the 1960s, was popular and larger than Airbus' largest jet, the A340. For many airlines, the extra size of the 747 made it a "must buy" for their highest density routes, and the lower costs of a common fleet led carriers to buy additional Boeing aircraft. Boeing was considering a New Large Aircraft to replace the 747, and acquired McDonnell Douglas and their cancelled MD-12 design. Boeing also studied the concept of the 747X, a version of the 747 with the forebody "hump" extended towards the rear for more passenger room before dropping the concept.
Development of the "A3XX" began in June 1994. In 2001 it was re-branded the A380, with the announcement of Singapore Airlines as the launch customer.
Development
After years of research, Airbus decided to proceed with the € 8.8 billion A380 project in 1999, the final budget settling at about € 12 billion. The double-decker layout would provide higher seat capacities, and hence cost savings, than a traditional design.
The A380's wing has been designed to cope with a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 590t, albeit with some strengthening required, allowing for a future stretch. The stronger wing (and structure) is used on today's freighter version, the A380-800F. This approach sacrifices some fuel efficiency on the initial passenger model but the sheer size of the aircraft coupled with the significant advances in technology over the years should provide lower operating costs per passenger than the various versions of the 747. [1]
Maiden flight
The first A380 prototype, serial number 001, was unveiled during a ceremony in Toulouse, on January 18, 2005. It has the French registration F-WWOW. The maiden flight took place at 8:29 UTC (10:29 a.m. local time), April 27, 2005. The prototype departed runway 32L of Blagnac International Airport in Toulouse, France with a flight crew of six, carrying 22 tons of flight test instrumentation and water ballasts.
The crew consisted of French test pilots Jacques Rosay (captain for the take-off and the initial part of the test flight) and Claude Lelaie (captain for the second part of the test flight including the landing). Engineers included three flight test engineers (Spanish, French, and German), and one French test flight engineer. With the recent Franco-German controversy over the leadership of EADS still fresh in mind, Airbus issued a statement to make it clear that the crew had been chosen based not on nationality but competence.
The take-off weight of the aircraft was 421 tonnes (464 US tons), or about 75 % of its maximum take-off weight for commercial flights. This was the heaviest take-off weight of any passenger airliner ever created.
After take-off, the jet headed west toward the Bay of Biscay, then south over the northern Pyrenees Mountains and concluded with a low altitude fly-by over the town of Toulouse. The 233 minute flight involved conducting tests on its engines, hydraulics and electronics, while the on-board test equipment recorded measurements for 150,000 different parameters and sent data back to computers on the ground.
The A380 now faces another year of in-flight testing before formal certification and commercial use.
On October 18, 2005, the second A380 took to the skies. The flight, taking off and landing at Toulouse, was to test performance at cruising height and fuel consumption of the Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines.
In November 2005 the 3rd A380 took of for the first time in Tolouse.
Orders
Sixteen airlines have ordered the A380 as of June 18, 2005, including an order from AIG's aircraft leasing unit, ILFC. Currently, A380 orders stand at 159, including 27 freighter versions. Break-even is estimated to be at 250 to 300 units. Former Airbus CEO Noël Forgeard stated he expects to sell 750 of the aircraft. Official prices have been withheld, but it is estimated at $264 million. Carriers often receive large discounts for volume or early purchases.
According to German magazine Der Spiegel, Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert said that the company is currently in talks with 10 to 15 airlines interested in buying the A380, though contracts are not likely before the end of 2005. [2]
| Airline | Type | Engine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A380-800 | A380-800F | Options | ||
 Air France |
10 | 4 | GP7200 | |
 China Southern Airlines |
5 | TBA | ||
 Emirates |
41 | 2 | GP7200 | |
| Etihad Airways |
4 | Trent 900 | ||
 FedEx |
10 | 10 | GP7200 | |
| ILFC |
5 | 5 | GP7200 | |
 Kingfisher Airlines |
5 | TBA | ||
 Korean Air |
5 | 3 | GP7200 | |
 Lufthansa |
15 | 10 | Trent 900 | |
 Malaysia Airlines |
6 | Trent 900 | ||
 Qantas |
12 | 10 | Trent 900 | |
 Qatar Airways |
2 | 2 | Trent 900 | |
 Singapore Airlines |
10 | 15 | Trent 900 | |
 Thai Airways International |
6 | TBA | ||
| UPS |
10 | 10 | TBA | |
 Virgin Atlantic |
6 | 6 | Trent 900 | |
| Sub-totals: | 132 | 27 | 70 | |
| Total: | 159 | 70 | ||
Delivery
Airbus has not publicly announced delivery dates, though they have recently notified airlines that delivery will be delayed by up to six months, which means Singapore Airlines will receive the first A380 in the fourth quarter of 2006, with Qantas getting its first delivery in April 2007 and Emirates receiving aircraft before 2008. The new plane's entry into service, first with Singapore Airlines, will take place between London Heathrow and Sydney via Singapore from late 2006. Subsequent routes by Singapore Airlines may include the Singapore - San Francisco route via Hong Kong, as well as direct flights to Paris and Frankfurt. Qantas Airways has also announced it will use the A380 on its Los Angeles to Sydney route.
Airbus says it eventually will deliver four planes a month.
Criticism
Several technical concerns about the A380 have arisen, fueling criticism of the aircraft and its safety.
Cabin pressurization
Joseph Mangan, a former employee of TTTech, has claimed the company's contribution to the A380 is severely flawed. TTTech supplys components for the A380's cabin-pressurization system; Mangan has stated that the combination of TTTech's microprocessor and a new architecture of valves could cause the A380 to undergo rapid decompression. This sudden drop in cabin pressure could cause the flight crew to lose consciousness within seconds and pose a major hurdle to safe flight. TTTech contests the allegations, and has succeeded in obtaining a gag order in civil court against Mangan, which he has violated.[3]. Boeing has ordered TTTech chips for the 787 and Boeing executives said they were unaware of any problems with TTTech's chips. [4]
Ground operations
Early critics claimed that the A380 would damage taxiways and other airport surfaces, but it was demonstrated that the pressure per wheel was lower than that of a 747.
As of late 2005 there are concerns that the jet blast from the A380's engines could be dangerous to ground vehicles and airport terminal buildings, as more thrust is required to move its substantial bulk. The American FAA has established a commission to determine if new safety regulations seem necessary, and will make appropriate recommendations to the ICAO. According to The Wall Street Journal 'The debate is supposed to be entirely about safety, but industry officials and even some participants acknowledge that, at the very least, an overlay of diplomatic and trade tensions complicates matters.' The FAA commission has stated they will not enact unilateral safeguards for the A380, only those imposed by the ICAO. [5]
Wake turbulence
All aircraft produce wingtip vortices during flight, contributing to wake turbulence, which are strongest during approaches. Many airliners already in service produce extremely large and powerful wakes, which are dangerous to lighter following aircraft. Airspeed, weight, wingspan, and flap and gear deployment all affect the strength of these vortices, which is "proportional to aircraft weight and inversely to aircraft speed and wing span".[6] Aircraft operating below 10,000 feet are limited to 460 km/h (250 knots), and until just before landing are in a clean configuration (flaps and gear retracted). Weight and wingspan are therefore the primary factors affecting vortex strength; the A380, at 560,000 kg, is 36% heavier than the 747-400ER's 412,000 kg [7], but its 79.8 m span is 24% wider than the 747ER's 64.4 m. At weights equal to the 747, the A380 will therefore produce weaker vortices; at MTOW, barring other aerodynamic improvements (which Airbus claims to have implemented [8]), they will be stronger.
Modern aerodynamics can potentially reduce the effect. Research in the 1970s demonstrated that some wingtip vortex control concepts (winglets are given as an example but it is not clear if wingtip fences were ever tested), while reducing cruise vortices and drag, did not have a significant effect on vortex strength during the landing phase. This study (and more recent ones) did identify several promising alternatives.[9] Flight testing will show how powerful the vortices created by the A380 really are; if larger than by existing aircraft (notably by the Boeing 747), it may be required to maintain a greater distance on approach, reducing the frequency with which aircraft can land, thereby hurting economics.
Specifications (A380-800)
General characteristics [10]
- Flight crew: 2
- Capacity: 850 passengers in 1 class or 555 in 3 classes, with up to 66.4 tonnes (145,500 lb) of cargo in 38 LD3s or 13 pallets
- 152.4 tonnes (335,000 lb) of cargo (A380F freighter)
- Length: 73 m (239 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 79.8 m (261 ft 10 in)
- Height: 24.1 m (79 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 845 m² (9,100 ft²)
- Empty: 280,000 kg (617,300 lb)
- Maximum takeoff: 560,000 kg (1,235,000 lb)
- Powerplant: 4x Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7200 turbofans, 302 kN (67,890 lbf) thrust each
Performance
- Cruise speed: 0.85 - 0.87 M (approx 902 km/h, 560 mph or 487 kt)
- Maximum speed: 0.96 M (approx 1010 km/h, 632 mph or 550 kt), validated in flight tests, making it the fastest airliner currently
- Range: 15,000 km (8,000 nautical miles)
- Service ceiling: 13,100 m (43,000 ft)
References
- ^ Flight International, 14-20 June 2005 (supplemental)
- ^ Proceedings of the 11th Conference on AviatioProceedings of the 11th Conference on Aviation, Range and Aerospace Meteorology, Hyannis, MA 2004 (MIT)
- ^ Concept to Reality - Wake-Vortex Hazard (NASA)
Related content
| Giant aircraft |
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Designation sequence:
A330 - A340 - A350 - A380 - A400
Similar aircraft: Boeing 747 - Antonov An-124 - C-5 Galaxy
Related lists:
External links:
- Airbusa380.com - Airbus A380
- Photo Gallery of the A380 adventure (In French)
- Photo Gallery of the A380 in flight
- RTÉ News report on the A380 reveal (REAL video)
- A380 specifications
- Airliners.net - Airbus A380
- Aircraft-Info.net - Airbus A380
- Airbus and WTO
- A380 Pictures on Airliners.net
- Airbus A380 Photos
- How the Airbus A380 Works
- First flight video (GFDL CC-BY-SA)
- The A380 at the Paris Air Show
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