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Airbus A380 is the largest aircraft of the Airbus S.A.S concern. (European Union) and the largest passenger aircraft in the world. This is the world's first long-haul civil aircraft with two full-size decks along the entire length of the fuselage. The decks are connected by two wide staircases at the bow and aft.

The airliner can make non-stop flights over a distance of 15,000 kilometers and carry a third more passengers than a Boeing 747.
The Airbus A380 is the most economical among large airliners: three liters of fuel per passenger are consumed per 100 kilometers.
The main competitor of this model is the Boeing 747.

First flight - April 27, 2005.
The first aircraft sold was MSN003, registration number 9V-SKA, delivered to the airline Singapore Airlines October 15, 2007. The first commercial transcontinental flight with passengers (flight from Singapore to Australia, flight number - SQ380, 455 people on board) - October 25, 2007.

The Airbus A380 has 12 single suites and several double suites.
Suites include a bed, wardrobe, reading lights, mirror and 23-inch TV. At the request of the airlines, bars, billiard rooms, showers, a library and a conference room can be built on the ground floor of the aircraft.
The cost of a flight from London to Singapore in luxury class (as of 2005) is about $10,000.

First class passengers are provided with pajamas and slippers, and it is possible to close the windows and cabin doors with special curtains.
The cost of one airliner (as of 2005) is $281 million, which is 15 percent cheaper than the double-deck Boeing 747.

The number of assembled A380 airliners (as of March 2008) is 27.
As of March 2009, A380 aircraft are in the fleet of three airlines: Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways, Emirates.

The first airport in Russia that has agreed to accept the Airbus A380 is Moscow Domodedovo.

History of creation

Development of the aircraft began in 1994 under the code A3XX and continued for 10 years. The designation A380 was chosen because the number 8 resembles the cross-section of this double-deck aircraft.

The cost of the program is 12 million euros. The most difficult part of the project was the problem of reducing the weight of the aircraft. This was achieved through the use of a new composite material from which the fuselage and wings are made.

Already at the design stage, 55 orders were received from 6 customers.
The final configuration of the aircraft was approved in January 2001. Production of the first A380 wing components began on January 23, 2002.

The main structural sections of the airliner were built at enterprises in France, Germany, Spain, and Great Britain.
Components for the A380 were supplied by: Rolls-Royce, SAFRAN, United Technologies, General Electric, Goodrich and other well-known companies.

The largest project of the European aircraft manufacturer brought him big problems. The main problems were found in the aircraft's electrical wiring. Each aircraft required 100,000 wires and 40,300 connecting elements, amounting to about 530 kilometers of electrical wiring. The problems were resolved within two years.

The A380 features an improved glass cockpit and remote control of the steering wheels using electric drives linked to the side-stick controls. Information display devices are located in the cockpit: nine interchangeable liquid crystal monitors, including two navigation data indicators, two main flight data indicators, two engine operation indicators, two multifunction ones. Another monitor displays data about the current state of the entire system as a whole.

After assembly, the aircraft were equipped and painted in Hamburg. Each aircraft (3,100 square meters) requires 3,600 liters of paint to cover the skin.

To service the A380, special passenger boarding terminals are needed.
The load on the runway pavement was measured using a custom 580 tonne load bogie built to simulate the landing gear of an A380. For the Airbus A380, Group V tracks are sufficient - 45 meters; their expansion to the expected 60 meters is not required.

Five A380s were built for demonstration and testing purposes.
On September 4, 2006, the first flight test of the A380 took place with passengers on board. The purpose of the flight was to check the comfort and quality of passenger services. The plane took off from Toulouse with 474 employees of the Airbus S.A.S concern. on board.
In November 2006, test flights took place to check the aircraft's performance under standard airline operating conditions.
The launch of the A380 was delayed for almost two years due to a series of technical problems, costing Airbus 8.5 billion euros.

Technical characteristics of the Airbus A380

The liner has four engines - Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP 7000.
The cabin noise level of the A380 is 50 percent lower than that of the Boeing 747. The air pressure inside the aircraft is higher. According to the developers, these characteristics will reduce passenger fatigue during long non-stop flights.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 79.80 meters.
Aircraft length: 73.00 meters.
Aircraft height: 24.10 meters.
Wing area: 845.00 square meters.
Wing sweep angle along the 1/4 chord line (degrees): 33.50.

Number of places:
Passengers in the cabin of three classes: 555.
Passengers in the cabin of two classes: 644.
Charter passengers: 853.

Masses and loads:
Takeoff: 560 tons.
Empty equipped aircraft: 276.8 tons.
Aircraft without fuel: 361 tons.
Paid load: 66.4 tons.
Landing: 386 tons.

Flight data:
Cruising speed: 900 kilometers per hour.
Flight range with passengers and luggage (with fuel reserves): 15,000 kilometers.
Operational ceiling: 13,000 meters.

Incidents

On January 10, 2008, an A380 aircraft owned by Singapore Airlines was unable to fly from Singapore to Sydney due to a tractor breakdown. The airliner continued to move by inertia for some time, then moved off the runway and rolled onto the lawn. As a result of the incident, no one was injured and the plane was not damaged.

Promising modifications of the A380

It is planned to create the following passenger modifications: A380-800 with 555 seats, a shortened A380-700 with 480 seats and a lengthened A380-900 with 656 seats. A cargo modification of the A380F has also been developed, capable of transporting cargo with a total weight of up to 150 tons over a distance of up to 10,400 kilometers.
Employees of the Airbus ECAR Engineering Center in Moscow have already completed a number of important tasks for the A380F program.
Russian designers have been entrusted with carrying out a significant amount of work on the design of fuselage parts, strength calculations, placement of on-board equipment and support of serial production of aircraft.

The A380 is an aircraft created by specialists from Airbus S.A.S. It is the largest in the world passenger airliner. The vessel reaches 24.08 m in height and 72.75 m in length. The aircraft's wingspan is 79.75 m. In a single-class configuration, it can carry 853 passengers, in a three-class configuration - 525. The maximum non-stop flight distance is 15 thousand 400 km.

The work of the creators

As the developers note, the greatest difficulties were encountered in the process of searching for options for reducing the weight of the A380 aircraft. The aircraft was made lighter thanks to its widespread use in the creation of not only power structural elements, but also auxiliary units, interiors and much more. In addition, the most advanced technological solutions and modified aluminum alloys were used for these purposes. Thus, 40% of the mass of the eleven-ton center section is carbon fiber. Glare hybrid material is used to produce 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 create. Price grandiose project amounted to twelve billion euros. According to Airbus representatives, for this amount to be recouped, 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 per copy.

Where it all began

The A380 is an aircraft that began to be developed with the following goals: to expand the range of Airbus S.A.S. products. and displace the Boeing-747 from its leading position. Debate about the final configuration of the aircraft ended in 2001. The first components of the A380 wing were produced in January 2002. Initial estimates for the program ranged from 8.7 to 8.8 billion euros. After assembly, this amount increased to 11 billion (later it was increased further).

It should be noted that employees of the Moscow engineering center Airbus ECAR made an invaluable contribution to the design of the A380F model. Thanks to the efforts of Russian designers, a large amount of work was completed on the design of individual parts of the fuselage, strength calculations were made, on-board equipment was installed and support was provided for serial production of the aircraft.

Where are components produced 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 transported to Toulouse by water and ground transport. Some parts still fit into the An-24.

The tail and nose fuselage elements were loaded horizontally onto the Ville de Bordeaux (owned by Airbus) in Hamburg for shipment to the UK. The wing consoles produced at Broughton and Filton were delivered by barge to Mostyn. There these elements were loaded onto the aforementioned “Ville de Bordeaux” board. At Cadiz, the vessel received tail components and lower fuselage sections. Everything was unloaded in Bordeaux. From there the constituent elements were transported to Langon and then transported by land to Toulouse. Already assembled aircraft were sent to Hamburg for final equipment. The A380 is an aircraft that requires 3,600 liters of paint to cover (the total skin area is 3,100 square meters).

Tests

Modern aircraft undergo the most serious tests before being released into flights. The A380 model is no exception in this regard. Five aircraft were built specifically for comprehensive testing. The first aircraft was presented in Toulouse in January 2005. The first flight took place on April 27 of the same year. The flight team consisted of six people, led by Jacques Rossi, an experienced test pilot. The 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 shallow dive.

A380 - an aircraft (see photo above) that 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 aircraft suddenly cracked, unable to withstand a load of 145% of the nominal load . As defined by aviation safety regulations, no change in integrity should occur at 150% of the specified load. As a result, the management 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 carried out on September 4, 2006.

Design Features

And 380 800 is a modification designed to carry 555 or 583 passengers (depending on configuration). In 2007, Airbus began offering customers a ship with a smaller capacity (525 seats) in exchange for an increased flight range (they managed to increase it by 370 kilometers). This transformation allowed us to achieve maximum compliance with premium transportation trends.

There is another modification of the airbus in question. This is a 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 modifications of A380-900. They will have a larger capacity (656/960 passengers) with a similar flight range.

Pilots' workplace

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 glass cabin. The steering wheels can be manipulated remotely using electric drives that are connected to the side control handle. The cockpit is equipped with the most modern information display devices. 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 the plane cost? More than twenty-eight million euros. The impressive amount demanded for one 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 aircraft production. In combination with laser welding, this eliminates the need for rivets.

Ensuring a comfortable flight

As experts have established, the noise level in the A380 cabin is half that of the Boeing 747. In addition, inside the aircraft in question, the air pressure is maintained at a higher level. Both of these factors are designed to ensure less fatigue for passengers during the flight.

Two staircases located at the tail and bow of the aircraft connect the upper and lower decks. The A380 offers impressive customization options. That is why, as noted by the Airbus concern, the growth in production rates is not as high as previously expected. The aircraft can be equipped with a shower cabin, a bar counter, a rest room, and a Duty Free store. Thanks to the presence of a satellite channel, passengers are provided with telephone communication or a wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi).

Currently, air transportation within Russia using the A380 is not carried out. An order has been placed for four aircraft, but none of them have been built yet.

Unexpected situations

The first emergency occurred on November 4, 2010. On that day, the A380, owned by Qantas, was flying 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, the landing gear tires on the emergency side burst during landing. After this incident, the company's management decided to suspend the flights of all Airbus A380s it owned for two days until a detailed inspection was completed.

The second emergency occurred on April 12, 2011. Then the plane, belonging to Air France, caught the tail of the CRJ 700 aircraft with its wing. There were no injuries.

Conclusion

The Airbus A380 is the result of painstaking work by developers and manufacturers. This aircraft is superior to its closest competitors in many ways. How much does the plane cost, what are the features of its design and creation process? All these questions are answered in the above article.

Passenger cabin Airbus aircraft The A380 has two decks and can be had in two variants. The first option is when the cabin is divided into three classes (first and business class on the upper deck and economy class on the lower deck, thus the capacity is from 516 to 525 people). The second version of the passenger cabin layout of the A380 aircraft provides only economy class, located on the upper and lower decks with a capacity of more than 644 people.

Interior layout and best seats

The three-class version of the passenger cabin provides for the location of the first class in the front part of the upper cabin. There is no point in proving that the places here are the most comfortable, and the staff service is no worse than in a five-star hotel. Each seat in the first cabin of the A380 aircraft looks like a closed separate compartment with a convenient door. The passenger seat can be folded out and turned into a comfortable bed. Services such as Internet and the ability to charge mobile devices are offered. In addition, each of these “mini-compartments” has a large, convenient monitor and a mini-bar. For first class passengers, there are showers (as, for example, on Emirates Airline aircraft), and an exquisite restaurant menu is also provided.

However, it should be noted that even in first class there are places that have their drawbacks. These are seats in the first and fourth rows (according to the diagram), located close to the toilets. Most likely, passengers will visit the toilet at any time of the day, so the noise of the doors can seriously interfere with the rest of passengers. The close proximity of the service areas also means that staff will often walk past the first and fourth rows of first class, creating additional inconvenience. And of course, in addition to everything, directly opposite the first row of seats there is a staircase leading down to the main deck, which also will not contribute to proper rest, especially at night. Behind the first class seats on the upper deck of the Airbus A380 is business class.

Business class also has very comfortable seats for passengers (although not as good as first class). Each place here is equipped with a comfortable chair, which, if necessary, can be unfolded and turned into a comfortable bed. In addition, there is a good bar here, and the distance between the seats allows you to absolutely not worry about legroom. However, in the business class of the A380 aircraft there are seats with less comfort. These, as in first class, are seats near the bar and near the toilets - usually in the first and last rows. On the diagram of the upper passenger cabin of the Airbus A380 aircraft, these seats are indicated by rows 6, 21, 22 and 26. As for first class, the inconvenience of these seats is explained by the intense flow of passengers to bars and toilets at any time of the day, as well as the movement of service personnel. When booking tickets, you should take this factor into account and take seats in the rows listed above only in cases where there are no more tickets for other seats.

On the lower (or main) deck of the passenger cabin of the Airbus A380 aircraft there is an economy class, usually designed for 399 seats and, as a rule, occupying rows numbered from 43 to 88 (according to the diagram) with two large aisles. The backs of economy class seats cannot recline 180 degrees, but they are very soft and comfortable. The distance between rows is approximately 80 centimeters - according to generally accepted standards. Each economy class seat has its own screen mounted in the seat in front and an audio/video system. Just like for seats in other classes, economy class seats are equipped with USB charging systems and the Internet, which, by the way, is paid on the Airbus A380 aircraft.

The most successful and convenient places here are seats with the letters D, E, F and G, located in rows 45, 54 and 82. The convenience of these seats is explained by the fact that there are no seats in front of them, which means there is ample legroom, in addition, toilets, a bar and office premises are located quite far from them. Of course, the absence of seats in the front does not mean that these seats are not equipped with electronic displays for entertainment.

Also very good for relaxation and viewing in economy class are the seats with the letters A and K, located in rows 68 and 81. Their advantage is due to the fact that these seats do not have other seats in front of them, and also because they are located near the windows , which makes them “aside” from the general movement of passengers, so they are considered the most profitable and comfortable in the entire economy class.

The seats in rows numbered 43, 52, 67 and 80 are also good. These seats also have more space in front of them, but at the same time have the serious disadvantage of being close together office premises and toilets with all the associated inconveniences.

The most unfortunate for economy class, and therefore for the entire Airbus A380 aircraft, are the seats located in the 88th (rearmost) row and the seats designated by the letters C and H. Their inconvenience lies, as in many cases, in the fact that that there are toilets right behind them. The fact that the backs of the last seats are blocked does not add to the convenience of these seats, which limits the comfort of passengers.

The history of the Airbus A380

The beginning of the 90s of the last century in aviation industry was the time of complete dominance of the Boeing 747 in the field of wide-body aircraft. Boeing managed to maintain an advantage for almost 30 years, which forced many companies, such as, for example, McDonnell Douglas or Lockheed to look for a solution that could replace the Boeing 747 and gain a monopoly in the wide-body airliner niche.

In the summer of 1994, Airbus began developing its own wide-body aircraft, which received the code name A3XX. Initially, options were considered for the possible combination of two fuselages of the Airbus A340 aircraft. This solution would have made it possible to significantly increase the passenger capacity of the aircraft, since the A340 was the company’s largest aircraft at that time. However, such a decision would also lead to a serious reduction flight characteristics aircraft, increasing its mass and the required take-off run.

The development of the A3XX was carried out in partnership with Boeing, which was developing its own model, the Boeing 747X, also aimed at increasing passenger capacity and reducing operating costs. This partnership ended in 1996. And the following year, 1997, Boeing closed its project due to economic crisis, which broke out in East Asia. Meanwhile, Airbus decided to use a double-deck design for the A3XX, which would provide the aircraft with a number of advantages.

In December 2000, they decided to launch the A3XX project, which initially required costs of about 8.8 billion euros. The plane received a new name - A380. There are many hypotheses explaining why Airbus decided to “jump” from number 340 to 380. For example, one of them says that the number 8 is lucky in a number of Asian countries, which were potential customers for the future aircraft.

In the spring of 2001, the design of the Airbus A380 was finally approved, and already at the beginning of 2002, production of the first parts for the aircraft began. They were produced in 4 countries of the European Union, and the delivery of components to the assembly site in Toulouse was carried out by ground and by water transport, as well as by air.

At the beginning of 2005, the first Airbus A380 was built and demonstrated in Toulouse, and in April its first flight was carried out. During testing of the aircraft in early 2006, flaws in the design of its wing were identified. After this, the A380 wing structure was urgently changed.

Ground and flight tests of the aircraft were completed in December 2007, and the Airbus A380 received certificates from EASA and FAA.

Design and characteristics of the Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is a wide-body jet passenger aircraft. The passenger cabin of the aircraft consists of two decks. Due to its size and large capacity, the aircraft is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Power point The aircraft consists of 4 engines. Depending on the modification, this is the Trent 900 from Rolls-Royce (for Airbus A-300-800), or the GP7000 from Engine Alliance (for other modifications of the Airbus).

Characteristics of the Airbus A380 aircraft:

  • Length, m – 72.7
  • Wingspan, m – 79.8
  • Height, m ​​– 24.1
  • Wing area, m2 – 845
  • Weight:
    • Max. take-off, kg – 560,000
    • Max. landing, kg – 386,000
    • Empty weight, kg – 276,800
    • Max. weight without fuel, kg – 361,000
  • Fuel tank capacity, l – 310,000
  • Flight range with max. load, km – 15,000
  • Ceiling (max. flight altitude), m – 13,100
  • Run length, m – 2,050
  • Run length, m – 2,900
  • Engines:
    • R-R Trent 970 – 4 x 31780 kgf
    • Alliance GP7270 – 4 x 31780 kgf
  • Passenger compartment:
    • Number of seats (single-class option) – 700
    • Number of seats (three-class version) – 555
    • Cabin width, m – 5.9-6.6

Airbus A380 modifications

There are the following modifications of the Airbus A380:

  1. Airbus A380-800 is the base model of the airliner. A380-841 and A380-842 have a Trent 900 engine. Modifications A380-861 and A380-862 have a GP72XX engine.
  2. Airbus A380-800F is a cargo modification of the A380 aircraft.
  3. Airbus A380-900 is an extended modification of the airliner, which is under development. It will have increased passenger capacity (more than 900 people) and more powerful engines. Potential buyers will include airlines such as Emirates Airline, Lufthansa and others.
  4. Airbus A380-1000 is a modification that will be larger in size than the A380-900 and accommodate more than 1,000 passengers. The project was proposed in 2010.

Airbus A380 operation

Operation of the Airbus A380 aircraft began in 2007. By the end of 2014, the number of Airbuses was already 139 aircraft, and the number of companies operating the aircraft was 10. Emirates Airline operates the most A380 (67 aircraft). Other airlines use from 5 to 19 aircraft of this type, which, of course, cannot compare with Emirates Airline.

The aircraft can be found mainly on intercontinental flights. Large quantity Airbuses are operated by Asian airlines (Emirates Airline, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air and others). Due to operating costs, which are 10-15% less than those for the Boeing 747, the Airbus A380 is a very popular aircraft today. Due to the good price and the optimal characteristics of the A380, Emirates Airline plans to purchase several dozen more aircraft. At the same time, Emirates Airline also pays attention to cargo modifications of the Airbus. In addition, the air carrier orders more comfortable aircraft (for example, with shower cabins for first class).

Conclusion

The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world, with a capacity of 519 to 800 people. Reliability, reduced operating costs compared to other wide-body airliners and comfort provide this aircraft with good demand in the market, especially in Asia. The main operator of the aircraft is currently Emirates Airline, which has appreciated the Airbus. In addition, Emirates Airline, albeit indirectly, is helping to further modify the aircraft by showing interest in its new capabilities.

However, the Airbus Group in December 2014 announced a possible stop in production of the Airbus A380 aircraft. This is explained by the fact that the demand for this aircraft, according to the company’s management, is not great enough.

However, it is worth recognizing that due to its performance and reliability, the Airbus A380 is a really good aircraft.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

Emirates Airlines currently has the world's largest fleet of Airbus class aircraft. And it was this airline that made the world's first order for the delivery of the double-deck giant A380. In total, as of April 2018, Emirates had 95 Airbus A380-800 aircraft in its fleet.

The largest carrier on international routes, Emirates Airlines, has existed since 1985. Regular flights have been established to 150 airports in 80 countries, including daily flights to Russia at Domodedovo and Pulkovo airports.

In addition, from Moscow and St. Petersburg, Emirates flies to international destinations: to the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, South and North America.

Airbus A380-800

The Airbus A380-800 is a double-deck long-haul passenger airliner with four engines. Among commercial passenger aircraft is in third place in terms of size and in first place in terms of the number of passengers. Manufactured by Airbus.

The longest flight was made by Airbus A380-800 Emirates in March 2016 from Dubai to Auckland ( New Zealand). The airliner covered 14,200 km without landing in 16 hours 24 minutes.

Flight performance

  • Crew: 2-3 pilots and 22 flight attendants
  • Designer: Airbus
  • Manufacturer: Airbus
  • First flight: April 27, 2005
  • In production: since 2007

Dimensions

  • Length: 72.72 m
  • Wingspan: 79.75 m
  • Fuselage diameter: 7.14 m
  • Height: 24.09 m

Other data

  • Engines: 4 x turbofan Rolls-Royce Trent 900
  • Cruising speed: 850 km/h
  • Flight range: 15,200km
  • Passenger capacity max: 853 (one class of service)

Airbus A380-800 Emirates cabin layout

Emirates Airbuses A380-800 have two types of cabin layout: three and two classes. Moreover, the number of passengers with a three-class layout varies depending on the distance of the route. On long-distance routes - 517 passengers, on ultra-long-haul routes - 489. When configured into two classes, Airbus 380-800 of Emirates Airlines can accommodate 615 passengers.

Let's take a closer look at the layout of the Airbus 380-800 Emirates cabins (see diagram) into three classes for ultra-long-haul flights, i.e. for 489 passengers.

Let's start with the upper deck. There are two privileged classes of service here: first and business class.

First class private cabins

First class accommodates 14 individual cabins for VIP passengers: maximum comfort and everything necessary for relaxation or work. The dimensions of the cabin are three meters long and one and a half meters wide. The relaxation area includes: a fully reclining massage chair, a wardrobe for personal belongings, a mirror, a dressing table. All finishing in the cabin is natural polished wood. The upholstery of the chair is genuine leather. On the outside of the cabin there is a wardrobe and luggage compartment.

The personal minibar includes fine wines and champagne.

For work, there is a sliding work table, sockets, 2 USB inputs for charging electronic devices, Wi-Fi during the entire flight. Lighting is adjustable from bright to minimal. The cabin has a 27-inch personal screen with a large selection of entertainment programs, videos and games.

Business Class

According to airbus diagram The A380-800 Emirates business class cabin offers 76 passenger seats. Each chair folds out into a horizontal bed almost 2 meters long and 50 cm wide.

The seats are located so that each passenger has his own individual exit to the corridor. There is a partition between the central seats that can be lowered or raised at the request of the passenger. Next to each seat there is a personal minibar, table and luggage compartment. In addition: power socket, USB input, shoe compartment and noise-isolating headphones.

Entertainment system: 23-inch LCD monitor. In addition to the entertainment program provided by the airline, you can display video files from your electronic device on the screen.

Wi-Fi throughout the flight allows you to work on your personal computer or communicate with colleagues, family and friends.

Economy class

Economy class on the Emirates Airbus 380-800 is located entirely on the lower deck and includes 399 seats distributed over 4 cabins. Seating configuration: 3-4-3 and 3-3 in the last rows (check the diagram). The width of the seat cushions is 45 cm. The backrests recline by 15 cm. Each chair has a built-in LCD monitor on the back side of the backrest. All monitors are connected to a central entertainment system, which includes more than 2,500 channels in several languages: films, programs, games, shows. In addition, there is interactive map, with which you can monitor the flight.

On each economy class seat, passengers will find: a small travel pillow, a blanket, stereo headphones, as well as bright stickers that passengers can stick on the back of the seat to warn flight attendants:

  • “Do not disturb” - pink.
  • “Wake me up during lunch” - green.
  • "Wake me up when you sell duty products free" - orange.

Wireless Internet is available throughout the flight.

There is a special one for children entertainment, toys and children's menu.

Menu for adults can be selected on the official website. You can choose dishes national cuisine the country you are flying to, dietary menu, etc.

Comfortable places are highlighted in green on the diagram, less comfortable ones are green and yellow, and the most uncomfortable ones are yellow and pink.

The location of the seats in the rows: where is it more convenient to sit?

Places 43 rows They are quite comfortable, but have one drawback: in front of them there is a partition with toilets. The distance to the partition is quite large, but these places are not suitable for people of large stature and massive build. In addition, people passing to the toilet can cause some disturbance.

45 D, E, F, Gcomfortable places with plenty of space in front.

50 A, B, C, H, J, K and 51 D, E, F, G– places where the backrest reclines at a small angle (they are yellow in the interior diagram).

Before 52 and 68 rows there is a partition. These are places of average comfort. The space in front of the seats is increased, but not enough for tall people.

In places 65 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and 66 H, J, K The seat backs are locked.

Before 67 and 80 rows are emergency exits. Certain categories of passengers cannot fly in seats in this row. Restrictions apply:

  • children;
  • pregnant women;
  • disabled people;
  • passengers with animals.

81 A, K and 82 D, E, F, G– comfortable seats with increased space in front of the seats.

88 rowuncomfortable places the last row, behind which the toilet rooms are located. The backs of these seats deviate at a slight angle.

Best places

In Emirates Economy Class best places offer more comfort. This is a large space in front of the seats and the ability to recline the backrest. IN Airbus cabin A380-800 (see diagram) is:

  • 45 and 54 D, E, F, G
  • 68 and 81 A, K

Nice places

Not a bad place with a small drawback. The partition in front of these rows may cause some inconvenience for tall people. This.

The development of the A380 took about 10 years, the cost of the entire program was about 12 billion euros. Airbus says it needs to sell 420 planes to recoup its costs, although some analysts estimate the figure could be much higher.

According to the developers, the most difficult part in creating the aircraft was the problem of reducing its weight. This was solved through the use of a new and revolutionary composite material. The fuselage and wings are made from it. As a result, 40% of the A380 consists of carbon fiber.

Story

Development

Vessel, section transporter A380 Ville de Bordeaux

The front and rear fuselage sections were loaded horizontally onto the Airbus-owned ship "Ville de Bordeaux", in Hamburg (Northern Germany), from where they were shipped to the UK. The wing panels were manufactured in Filton (Bristol) and Brawtyn (North Wales), then transported by barge to Masteen where the Ville de Bordeaux loaded them, along with existing sections, onto the ship. Then, for some more sections, the ship called at Saint-Nazarie (Western France), and after that the ship unloaded in Bordeaux. The ship then picked up the lower fuselage and tail sections in Cadiz (Southern Spain) and delivered them to Bordeaux. From there, parts of the A380 were transported to Liangong (Girondie) and then overland to the assembly plant in Toulouse. To deliver parts of the A380, some roads were widened and new canals and barges were built. After all, the planes were sent to Hamburg, where they were equipped and painted. It takes 3,600 liters of paint to cover 3,100 m² of sheathing.

Testing

A380 (MSN001) lands after first flight

Five A 380s were built for demonstration and testing purposes. The first A 380, serial number MSN001 and registration F-WWOW, was presented at a ceremony in Toulouse on January 18, 2005. The flight began at 8:29 UTC (10:29 local time) on April 27, 2005. This aircraft, equipped with Trent-900 engines, took off from international airport Toulouse with a flight crew of 6 people led by test pilot Jacques Rosi. The plane landed successfully after 3 hours and 54 minutes. On December 1, 2005, the A 380 reached its maximum speed at Mach 0.96 (against the cruising speed of Mach 0.85), in a shallow dive, thereby starting a series of test flights aimed at exploring the range of operational flight conditions.

A380 makes a banked turn (Germany, 2006)

On January 10, 2006, the A 380 made its first transatlantic flight, departing from Medellin, Colombia, to test the aircraft for high-altitude airport operations, and landing in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, Canada, for cold-weather testing. weather conditions.
At the beginning of the year, during static tests taking place at the Toulouse aircraft factory, the wing of one of the A380 (MSN5000) unexpectedly cracked before reaching the design load. The destruction of the structure occurred when the load reached 147% of the rated load, while according to aviation safety standards, it must withstand a load of 150% of the rated load. The management of the Airbus consortium decided to make changes to the design of the A380 wing, which made it possible to increase its strength. The reinforcing elements together increased the weight of the aircraft airframe by 30 kg, of which 14 kg were due to mounting bolts.
On March 26, 2006, the A380 underwent evacuation certification in Hamburg (Germany). With a total of 16 exits blocked, 853 passengers and 20 crew were evacuated in 78 seconds, less than the 90 seconds required by evacuation certification standards. Three days later, the European Aviation Safety 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 with GP 7200 engines took place (this was MSN 009).

On September 4, 2006, the first flight test of the A380 with passengers on board took place in a series of flights carried out to test the comfort and quality of passenger services. The plane took off from Toulouse with 474 Airbus employees on board. In November 2006, many test flights took place to test the aircraft's performance under standard airline operating conditions. On December 12, the A380-841 model and the A380-842 model received certificates from EASA and FAA at a joint ceremony at the company's French headquarters. 861 received certificate on December 14, 2007.
As of February 2008, the five A380s had accumulated a total of 4,565 flight hours and completed 1,364 flights including airline testing and demonstration flights.

Problems with production and delivery

Initial production of the Airbus A380 was complicated by the fact that each aircraft required 530 kilometers of electrical wiring. Airbus specifically referred to the complexity of the cockpit wiring (100,000 wires and 40,300 connections), the fact that this is a separate, parallel project that must meet the requirements of the customer from each airline, control of design changes, and control of technical changes documentation Airbus's German and Spanish factories continued to use CAD.
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 planned for the end of 2006, deliveries in 2007 would be reduced to only 7 aircraft, and by the end of 2009 to 80-70. This announcement caused a 26% drop in shares. October 3 new CEO Airbus, after completing a program review, announced a third delay, pushing back the first delivery to October 2007. In 2008 it is planned to build 13 aircraft, in 2009 25 aircraft, and from 2010 it is planned to set an annual production rate of 45 aircraft. The delay also increased the revenue shortfall expected by Airbus until 2010 to €4.8 billion.
Since Airbus prioritized work on the A380-800 over the A380-800F (freighter version), orders for the A380-800F were either canceled (UPS Airlines) or replaced with A380-800 orders (UAE ILFC). Airbus has suspended work on the freighter, but has stated that the A380 freighter remains in the pipeline; as of March 2008, Airbus did not yet have a specific release date for the freighter version.

Commissioning

The first aircraft sold (MSN003, registration number: 9V-SKA) was delivered to the customer on October 15, 2007 after a long acceptance test phase and entered service on October 25, 2007, making a commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney (flight number: SQ380). Two months later, Singapore Airlines President Chew Chong Seng said the A380 performed better than expected and consumed 20% less fuel per passenger than the company's existing Boeing 747-400. The second A380 for Singapore Airlines (MSN005) was delivered by Airbus on 11 January 2008 and was registered as 9V-SKB. Until 18 March 2008, Singapore Airlines operated its two aircraft in a 471-seat configuration between Singapore and Sydney. After the arrival of the 3rd aircraft, it was decided to expand the number of air routes, from Singapore to London. On March 18, 2008, a Singapore Airlines A380 successfully landed at Heathrow Airport (London), thereby making the aircraft's first commercial flight to Europe. The fourth Singapore Airlines A380, which came into service on 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, Melbourne - Singapore route.

Project

A380 in cross section, economy class seating arrangement shown

The new Airbus will be sold in two versions. Modification A380-800 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 single economy class configuration. In May 2007, Airbus began offering customers an aircraft with fewer seats (currently 525 seats in three classes) in exchange for an increased range of 370 km to better match trends in premium passenger accommodations. The flight range for the A380-800 model is 15,200 km. Second, cargo, modification A380-800F will be capable of transporting up to 150 tons of cargo over a distance of up to 10,400 km. Future options may include A380-900 with an increased number of seats - up to 656 passengers (or up to 960 passengers in a single economy class), and modifications with an increased flight range with the same passenger capacity as the A380-800.

The A380 wing is sized for a maximum take-off weight of over 650 tonnes, with an eye towards 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 does result in some reduction in fuel efficiency for the passenger version of the A380-800, but Airbus estimates that the aircraft's size, coupled with the new technologies described below, will result in a per-passenger operating cost lower than either existing modifications of the Boeing 747. The A380 also features winglets similar to those seen on the A310 and A320 to reduce wake turbulence and improve economy and performance.

Cockpit

A380 cockpit

Airbus uses similar cockpit layout, procedures and performance characteristics in its other aircraft to reduce crew training costs. The A380 has an improved glass cabin and remote control of the steering wheels using electric drives connected to the side control stick. Information display devices in the cockpit: 8 20X15 cm LCD monitors, each of which is identical to each other and interchangeable. Of the 9 monitors - 2 navigation data indicators, 2 - main flight data indicators, 2 engine operation indicators, 1 displays data on the current state of the entire system as a whole and 2 multifunctional ones.

Engines

Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on the wing of an Airbus A380

The A380 can be equipped with two types of engines: the A380-841, A380-842 and A380-843F are equipped with the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine, and the A380-861 and A380-863F are equipped with the Engine Alliance GP7000 engine. Trent 900 is the successor to Trent 800, GP7000 originates from GE90 and PW4000. The Trent 900 is basically a scaled-up version of the Trent 500, but it also uses technology from the stillborn Trent 8104. Only two of the four engines are equipped with thrust reversers.

Reducing noise levels was an important design requirement for the A380, which was partly reflected in the design of the engines. Both engine types enable the aircraft to meet the QC/2 departure and QC/0.5 arrival noise limits set by London Heathrow Airport, which is expected to be the A380's key destination.

Fuel

Improved materials

The design of the Airbus A380 widely uses composite materials - metals and plastics reinforced with glass fiber, carbon and quartz fiber. New weldable aluminum alloys are also widely used, which, combined with laser beam welding, has eliminated rivets.

Aviation architecture

Systems

Conditions for passengers

The cabin noise level of the A380 is 50% less than that of the Boeing 747, and 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 reduce travel fatigue among passengers. Upper and lower deck connected by two staircases, at the nose and tail of the plane, wide enough to accommodate two passengers shoulder to shoulder. In a 555-passenger configuration, the A380 has 33% more passenger seats than a Boeing 747-400 in a standard three-class configuration, but the cabin has 50% more space and volume, resulting in more space. The aircraft's maximum certified capacity is 853 passengers when configured with a single economy class. The announced configurations have a number of passenger seats from 450 (for Qantas Airways) to 644 (for Emirates Airline, with two comfort classes).

Integration into infrastructure

Ground Operation

Critics have previously argued that the A380's weight could cause damage to airport taxiways. However, the pressure that the aircraft's wheels exert on the surface is less than that of a Boeing 747 or Boeing 777, since the A380 has 22 wheels, which is four more than the 747 and eight more than the 777. Airbus measured road loads using a custom 580-tonne load cart built to simulate the A380's landing gear. The cart was rolled along a section of the road surface where pressure sensors were placed.
Based on the A380's wingspan, the FAA 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 said the A380 would be able to operate safely on Group V runways and taxiways without requiring them to be expanded. In July 2007, the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) agreed to allow the A380 to operate runways 45 meters wide without restrictions.

Takeoff and landing

Russian participation

Russian specialists also contributed to the creation of this giant. These are, first of all, titanium round and flat products, without which a modern aircraft cannot do. Today, over 55% of the concern's titanium needs are provided by the Verkhnesaldinsk Metallurgical Production Association (VSMPO).

Employees of the Airbus ECAR Engineering Center in Moscow, the first design bureau created by the concern in Europe outside the territories of its member countries in June 2003, also took part in the creation of the A380F. Russian designers carry out a significant amount of work on the design of fuselage parts, strength calculations, placement of on-board equipment and support of serial production of aircraft. The center has already completed a number of important tasks under the A380F program.

Orders and deliveries

Total number of orders for A380

Sixteen customers have placed orders for the A380, including leasing company International Lease Finance Corporation and one VIP order. As of February 3, 2009, 200 aircraft were ordered. There were initially 27 orders for the freighter version of the A380-800F, which were then either canceled (20) or replaced by the passenger version of the A380-800 (7) due to production delays and the subsequent suspension of the freighter version program. Airbus delivered 12 aircraft to customers in 2008 and plans to deliver 21 aircraft in 2009.

Orders and deliveries by year

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total
Orders A380-800 78 0 34 10 10 24 33 9 2 200
A380-800F 7 10 0 0 10 -17 -10 0 - 0
Supplies A380-800 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 2 15