These are enormous panoramas that may take a while to load on slower connections.
Big Airliner Takes First Lucky Fliers
The first commercial flight by the world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, will fulfill a rich man’s promise to his 91-year-old father and grant a college student’s birthday wish.
Outfitted with the most luxurious cabin ever seen on a jetliner, Singapore Airlines flight SQ380 will fly 3,900 miles from Singapore to Sydney on Thursday, carrying travelers ranging from businessmen to college students and aviation enthusiasts.
Most of the places on the 471-seat double-decker plane were auctioned for charity on eBay, raising more than $1.25 million.
Here’s the Wikipedia entry on the largest, most luxurious airliner ever built. How can you tell? It has it’s own duty free shop and a restaurant for starters. Check out the Airbus A380 website.
#29, Sorry about that gquaglia. I thought you were commenting sarcastically on my post that was just before yours. 😉
The first Boeing flight had a child get lost in all its space. I doubt that happens nowadays with all the seats stuffed in.
That is some big ass airplane.
Yipeeee….
Now we can be packed with another 600 passengers into a single airplane!
Luggage waits? Would 2 or 3 hours be short enough?
Customs / immigration checks? Another couple of hours.
Getting on the plane? “Now boarding group 18” one hour after announcing “Boarding group 1”
Disease spreading passengers on any particular flight? Statistically 2 or 3 per plane.
Meal? You too can buy a $5 box of crackers and oily salami.
Flying sucks… it just plain sucks… and dehumanizing monsters like this make it no better.
After perusing the panorama views, I believe that I must fly la premiere classe to Bangkok for some cheap sex.
I admit I don’t want to fly anymore. Takes way to much time and there is too much aggravation involved, depending on airports, with delays, luggage, body-cavity searches…
Those WERE great shots of the prototype, though. Hope they got all those photographers permission. I’d like to know how they did that, too.
What they should do is give us some medication that knocks us out and gives us good dreams, and load us in like freight. 18 hrs to Sydney? No worries mate!
Grins,
RW
There are multiple exits, so a properly designed jetway should see people and luggage arrive faster.
#34, Awake, Flying sucks… it just plain sucks… and dehumanizing monsters like this make it no better.
The future of traveling is here!!
http://cagematch.dvorak.org/index.php/topic,2603.0.html
#37 “A properly designed jetway…”. Well, maybe, IF they actually build it. But will airports go to such great expense for one jet? And how quickly? In Mexico, most jet loading is still done with buses, and it doesn’t work all that badly. But when 700 people arrive at Immigration, it still takes a long time, even when the officers know that their only job is to process the tourists as quickly as possible. Bang (with a rubber stamp) bang bang bang scribble, scribble, “gracias”. And your properly designed jetway will expedite luggage delivery? There are many links in that process.
I remember 25 years ago on my first trip to Europe, arriving at Zurich. It was a walk of almost 10 minutes to the luggage area, but the luggage arrived before the passengers. After 5 minutes, everybody had cleared out with their luggage, and the Swissair clerk had me filling in the forms for my lost luggage. Nobody was suggesting that I wait another half hour just to see if it comes in. Losing the luggage was partly my fault. I didn’t know that I had to re-check the luggage in London. Anyway, I was the last passenger from that flight into the main terminal, about 20 minutes after they opened the aircraft doors. Imagine that in 2007!
Well I surpose Google has got two on order to add to they other 4 planes god knows why they have 4 anyway but I’m sure a couple of these wouldn’t break the bank…
At least economy passengers get the Simpsons.
So, who knows how these photos are taken? It is apparent that the camera stand has been photoshopped out of the image but it is still amazing. There is zero blurring which indicates an instantaneous 360 degree by 360 degree spherical image without no need for panning. And there is no disjointed elements in the image which implies one lens with one focal point. Is this done with multiple cameras with what I can only assume a hemispherical mirror reflectors or something? Very cool.
I looked a little closer at the outdoor image. The reflection does in the window does not match the rest of the scenery. There is a small tripod shown standing by a small table but I don’t see the actual camera. In the image, a photographer is standing in front of that same table. That implies multiple exposures to make a composite.
Did the photographer intentionally open the glass door at a slight angle to hide the reflection of the 360 degree camera? I feel like this is a David Copperfield smoke and mirrors trick that needs to be explained.
As for the aircraft, it is just a fancy interior, people. They could do the same thing with a 747 interior if customers really wanted it.
Wow! the panorama pictures are great! how did you make like that? is that any special camera?
A380 is awesome
Joshua (comment #30) to be fair, Boeing wasn’t exactly the healthiest company around when they bet the farm on the 747 which was the “cattle car” as you call it of the past 30+ years. Japan airlines leading the charge on that and Boeing happy to oblige. The airlines having stripped out the bars and being removing the leg room on 747’s every since.
The A380 most definitely has a market and will replace the Boeing 747 on those routes where it makes sense. The Dreamliner will do well I am sure, but they are two very different aeroplanes in what they will serve best – despite Boeings claims to the contrary. After all Boeing did consider trying to compete with the A380, but couldn’t make such an old aircraft as the 747 competitive against the A380.
There is more than a hint of American envy on these forums about the Europeans one upping the Boeing 747. Americans never did like the Concorde for the same reasons… despite claims that wasn’t the reason. Concorde by the way, was and still is the most remarkable achievement in civil aviation.
BTW I’m an Aussie so I can’t be said to be concerned about one side or the other of the pond getting credit. Each makes some nice aircraft.
I believe Qantas has orders for A380 and Dreamliner, which makes sense really, as they each do a different job.
Dan
I’m saving up to take a trip on her (the airbus). If I’m going to be on a flight for more than 4 hours with a hot chick, I want, no need, no demand privacy to charm (convince) her to bump fuzzies. What a thril! 30 seconds of bliss 40,000 feet up in the air.
BOEING COMPANY’S WEBSITE SAYS THAT THEY WILL BUILD A 747’S LONGER LARGER SCALE WHICH WILL BE 345 FEET LONG
SO BE CAREFULL I APPRECIATE
just had to laugh when I read #15( I guess I have a vivid imagination)
What’s all the fuss?Somebody built a plane bigger than the last one. And it runs more efficiently than two smaller ones. Hopefully ,after the novelty wears off , the price per seat will be less than a smaller plane
I like it…if the European businesses can make a better mouse trap…Congrats to them. My last trip accross the U.S. on a commercial airliner was a headache and a rat trap. U.S. business have lost being customer friendly, They will deserve losing the money.
By the way, I’m an American Army Vet…
I am Brazilian and I´m ansious to see this aircraft in Brazil , especially in Eduardo Gomes International Airport , in Manaus .
I am a airplane lover and would thanks by pictures and decription about this airplane.
actually i wanna become a pilot but unfotunately i m not.
I like to see planes very much
especially The A380
I m vishing to enjoy A380 once in a life
this reply i m sending from ABU DHABI intl airport
keep me replying
Arif
it’s time for Boeing to launch a new jetliner advanced than 747 400
a great technical features are present in construction of A380. all the best for this flight
Well folks, just to put things in perspective. The A380 is a cool airplane but it is basically a copy of the design that Douglas came up with a long time ago but didn’t have the guts to undertake. That Douglas aircraft was called the MD12, check it out. Of course it is easy to have the guts to make fancy airplanes when you have the government subsidizing you and then you build them real cheap and agree to finance them. That is the ONLY way that Airbus can compete with Boeing. Boeing always has and always will build the best aircraft even when they are not subsidized. The Airbus A330 and the A380 both failed their wing tests in development and had to be fixed. Isn’t that a comfortable feeling? I could go on and on here but I won’t. To the airline management is all about the bottom line and NOT safety, believe me.
I rest my case. Have a nice flight…..
Oh, I almost forgot to say. I do not work for Boeing, but I do fly them. Also Airbus designs the pilots out of their cockpits while Boeing still designs their aircraft to be able to be flown by the pilots. As we say, Boeing designs the pilots to be in the cockpit. It’s all about control of the aircraft that may save your ass someday. Amen.
This plane is the first of its generation. The next step will see Airbus building a stretched version that airlines dream to have.
This is the real strategic version with 3,4 or 5 different classes.
For kkepilot, if you really are a pilot, you should know thhe last statistics about planes. How do you explain the fact that most of deadly accidents involve some Boeing jets.
@ #45
30 seconds?
Be lucky you have the cash to keep things interesting because your sexual prowess isn’t going to cut it….. 😉
Hey guys someones probs already said this but, never mind all the overlooked safety aspects of this plane but how long is it going to be before taxes make this plane impossible to afford to fly. People are not going to pay hundreds of pounds for seats on this thing
Matt
#57–I wouldn’t respond except for your moniker. I thought the whole point of HUGE aircraft was it lowered the cost per seat per mile?
So, AllAboutEconomics==what do you mean?
#59–Pedro==if prices remain the same while cost (fuel among others) rise sharply, then large planes are more economic to fly.
Having a large First Class, Business, and Lounges also help support the cattle car class getting the level rates?
Large airplanes require large airports/high density spoke and hub air transport causing a certain set of issues while once again lowering the overall cost of air transport.
Still–the cheapest land transport is canal boat, followed by train. We’ll come full circle as further economies are required.
Is a A380 is a 3 decker plane?
If that’s the case WOW!… i only know that it was only a double decker plane..