Les Jones: The Airbus A380, OR, Oh! The Humanity!

January 25, 2005

European Union > The Airbus A380, OR, Oh! The Humanity!

Frank Martin looks at the new Airbus A380, the double-decker, Texas-sized airliner from Europe. He thinks it will be technically interesting, but ultimately a commercial failure, and includes it in a list of goverment-backed debacles that includes the Dornier DO-X, Bristol Brabazon, Saunders Roe Princess, Concorde, and the Space Shuttle.

To that list I'd add Cargolifter, an enormous dirigible largely funded by the German government with the goal of transporting cargo that couldn't be moved with winged aircraft. Cargolifter went bankrupt in 2002 before they had any commercial flights. Chris Range was telling me about them in the '90s. My reaction then was "a big German dirigible? What could possibly go wrong?"

Posted by lesjones

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After Graf (Count) Zeppelin's death, Hugo Eckner was the main man at the Zeppelin company. Asked in an interview in the 1950s, what he thought of the future of aviation, Eckner responded in favor of airplanes - "A good thing has been replaced by a better thing."

Keeping with the theme of government aviation that goes bust, is the story of Samuel Langley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley

From Wikipaedia: "Langley unsuccessfully competed to make the first working heavier-than-air aircraft. He was in part hindered by his use of heavy steam engines for power." Many of Langley's experiments were funded by the government. The Wright Brothers achieved their feat through their own funds.

Sometimes the government does a good job in developing new technology. But my opinion is that usually private industry drives innovation.

Posted by: Chris Range at January 25, 2005

The chaos that ensues before and after a 747 stops at the average airport makes me cringe at the thought of a beast like this.

Before a 747 lands, there are no seats anywhere in the concourse of whatever airport you are in. As peope wait to catch the outgoing flight.

Bathrooms are a mess, and the lines are enormous.

When the incoming flight lands, the real fun begins, since there aren't enough luggage carts/cabs/bathrooms/or Starbucks coffee cups to fill the demand. And woe be to the traveler who forgot to book a rental car - since there won't be any of those either.

The airbus is 50% larger? Can't wait to be in that avalanche.

Posted by: Zendo Deb at January 25, 2005

What kind of lazer pointer will I need to bring that SOB down?

Posted by: Teddy at January 25, 2005