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 late 2006 after 15 months of testing, with the delivery of the first aircraft to launch customer Singapore Airlines. 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 the largest passenger airliner in the world, 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.
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 15,000 km (8,000 nautical miles). The second model, the A380-800F dedicated freighter, will carry 150 tonnes of cargo 10,400 km (5,600 nautical miles).
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 feature eight 15-by-20 cm (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-RoyceTrent 900 or Engine AllianceGP7200turbofanengines 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 upper fuselage and on the stabilizers' leading edges. This aluminium-glass-fibre laminate is lighter and has better corrosion and impact resistance than conventional aluminium alloys used in aviation. Unlike earlier composite materials, it can 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 the 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 27 cm (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 the aileron and elevator and as electrical backup hydrostatic actuators (EBHA) for the rudder and some spoilers.
350 bar (35 MPa) hydraulic system
This is an improvement over the typical 207 bar (20.7 MPa or 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 (35 MPa or 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 150 kVA 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 with exception of wing component to be made by Indonesian aircraft manufacturer, IPTN. The European manufacturer will produce most of 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, whence 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. Doors were specially made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore, India. A special IC was also made in India and delivered to Airbus specially for A-380.
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
The first completed A380 at the "A380 Reveal" event in ToulouseSide view of the first completed A380
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. 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 each in their own ways.
Boeing 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 in favour of the 747 Advanced, a similar design to the 747X that was announced as the 747-8 Intercontinental on November 142005 with a seating capacity of around 450 passengers to compete with the A380.
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 590 t, 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]
First flights
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 272005. The prototype departed runway 32L of Blagnac International Airport in Toulouse, France with a flight crew of six, carrying 22 short tons (20 metric 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 short tons), or about 75 % of ts 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.
Airbus initially planned about 15 months of flight testing, but shortly after the first flight they acknowledged that the airplane would not be ready for formal certification and commercial use until near the end of 2006, resulting in delays of 6 months or more for initial contracted deliveries.
On October 182005, 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 off for the first time in Toulouse.
In mid November 2005, the A380 embarked on a tour of South-east Asia and Australia, partly as a promotion, and partly as part of its long-haul flight testing. The aircraft flew from Singapore to Brisbane on the 12th, then on to Sydney on the 13th, performing a public flypast over the harbour on its arrival. The plane then flew to Melbourne on the 14th and returned to Brisbane for Qantas' 85th anniversary celebration on the 15th. John Travolta, who is Qantas' ambassador, was present at the celebration and managed to take the A380 on a joy ride from Brisbane Airport, flying over the Gold Coast and back. Following the celebrations, the A380 flew to Kuala Lumpur on the 16th before returning back to France on the 17th. On these flights, colours of various airlines were applied - Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines- in addition to the house colours.
On 19 November2005 an A380 flew in full Emirates colors at the 2005 Dubai air show, giving 450 VIP passengers a ride as it flew low over the Dubai waterfront.
Sixteen airlines have ordered the A380 as of June 182005, 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 list price stands at US$295 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]
Computer-generated image of an Airbus A380 in Airbus' old house colors
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 LondonHeathrow 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 to Melbourne 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. As type certificate requirements for A380 are laid down by both EASA and FAA, Airbus will address these concerns as required.
Cabin pressurization
Joseph Mangan, a former employee of TTTech, has claimed the company's contribution to the A380 is severely flawed.[3] TTTech supplies 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.
This allegation has been strongly rejected by both TTTech[4] and EADS[5]. Additionally, Boeing has said they are unaware of any problems with TTTech's chips.[6]. An Austrian court has fined Mr. Mangan for violating the court's preliminary injunction regarding discussion of his allegation pending court cases.
Ground operations
Early critics claimed that the A380 would damage taxiways and other airport surfaces, however the pressure exerted by its wheels was lower than that of a 747 because the A380 has more wheels than the 747 (22 wheels in the A380 compared to 18 wheels in the 747). Airbus tested this using a special ballasted rig which included as many wheels as the A380 would use, in the same position as those from the landing gear. The rig, weighing 540 short tons (490 metric tons), was towed up and down of Airbus' facilities at Toulouse and after each pass the ground was carefully inspected.
Another criticism is that the A380, with a longer wingspan than a 747, will require the repositioning of taxiways so as to allow two of these aircraft to maintain safety distances when passing each other on, for example, a runway and an adjacent taxiway.
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. [7]
Wake turbulence
All aircraft produce wingtip vortices during flight, contributing to wake turbulence, which are strongest during flight envelopes involving high thrust, high angles of attack, and under clean configurations, such as departures. 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".[8] 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 [9], 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. However, at Maximum Take-Off Weight, notwithstanding other aerodynamic improvements (which Airbus claims to have implemented [10]), the turbulence will be stronger.
Modern aerodynamics can potentially reduce the effect. Research in the 1970s demonstrated that some wingtip vortex control concepts (winglets, for example), while reducing cruise vortices and drag, did not have a significant effect on vortex strength during the landing phase. Though it is not clear whether wingtip fences were ever tested, this research (and more recent studies) did identify several promising alternatives.[11] Flight testing will show how powerful the vortices created by the A380 really are; if they are larger than existing aircraft vortices (notably by the Boeing 747), it may require greater aircraft separation on approach, reducing the frequency of aircraft landings, which would reduce the efficiency of the aircraft.
Specifications
A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft. Click to enlarge.
General characteristics (800F Freighter in brown) [12]
Flight crew: 2
Capacity: 850 passengers in 1 class or 555 in 3 classes, with up to 66.4 tonnes (146,400 lb) of cargo in 38 LD3s or 13 pallets
Air France
China Southern Airlines
FedEx
Kingfisher Airlines
Korean Air
Lufthansa
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Thai Airways International
Virgin Atlantic
