Facts About the Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 came about as the result of thousands of people working together. It involved a network of more than 100 international suppliers as well as partners in more than 20 countries. This matches the industrial scale involved in a space program.

The History of the Airbus A380

In the mid 70's Airbus went through a very slow patch business-wise. In 1976 they only sold one aircraft and their output was one aircraft per month. This was partly caused by the global recession at the time and the oil crisis in the Middle East.

In the 80's the company produced the Airbus A320 which helped strengthen their position in the market. This was followed by the Airbus A330 and A340.

In the 90's Airbus recognized the need for a larger long-haul aircraft. They started experimenting with designs and the A380 was conceived.

Features of the Airbus A380

The design team had a number of goals in mind for the Airbus A380. These included the following:

• Reducing the weight and maintenance cost of aircraft systems
• To use fewer avionic computers that would serve a greater number of purposes
• The greater use of aluminum electrical cable
• To introduce titanium into the landing gear
• In late 1999 a material called GLARE (glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum laminate) was selected for the upper fuselage shell of the A380

Facts about the Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is an engineering marvel and the result of thousands of hours of research and testing and billions of dollars. The result is an aircraft of amazing size with advanced features:

• The Airbus A380 landing gear incorporates 22 wheels
• The nose landing gear is just over 16 feet tall
• The inflatable slides on the A380 are the longest of any aircraft and can extend as far as 53 feet. They include a survival kit, integrated lighting systems and a radio beacon
• The Airbus A380 can carry up to 38% more passengers than a Boeing 747
• The cargo version of the A380 allows space for 25 containers in the upper deck, 33 in the main deck and 13 in the lower deck
• The aircraft is designed for 19,000 flight cycles, 140,000 flight hours or 25 years - whichever it reaches first

Specifications of the Airbus A380

• Fuselage diameter 23 feet 5 inches
• Overall length 239 feet 3 inches
• Wingspan 261 feet 8 inches
• Overall height 79 feet 7 inches
• Passengers - typical layout - 555 - 22 first class, 96 business class, 437 economy class
• Maximum passenger capacity 853

The Airbus A380 is changing the face of international travel and many people have sought the experience of flying in one. It has placed Airbus as a firm competitor in the long haul aircraft market.

Recommended reading: Airbus A380 Superjumbo of the 21st Century by Guy Norris and Mark Wagner, Zenith Press 2005