Airbus A380 is a double-deck passenger airliner manufactured by Airbus in France. The aircraft first took off in 2005, but entered service with passenger transportation companies in 2007. This aircraft is considered the largest passenger airliner.
History
In 2000, the leaders of the Airbus company agreed on a project to launch the production of the largest airliners with the prefix "A3". Before the Airbus A380 entered service, the A300 and A340 airliners were produced. After the approval of the design, technical components and the name of the aircraft, the launch of production began in 2002. The cost of the entire project at that time amounted to more than 11 billion euros (860 trillion rubles, not counting the construction of the first A380 airliner.
Engineers from Moscow participated in the design of the aircraft model, and then the first design bureau was created. Russian engineers designed most of the fuselage, on-board computer software, and also supervisedproduction of this Airbus model.
To test the airliner, 5 test models were built. The first A380 took off in Toulouse in 2005. In 2006, an Airbus A380 made the first transatlantic flight, landing in Colombia. In 2006, the first flight with passengers took place to test the cabin for durability and comfort.
In just 2 years, the Airbus A380 has flown more than four and a half thousand hours and made about 1300 flights, which is an excellent indicator for such a huge airliner.
Short description
As the largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 is also one of the most popular, rivaling Boeing. Here are some facts about the Airbus A380:
- The capacity of the airliner is 853 people.
- First flight was made in 2007.
- Not only France takes part in the construction of the airliner, but also Spain, Russia, Great Britain and Germany.
- The largest wingspan among all passenger airliners - 80 meters. The flight length is almost 15,500 kilometers.
- The maximum speed of an airliner is 1020 km/h.
- The most frequent buyer of the Airbus A380 is Emirates, which owns at least a dozen of these airliners.
- Approximate number of aircraft produced is 214.
Exterior
The length of the airliner is 72meters, height - 24 meters, wingspan - 80 meters. It is the largest of all passenger airliners to date. Outwardly, the aircraft is no different from its relatives, except for its huge size: large wings, height, like an eight-story building, large engines, two on each wing. One four-wheel landing gear is located on each wing, two pairs of six-wheel landing gear - on the main body of the aircraft and a pair of landing gear - under the cockpit. There are versions of the aircraft divided into economy, business and first class. A double-decker version has been created, with slightly more seats for economy class passengers than the rest.
Salon A380 Emirates
Emirates is a company owned by the UAE. This company owns about 40 huge airliners. The layout of the cabins has two types, which depend on the design of the aircraft. The first type includes business class, first class and economy class.
The second one has more seats in economy class, here the numbers of seats and rows change periodically. On the top floor are business and first class passengers. Economy class is located on the lower floor.
The Emirates A380 800 has the best interior. The perfect combination of materials, pleasant interior lighting, oriental decor and more.
Division by class
When choosing passenger seats, you should familiarize yourself with the layout of the A380 cabin. Most passenger seats are in economy class, followed by business class and first class. Everything in business classmade for a private flight. There are partitions for privacy, comfortable seating and large 17-inch monitors. There is a bar in the cabin, which is located on the second floor between business and first class, where, in addition to food and coffee, you can order alcoholic drinks and cocktails.
Economy class is not far behind the business class in terms of functionality. Unless the places are smaller and the dishes on the menu are different. There is also a 10-inch monitor in front of each seat for watching movies, listening to music, and monitoring flight status, including aircraft speed, time, flight altitude, and location.
Seats near the window on the first floor are not in a very convenient place due to the rounding of the fuselage, you can not put your head on your side to rest. Above the passenger seats in economy class are luggage compartments that can accommodate a backpack or bag. On the top floor, these compartments are located to the right of the passenger row.
To choose a convenient seat, you should know the type of aircraft, since Emirates has two of them. We will talk about choosing a place convenient for the flight later.
A380 Emirates cabin map
First class has 4 rows. These seats have comfortable seats with large displays that can turn into a full bed. The ticket price includes bar drinks and service. Also in the "coupe" there is a socket with any adapters, Wi-Fi, passenger seat lighting and a mini-bar right at hand. Passengers of the firstclass can order food, as in high-end restaurants, as well as take a shower right on the plane.
When choosing a seat, you should familiarize yourself with the layout of the Emirates A380 cabin, find out the location of the toilets and technical rooms. The light and noise in the staff rooms often interfere with passengers' peaceful rest during the flight.
Business class seats occupy 20 rows. There are also comfortable chairs that turn into a bed in one movement. For a quiet flight, you should choose any seats with the exception of seats 20, 21 and 23 of the row. Near them there is a bar, technical rooms and a toilet, where passengers constantly go, disturbing others.
There are 53 rows for economy class passengers. Opposite each passenger seat is a 10-inch monitor, as well as a socket, an input for USB devices. For an additional fee, an Internet password will be issued, usually it is expensive. The distance between rows is about 80 centimeters. Usually this is enough for a smooth passage between them.
When choosing seats, you should look at the 43rd row, as there will be much more space in the legs due to the lack of seats in front. But this is the only plus of this row, since there is a staircase to the second floor near it, along which flight attendants constantly walk. There is a toilet near row 43 of the A380 cabin, which also creates unnecessary noise. If all of these shortcomings do not bother you in any way, then this is a good choice for a place to fly.
Analogues
The main competitor of Airbus A380 is consideredBoeing 787, manufactured in the USA and approved for operation in 2011 (4 years later than the A380). The maximum landing is 330 people, which, of course, cannot be compared with 800 passengers in the A380. The interior of the A380 is similar to the 787. But in the latter, the interior is lighter, white materials are used (in economy class). In business class, the seats are blue or brown, it all depends on the company operating the airliner.
Conclusion
The Airbus A380 gained its popularity due to the fact that it became the largest passenger aircraft, surpassing the Boeing in terms of capacity, size and technical parameters. Also, thanks to the operation of the airliner by Emirates, he became the most recognizable airliner. The interior of the Airbus A380 is the highlight of the Emirates company, made according to all the canons of Eastern culture, where even in economy class you can comfortably sit and forget that you are flying in an airplane, and not sitting on the couch.
