A380 is an aircraft developed by Airbus S. A. S. It is the world's largest passenger airliner. The vessel reaches 24.08 m in height and 72.75 m in length. The wingspan of the aircraft is 79.75 m. In a single-class configuration, it can carry 853 passengers, in a three-class configuration - 525. The maximum distance of a non-stop flight is 15,400 km.
The work of the creators
According to the developers, the greatest difficulties had to be faced in the process of searching for options to reduce the weight of the A380 aircraft. The aircraft was made lighter thanks to the widespread use of composite materials in the creation of not only structural structural elements, but also auxiliary units, interior and much more. In addition, the most advanced technological solutions and modified aluminum alloys were used for these purposes. So, 40% of the mass of an eleven-ton center section is carbon fiber. Glare hybrid material is used for the production of the side and top panels of the fuselage. Laser welding of the skin and stringers of the lower fuselage panel made it possible to significantly reduce the number of fasteners.
Airbus A380 - aircraft, to createwhich took about ten years. The cost of the grandiose project amounted to twelve billion euros. According to representatives of the Airbus company, in order for this amount to pay off, it is necessary to sell four hundred and twenty copies of the aircraft. Based on this information, you can calculate how much the plane costs. The amount is impressive - 28 million 571 thousand 428 euros for one copy.
How it all began
A380 is an aircraft that began to be developed with the following goals: to expand the range of Airbus S. A. S. and remove the Boeing-747 from the leading position. Debates on the final configuration of the aircraft ended in 2001. The first components of the A380 wing were produced in January 2002. According to initial estimates, the cost of the program varied between 8.7 - 8.8 billion euros. After the assembly of the first aircraft, this amount increased to 11 billion (subsequently it was further increased).
It should be noted that the employees of the Airbus ECAR Moscow Engineering Center made an invaluable contribution to the design of the A380F model. Thanks to the efforts of Russian designers, a large amount of work was done on the design of individual parts of the fuselage, strength calculations were made, on-board equipment was placed and support was provided for the serial production of the aircraft.
Where components are made and how they are transported
Specialists in France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain are working on building the main sections of the airliner. Due to their large size, these componentsdelivered to Toulouse by water and land transport. Some parts still fit in the An-24.
The tail and nose elements of the fuselage were horizontally loaded onto the Ville de Bordeaux (owned by the Airbus concern) in Hamburg to go to the UK. Wing consoles made in Broughton and Filton were brought to Mostyn by barge. There, these elements were loaded onto the aforementioned Ville de Bordeaux. In Cadiz, the ship received tail components and lower fuselage sections. Everything was unloaded in Bordeaux. From there, the constituent elements were transported to Langon, and then delivered by land to Toulouse. The already assembled aircraft were sent to Hamburg for the final equipment. A380 is an aircraft that requires 3,600 liters of paint to cover (total skin area - 3,100 square meters).
Tests
Modern aircraft undergo the most serious tests before being released into flights. The A380 is no exception in this regard. Five aircraft were built specifically for versatile testing. The first board was presented in Toulouse in January 2005. On April 27 of the same year, the first flight was made. The flight team consisted of six people, led by Jacques Rossi, an experienced test pilot. A successful landing occurred after 3 hours 54 minutes. after takeoff.
A series of test flights started on December 1, 2005. It was then that the aircraft reached an impressive speed of 0.96 max during a gentledives.
A380 - the aircraft (see photo above) that made its first transatlantic flight on 2006-10-01. The beginning of the same year was marked by the first unforeseen situation: during a static test at the Toulouse aircraft factory, the wing of one vessel suddenly cracked, unable to withstand the load at 145% of the nominal. As defined by aviation safety regulations, no change in integrity should occur at 150% load. As a result, the leadership of the Airbus consortium decided to make changes to the design of the aircraft's wings. Due to the addition of reinforcing elements, the total weight of the structure increased by thirty kilograms, fourteen of which were mounting bolts.
The first flight test of the A380 with passengers was successfully completed on September 4, 2006.
Design Features
A 380 800 - a modification designed to carry 555 or 583 passengers (depending on configuration). In 2007, Airbus began to offer customers a vessel with a smaller capacity (525 seats) in exchange for an increased flight range (it was possible to increase it by 370 kilometers). This transformation has made it possible to achieve the maximum alignment with the trends of premium transportation.
There is another modification of the Airbus in question. This is the cargo version of the A380-800F. The aircraft is capable of transporting up to one hundred and fifty tons of cargo. The maximum flight range is 10,370 kilometers.
In the future, it is planned to produce jetpassenger aircraft modification A380-900. They will have a larger capacity (656/960 passengers) with a similar flight range.
Pilots' workplace
In order to reduce the cost of additional crew training, all Airbuses are built with the same cockpit layout and flight characteristics. The A380 features an improved quality glass cockpit. The rudders can be manipulated remotely using electric actuators that are connected to the side control stick. The most modern information display devices are installed in the cockpit. These are nine interchangeable LCD monitors measuring 20 by 15 centimeters. Two of them are indicators of navigation data, two display basic information about the flight, two more inform about the operation of the engines, one provides data on the current state of the entire system. The remaining two monitors are multifunctional.
To refuel the aircraft in question, a mixture of natural gas and aviation kerosene with GTL can be used.
Materials used
How much does an Airbus A380 cost? More than twenty-eight million euros. The hefty price tag per aircraft is largely due to the use of advanced composite materials of construction, including plastic and metal reinforced with quartz, carbon and fiberglass. In addition, aluminum alloys are actively used in the manufacture of aircraft. In combination with laser welding, this eliminates the need for rivets.
Ensuring a comfortable flight
As experts have established, the noise level in the cabin of the A380 is half that of the Boeing-747. In addition, inside the considered aircraft, the air pressure is maintained at a higher level. Both of these factors are designed to reduce passenger fatigue during the flight.
Two ladders, located in the tail and bow of the aircraft, connect the upper and lower decks. The A380 has impressive customization options. That is why, as noted in the Airbus concern, the growth in production rates is not as high as previously thought. The aircraft can be equipped with a shower cabin, a bar counter, a lounge, a Duty Free shop. Due to the presence of a satellite channel, telephone communication or wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi) is organized for passengers.
Currently, air transportation in Russia using the A380 is not performed. An order has been placed for four aircraft, but none have been built yet.
Unforeseen situations
The first emergency occurred on November 4, 2010. On that day, a Qantas A380 was en route from Singapore to Sydney. One of the aircraft's engines failed just a few minutes after takeoff. The plane was forced to return to the airport in Singapore. None of the 433 passengers and 26 crew members were injured, Australian authorities said. In addition, landing gear tires burst at the emergency side during landing. After this incident, the company's management tookthe decision to suspend the flights of all Airbus A380 belonging to her for two days until the completion of their detailed check.
The second incident happened on April 12, 2011. Then the plane belonging to Air France caught the tail of the aircraft CRJ 700 with its wing. There were no casu alties.
Conclusion
Airbus A380 is the result of hard work of developers and manufacturers. This aircraft outperforms its closest competitors in many ways. How much does an aircraft cost, what are the features of its design and the process of creation? All these questions are answered in the above article.
