Airbus A380 is EuropeAirbusThe world's largest wide body manufacturedAircraft。Airbus began relevant research work in 1988, and announced the project in 1990 toBoeing 747Challenge the dominant position in the long-distance air passenger transport market.Airbus put forward the A3XX project in 1994;On December 19, 2000, US $10.7 billion was invested to launch the A380 program.
The first prototype of Airbus A380 was first unveiled in Toulouse, France, on January 18, 2005, and its first flight was completed on April 27, 2005.This model was licensed by EASA and FAA in December 2006.The problem of electrical wiring led to the delay of the project for two years, and the R&D expenditure soared to 20.3 billion dollars.
On October 15, 2007, this model was first delivered onSingapore AirlinesAnd was put into operation on October 25 of that year.The Airbus A380 reached its peak annual output in 2012 and 2014, with an annual output of 30.However, Airbus acknowledged that the project was a loss, and the revenue could not compensate the R&D cost of the project of 25 billion dollars.
On February 14, 2019, Airbus andEmiratesAnnounce to stop delivery in 2021 after reaching the agreement on reducing A380 ordersA380。[1]
The Airbus A380 is a four engine, 525 seat super large double deck passenger aircraft with an Engine Alliance GP7200 or Rolls Royce Trent 900 turbofan engine and a range of 14800 kilometers.By February 2019, Airbus had received 290 orders and delivered 235 aircraft.Emirates is the largest customer of Airbus A380, with 123 orders and 109 delivered.
Chinese name
Airbus A380
Foreign name
Airbus A380
manufacturer
Airbus Europe
Type
Four engine long range wide body civil transport aircraft
In 1988, Jean Roeder ledairbus Our engineers began to secretly carry out research and development work on super large passenger aircraft to improve our product series and break the gap since the early 1970sBoeingrely onBoeing 747The leading position established in the long-distance air passenger transport market.[5]McDonnell Douglas andLockheed MartinHave made efforts in the long-distance air passenger transport market,McDonnell Douglas Launched the double-layer MD-12 aircraft program[6]Lockheed Martin explored the possibility of large subsonic transport aircraft[7], but all ended in failure.
At the Farnborough Air Show in 1990, Airbus announced the plan of this large passenger aircraft and claimed to achieve 15% lower operating costs than the Boeing 747-400.[5]Airbus has organized four designer teams from Airbus partners (Air France, British Aerospace, German Aerospace and Spanish Aerospace Manufacturing) to provide new technologies for this project.In 1992, Airbus put forward a design scheme and applied many competitive designs.[5]In January 1993, Boeing and several cooperative aircraft manufacturers of Airbus began to jointly carry out the feasibility study of VLCT (Very Large Commercial Transport), committed to forming a cooperative relationship to share the limited market.[5]In June 1994, Airbus announced its own large-scale passenger aircraft research and development plan, named A3XX.[8]Airbus considered many design options, including the double fuselage design of the A340, the largest Airbus jet at that time.[5]A3XX competes with the VLCT program and Boeing 747 successor - 747X.
In July 1995, Boeing abandoned the joint research plan of VLCT because the research found that the product could not cover the R&D cost of up to 15 billion dollars.Although only two airlines are interested in buying the A3XX, Airbus still insists on its large-scale passenger aircraft project.Boeing abandoned the design plan of lengthening the Boeing 747, and shifted the route planning from the central radial system requiring large aircraft to the direct route deviation requiring small aircraft.[9]
Occurred between 1997 and 2000Asian financial crisisAs a result, the market prospect is not clear. Airbus has revised its design and is committed to reducing the operating cost of the existing Boeing 747-400 by 15-20%.The A3XX adopts a double-layer layout to provide more passenger space.[10-11]Airbus's approach is consistent with the traditional hub and spoke transport mode, and the A3XX competes with the Boeing 777, which uses point-to-point transport mode.Although Airbus publicized the possibility of duty-free shops, hotel restaurants, gyms, casinos and beauty salons in its early marketing, it needs the economic strength of airlines to realize these dreams.
On December 19, 2000, the newly formed Airbus Board of Supervisors announced to invest US $10.7 billion in A3XX, changed the name of the plan to A380, and obtained 50 orders from six airlines[12]。The design of the A380 is a breakthrough of the previous Airbus family series.The reason why the number 8 is chosen to be named is that the cross section shape of the number 8 and the double-layer fuselage is very similar, and this number is an auspicious number in some Asian countries.[5]The appearance of the aircraft was completed in early 2001, and the processing and manufacturing of the first A380 wing box components began on January 23, 2002.When the first prototype was completed, the research and development expenses of the A380 had increased to € 11-14 billion.[13]
In March 2022, a European aircraft manufacturer Airbus A380 passenger aircraft powered by waste edible oil and other fuels completed its test flight.[90]
R&D expenses
In 2000, the R&D budget of the project was 9.5 billion euros.[14]In 2004, Airbus estimated that it would need to increase its budget by 1.5 billion euros, with a total R&D expenditure of 10.3 billion euros.[15]Since then, Airbus has not announced the R&D expenses of this project. In 2006, Airbus increased the R&D expenses by 4.9 billion euros.After the project was delayed for two years due to electrical wiring problems, the R&D cost of the project reached 18 billion euros.[14]
In 2014, it is estimated that about US $25 billion has been spent on R&D of this model.[16]By 2016, it is estimated that the total R&D expenditure of A380 project in the 15 years will be up to 25 billion US dollars.[17]
Manufacturing
Itin é raire à Grand Gabarit Complex Route
The main structural components of the A380 are manufactured in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.Because of the large size of components, the traditional transportation mode is no longer feasible,[18]So these parts are transported by special road and water, and even some parts are transported to the assembly hall in Toulouse, France by A300-600ST Beluga transport aircraft[19]。A380 aircraft components are provided by global suppliers, of which the four largest suppliers are Luo Luo, Safran, United Technologies and General Electric.[20]
In order to transport the structural components of the A380, a complex route called Itin é raire à Grand Gabarit was opened up, including the formation of a fleet consisting of ro ro ships and barges, the construction of port facilities, and the construction and repair of roads to meet the needs of the super large transport fleet.[21]The front and rear fuselages are transported from Hamburg in northern Germany to Saint Nazaire in France by fleet.The fleet loaded the wings via Mostin, England.The wings were manufactured in Broughton, North Wales, and then transported by barge to the port of Mostin.[22]
A380 fuselage parts carried on cargo ship
In Saint Nazaire, the fuselage parts of the ship become larger assembly parts, and some assembly parts are protruding.The ship was then unloaded in Puerto, France.Then the ship went to Cadiz in southern Spain to transport the middle and tail of the fuselage to Puerto Rico.From Puerto Rico, these parts were transported to Langon by barge and then to the assembly hall in Toulouse by motorcade.[23]To avoid damage during direct transportation, parts are stored in customized molds for transportation.
After the assembly, the aircraft flew to Hamburg Finckenweld Airport for decoration and spraying.Airbus has expanded its production equipment and supply chain to reach the productivity of four A380s per month.[22]
test
A380 being tested in hangar
Airbus has manufactured five A380s for testing and verification.[24]The first A380 was released in Toulouse, France, on January 18, 2005.[25]It made its first flight on April 27, 2005.[26]The aircraft is equipped with four Rollot Trent 900 engines. The first flight took off from Toulouse Bragnac airport, and six crew members including chief test pilot Jacques Rosay were on board.[27]
On November 11, 2005, the A380 made its first transcontinental long distance flight for publicity and testing. This flight arrived in Singapore, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur respectively.On November 19, an A380 arrived in Dubai for exhibition with the coating of Emirates Airlines.[28]
On January 10, 2006, the A380 flew across the Atlantic for the first time to Medellin, Colombia, to test theengine performance 。On February 6, the A380 flew to North America and landed in Iquette, Canada, for testing in cold weather;This aircraft then flew to Singapore to participate in the 2006 Asian Air Show.
On March 26, 2006, the A380 carried out an emergency evacuation test in Hamburg, Germany. 853 passengers and 20 crew members had to evacuate the cabin in darkness and half of the exits (i.e. 8) were closed. The test was successfully completed within 78 seconds.Three days later, the European Aviation Safety Agency andFederal Aviation AdministrationThe A380 is approved to carry 853 passengers.
On September 4, 2006, the A380 carried out a full flight test in Toulouse. A total of 474 Airbus staff participated in the flight test.In November, the A380 began its global flight performance test.
On 12 December 2006, the European Aviation Safety Agency andFAAOfficials officially issued the airworthiness certificate of A380 aircraft to Airbus.[29]
Delivery for use
On October 15, 2007, the first A380 aircraft numbered MSN003 was delivered toSingapore AirlinesAnd was put into operation on the Singapore Sydney route on October 25, 2007.[30]Passengers buy seats at charity auctions at prices ranging from $560 to $100380.There are 455 passengers on board this SQ380 passenger flight of Singapore Airlines. The oldest is 91 years old, and the youngest is a ten month old boy, all Singaporeans.There are another 30 crew members on board, including four pilots.This flight includes 12 "SIA Suites", 60 business class seats and 399 economy class seats.[31]Two months later, the CEO of Singapore Airlines said that the A380 had excellent performance, and the fuel consumption per passenger mileage was 20% lower than that of the Boeing 747-400 aircraft.EmiratesTim Clark claims that the A380 has better fuel economy at Mach 0.86,[32]Its technical dispatching reliability is 97%, which is consistent with that of Singapore Airlines.Airbus is committed to achieving 98.5% of the industry standard.[33]
Emirates is the second airline to receive the A380, and carried out commercial operation on the Dubai New York route in August 2008.[34]QantasIt was followed by commercial operation on the Melbourne Los Angeles route in October 2008.By the end of 2008, a total of 2200 flights and 890000 passengers had been flown.[35]
In February 2009, Singapore Airlines transported 1 million passengers. By May 2009, it had flown 4200 flights and transported 150000 passengers.Air FranceThe first one was received in October 2009A380。LufthansaThe first A380 was received in May 2010.By July 2010, 31 A380s had been put into use, flying 17000 times between 20 international cities, and transporting 6 million passengers.[36]
On May 14, 2013, the 100th A380 produced by Airbus was delivered toMalaysia Airlines。In 2014, Emirates announced that its A380 had a load factor of 90-100%.In the past few years, the popularity of this model among passengers has not decreased.[37]
Improvements and upgrades
In 2010, Airbus announced a new A380 manufacturing standard, which includes enhanced fuselage structure and increased wing torsion by 1.5 degrees.As an option, Airbus also provides an enhanced version of the maximum takeoff weight, so it can provide higher load performance or range performance.The maximum takeoff weight increased by 4 tons to 573 tons.The voyage has increased by 190 kilometers.This is achieved by reducing the flight load, partly from optimizing the fly by wire control law.[38]2013British AirwaysAnd Emirates are the first two airlines to receive the new A380 aircraft.Emirates requested to update the engine around 2020, so as toBoeing 777XMore competitive.
In 2012, Airbus announced that the maximum takeoff weight of the new A380 was increased to 575 tons, 6 tons more than the original A380 model.With the same load, the flight range of the aircraft was increased to 15460 kilometers.In 2013, Airbus offered the A380 model with larger takeoff weight.[39]
Problems after delivery
Cracks in the wing parts were found during the maintenance of the engine failure of Flight 32 in Australia.As a result, EASA issued airworthiness directives in January 2012, affecting 20 A380 aircraft and 1300 flights in total.[40]A380 with less than 1800 flight hours needs to be overhauled every 6 weeks or every 84 flights;A380 with more than 1800 flight hours needs to be overhauled every 4 days or every 14 flights.[41]The cracked parts need to be replaced.On February 8, 2012, the inspection was extended to all 68 A380 passenger aircraft in operation.This problem was finally found not to affect the operation of the aircraft.EADS（EADS）The cost of the announced repairs exceeded US $130 million, which was borne by Airbus.Airbus indicated that the problem was caused by the material and stress of the parts.[42]
In addition, major airlines claimed the economic losses caused by the incident from Airbus.Airbus later replaced the type of aluminum alloy, so the aircraft delivered after 2014 no longer have such problems.[43]
Airbus has replaced about 10% of the cabin doors due to air leakage in some of the cabin doors during the flight.One of the accidents causedOxygen maskFalling, the aircraft makes an emergency landing.This replacement cost more than 100 million euros.Airbus claims that atmospheric pressure will push the cabin door into the structure, and the safety of the aircraft can be guaranteed.[44]
Stop production
In February 2019, Airbus announced to stop the production of A380 in 2021.Previously, Emirates, Airbus's main customer, agreed to abandon the order of 39 A380s and replace them with 40 A330-900 and 30 A350-900.Before closing the production line, Airbus will manufacture 17 more A380 passenger aircraft, deliver 14 to Emirates, and deliver 3 toJAL。Then the total delivery of this model reached 251.[45]Airbus needs to spend more than 90 million dollars from the price of each aircraft to pay the estimated development cost of the program of about 25 billion dollars.However, the price of $445 million per aircraft is not enough to cover production costs.Therefore, every A380 of Airbus is losing money, and orders are decreasing, so economically speaking, production should be stopped.
One reason why the A380 passenger plane did not bring profit to Airbus is the large passenger capacity optimized for the center radiation transportation mode.When Airbus made its R&D plan, it was predicted that the transportation mode would continue to develop.However, airlines have experienced a fundamental transformation to the point-to-point direct transportation mode, which allows passengers to take a flight directly to the destination.The design of A380 can make the cost per passenger mileage reach a very low level, but its efficiency is not comparable to that of point-to-point transportation.Therefore, since the mid October of the 21st century, the order of large passenger aircraft with more than 400 seats has been slowing down, because wide body catamarans provide similar range and higher fuel efficiency, enabling airlines to obtain greater flexibility at lower upfront costs.[46]
On December 16, 2021, Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturing giant, delivered the last A380 aircraft known as the "Big Mac" to the buyer.Since then, this model has stopped production.[89]
On November 9, 2022, the last commercial flight CZ328 of China Southern Airlines A380 has taken off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which means that all five domestic Airbus A380 have withdrawn from the historical stage, and the 11 year service of China Southern Airlines A380 in China has really endedHas.[93]
Design features
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Product Information
Airbus A380 initially provides two models: A380-800 and A380F.
A380 upper and lower cabin layout
The initial layout of the A380-800 is a three class (first class business class economy class) layout capable of carrying 555 passengers or a single economy class layout capable of carrying 853 passengers.Since May 2007, Airbus has begun to market 525 passengers, with 370 kilometers of flight distance increased to better reflect the trend of first-class comfort.[47]The A380-800 has a design range of 15700 kilometers and can fly directly from Hong Kong to New York or Sydney to Istanbul.
The A380F model can carry 150 tons of cargo and fly 10400 kilometers.[48]Since Airbus gives priority to the passenger A380, the research and development of the freight version has been put on hold, and then all orders for the freight A380 have been cancelled.
Other derivative models also include A380-900, which can carry 656 passengers. If all of them are economy class, they can carry 960 passengers at most;It has the same passenger capacity as the A380-800, but its range is increased.[5]
engine
Turbo fan engine
A380 provides two models of Roro Trent 900 (A380-841/- 842) and Engine Alliance GP7200 (A380-861)Turbo fan engine。[49]Both are used inBoeing 777The Trent 900 is a derivative product of the engine on the passenger aircraft. It is the fourth generation product of the Trent series engine and is designed to meet the needs of the A380.GP7200 uses GE90 core, PW4090, Rolls Royce turbine fan andLow pressure compressor。
becauseModern engineAnd the development of aerodynamics,LufthansaThe noise ratio of the A380 passenger plane with 160 more passengersBoeing 747-200Reduced by half.[50]In 2012, the A380 received an award from the Noise Reduction Association.[51]
Only the reverse thrust device installed inside the engine can provide sufficient braking capacity.There is no reverse thrust device outside the engine, which reduces the number of debris generated during landing.The reverse thrust device is electrically driven, which can reduce the weight and has better reliability than hydraulic or pneumatic devices.[52]
wing
Under the wing of A380
The wing size of the A380 aircraft is compatible with the future model with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 650 tons[5], although the cargo model needs some internal reinforcement.The wingspan optimized for this takeoff weight is about 90 meters, but the airport limits the wingspan to no more than 80 meters, reducing the aspect ratio to 7.8, which reduces the fuel efficiency by about 10%. Considering that the fuel cost accounts for about 50% of the operating cost in the long haul route, the operating cost will increase by several percent.[53]Because of the weight of the aircraft, the ordinary wing design method will sacrifice the fuel efficiency of the A380-800 passenger aircraft, but Airbus estimates that the size of the aircraft and advanced technology can provide lower operating costs than the Boeing 747-400.The wing uses winglets similar to those on the A310 and A320 to increase fuel efficiency and reduce induced drag and increase range.At the same time, the winglet can reduce the wake turbulence.[54]
Material Science
Composite materials used in A380
Although most of the airframe materials are aluminum alloy materials, the utilization rate of composite materials on the A380 airframe exceeds 20%.[55]Carbon fiber reinforced plasticsGlass fiber reinforced plastics and quartz fiber reinforced plastics are widely used in wings, fuselage parts (such as landing gear and tail of fuselage), tail wings and hatches.[56]The A380 aircraft is the first commercial aircraft to use a central wing box made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.It is also the first commercial airliner with smooth airfoil profile. The wings of other commercial airliners are divided into several sections along the span direction.This coherent wing reduces air drag.ThermoplasticUsed on the leading edge of slats.GLARE (glass laminate aluminum reinforced epoxy), a composite fiber metal layup material, is used on the upper part of the fuselage and the leading edge of the tail wing.This kind of glass fiber composite material is lighter than aluminum alloy commonly used in aviation, and has better corrosion resistance and impact resistance.[57]Unlike early composite materials, GLARE can be repaired using traditional aluminum alloy repair technology.The application of GLARE on A380 has a long history, which reflects the complexity of aviation industry innovation.[58]
The A380 fuselage uses a new type of weldable aluminum alloy, which makes laser welding manufacturing technology widely used and eliminates rivets, making the structure lighter and stronger.[59]Carbon fiber reinforced high-strength aluminum alloy was used on the wing supports of the first 120 A380 aircrafts to reduce weight, but defects were found later. The wing supports of the later A380 aircrafts were all made of standard aluminum alloy 7010, which led to the weight increase of 90kg.[60]The maintenance cost of early aircraft is about 500 million euros.[61]
The surface area of the A380 is 3100 square meters, which requires 3600L of paint. Five layers of paint are applied on the surface of the A380 aircraft, and the paint weight is about 650 kg.[62]
Avionics
Cockpit of A380
The A380 aircraft uses the integrated avionics module system (IMA), which is used for the first time in advanced military aircraft, such as Lockheed Martin's F-22 aircraft, F-35 light fighter and Dassault's Rafale fighter.The main IMA system on the A380 is developed by Thales Group.[63]IMA system was designed and developed by Airbus, Thales and Deere Aerospace, and was initially used for A380 passenger aircraft.This system is a technological innovation that uses network computing modules to support different applications.The data network uses avionics dual switching network, which is implemented by ARINC 664.This is a switchable, full duplex transmission, star topology network based on 100baseTX fast network.It greatly reduces the number of connections required and minimizes latency.[64]
Airbus adopts cockpit layout, procedures and operating characteristics similar to those of other Airbus aircraft, which reduces the training cost of crew.The A380 has an improved glass cockpit, which uses the side stick for flight control by wire.[65]The cockpit has eight 15 × 20 cm (5.9 × 7.9 inch) liquid crystal displays, which are identical in appearance and interchangeable, including two main flight displays, two navigation displays, one engine parameter display, one system display and two multi-function displays.A380 adopts MFDs, which isFlight management systemProvide an easy-to-use interface to replace three multi-function control and display units.[66]They includeQWERTY keyboardAnd trackballs, which are used to interact with the graphical display interface.[67]
The Network System Server (NSS) is the core of the paperless A380 cockpit;It eliminates cumbersome manuals and traditional charts.[68]NSS is robust enough to eliminate on-board backup of paper documents.A380's network and server systems store data and provide electronic documents, as well as required equipment lists, navigation charts, performance calculations and aircraft logs.This is accessed through MFDs and interacted through the keyboard.[64]
system
The fly by wire flight control actuator was first used in civil aviation as a backup of the main hydraulic actuator.At the same time, it can also be used as the auxiliary of the main actuator in some maneuvers.They have independent hydraulic and electrical supplies.The electro-hydraulic actuator is used to drive the aileron and elevator of the aircraft, or to backup the rudder and some spoilers.[69]
The 35MPa hydraulic system on the A380 is obviously different from the 21MPa hydraulic system used on most commercial aircraft since the 1940s.High pressure hydraulic system was first applied to military aircraft, which reduced the weight and size of pipes, actuators and related components.35MPa pressure is generated by 8 removable hydraulic pumps.Hydraulic pipes are generally made of titanium alloy.The hydraulic system has a fuel and air cooled heat exchanger.The independent electrohydraulic power pack is used as the backup of the main system instead of the auxiliary hydraulic system to save weight and reduce maintenance.[70]
A380 uses four 150kVA variable frequency engines, eliminating constant speed drive and improving reliability.A380 uses aluminum cable instead of copper to reduce weight.The power system is fully computerized, and many contactors and circuit breakers have been replaced by solid-state devices to obtain better performance and higher reliability.[69]
Auxiliary power supply includes auxiliary power supply unit (APU), electronic control box (ECB) and installed hardware.The APU used on the A380 is the PW 980A APU.APU mainly provides air for the engine and starts the engine during ground condition analysis (AGS).AGS is a semi-automatic flight data analysis system, which helps to optimize maintenance management and reduce costs.The APU also supplies power to the generators that provide auxiliary power to the aircraft.[71]
maintainability
With the aging of the A380 fleet, the regulations of the Airworthiness Authority require that certain inspections be carried out regularly from approved aircraft.Due to the continuous expansion of the fleet (about 286 aircraft in 2020), it is estimated that the maintenance and modification costs from 2015 to 2020 will be 6.8 billion dollars, of which 2.1 billion dollars will be used for engines.In 2014, Emirates conducted the first 3c inspection for 55 days.During their long stay, some airlines took advantage of this opportunity to install new interiors.[72]
For a long time,AirbusThe A380 project has developed, tested and applied a series of new technologies related to materials, processes, systems and engines.Airbus selects proven mature technologies that can bring long-term benefits to ensure better aircraft performance, lower operating costs, easier operation and more comfortable ride.
performance
Airbus A380 flies over Hong Kong
Compared with the previous aircraft, the Airbus A380 uses composite materials in a larger range, introduces many new systems and industrial processes, and improvesAerodynamic performance, flight system andAvionicsAnd set the standard for the first decade of the 21st century.In terms of using composite materials, A380 uses the innovative GLARE (glass fiber reinforced aluminum) material in its development. Compared with traditional aluminum materials, A380 has light weight, high strength, good fatigue resistance, and greatly improved maintenance performance and service life. It does not need special processing technology.About 25% of aircraft are made of advanced weight reducing materials, of which 22% arecarbon fibremixed typereinforced plastic （GLARE fiber-Sheet metal.For the first time, A380 adopts composite carbon fiberCentral wing box。In addition, the A380 also used composite materials in the rear fuselage behind the rear pressure chamber for the first time.[56]
In addition to composite materials, the A380 also uses a large number of advancedMetallic materialsThe benefits provided by these materials include reliable handling and easy maintenance.Each material is optimized according to the load, pressure and damage degree of different parts.
A380 project adoptsAirbus A318First application on passenger aircraftLaser beam welding technology, this technology replacesRivet connection method。[59]
operating costs
The A380 uses a hydraulic system with a pressure of 5000 pounds per square inch, compared with 3000 pounds per square inch used in general civil aircraftpressureCompared with the hydraulic system, the former can provide more power.The increase in pressure means that smaller pipes and hydraulic components can be used to transmit power, reducing weight.The wings of the A380 are very huge, each of which is 36 meters long. In addition to the landing gear, it can also store fuel. In total, it can hold 186386 liters of fuel.[70]
A380 adopts dual flight control system, which is characterized by four independent main flight control systems in two different configurations.It includes two conventional hydraulic action systems and two electro-hydraulic action systems.The A380 adopts electro-hydraulic action system to make it more flexible in power resources, increase redundancy and improve safety performance.[64]
Security
In addition, the A380 has the ability to pass through the field at low altitude and ultra-low altitude at low speed. It can complete high elevation turn, post stall speed and post stall elevation flight at medium and low altitude, and can turn over in the air, which ensures that the aircraft will encounter bird strike, thunderstormStrong crosswindFlight safety in severe flight conditions.At the same time, its 37m long wing and 8m long side rotor tail ensure that the aircraft can still glide and land when all power fails and fuel runs out.This is why the aviation field often says that the A380 is an airplane that never crashes. As the saying goes, wings can go for a ride. That is why the flight lift produced by the 37 meter wing is amazing. It means that even if all the engines of the airplane are damaged, the airplane will "fall" at about 36000 feetThe limit time of the coming ETOPS (Extended Twin Engine Operations) is 60 minutes, instead of crashing head on the ground.Therefore, the possible cause of the A380 crash is the air collision wing fracture.Because of its huge weight of 77.63 tons, the A380's landing is very difficult, because once it lands too heavy, passengers will feel very uncomfortable. If it lands too light, it will cause the tail wing of the aircraft to tilt, which will cause the aircraft to move sideways and run out of the runway. Such a huge thing rushing out of the flight lane means very serious consequences.
The A380 cockpit adopts the latest interactive display andEthernetExtensible integrated avionics module linked.The multi frequency generator specially developed for A380 is simpler in structure, more reliable in use and lighter in weight than the general fixed frequency generator.The A380 benefits from the most advanced in-flight entertainment systems manufactured by leading manufacturers.These manufacturers provide more enhanced systems to take advantage of theOptical network。[64]
Comfort
The seat area of the A380 is about one-third larger than that of the direct competitors, and it has more floor area.The A380 provides comfort, wider seats and passages, and wide space for passengers to stretch their legs and enjoy the underlying facilities.
noise
The A380 significantly reduces noise and exhaust emissions.With the adoption of a new generation of engines and advanced wings, the landing gear has also been designed and adopted new technologies. The A380 not only conforms to the internationalNoise control standardIt is also quieter than the largest passenger plane in the world.
Environmental protection
The fuel economy of A380 is about 13% higher than that of its direct competitors.Reduce the harm of exhaust emissions to the environment.
Take off run distance: 2750 m (9020 ft) 2900 m (9500 ft)
voyage: (within design load) 15700 km (8500 kmin the sea）10400 km (5600 nm)
engine:4x Engine Alliance GP7200 (A380-861)
Engine Alliance GP7277 (A380-863F)
Rollo Trent 977/B (A380-843F)
Rolls Royce Trent 970/B (A380-841)
Rollot Trent 972/B (A380-842)
Engine thrust: 4x311 kN (70000 lbf)
Push weight ratio：0.27[73]
Booking and delivery
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order
As of April 2019, 14 customers had ordered and delivered A380.As of March 2019, the total order of A380 was 290.The largest customer is Emirates Airlines, which announced that as of February 14, 2019, 123 A380 aircraft had been ordered.A VIP order was placed in 2007, but was later cancelled by Airbus.[74]The A380F attracted 27 orders, but due to production delays and subsequent suspension of freight plans, these orders were either cancelled (20) or converted to the A380-800 (7).
The assembly plant in Hamburg delivers goods to customers from Europe and the Middle East, and the assembly plant in Toulouse delivers goods to customers from other regions of the world.EADS (European Aerospace Defense Group) explained that the delivery in 2013 was temporarily slowed down to replace the wing rib bracket with cracks found in the previous aircraft.[75]
In 2014, Airbus said that some A380 aircraft ordered might not be produced by a Japanese airline whose name was not disclosed.Qantas originally planned to order 8 more aircraft, but the order was frozen during the restructuring of the airline.Due to doubts about the future of A380, Qantas finally cancelled the order in February 2019.[76]
order
Amedeo, the aircraft leasing company that ordered 20 A380 airliners, failed to find customers for this airliner and finally cancelled the order in 2019.Virgin Airlines ordered six A380s in 2001, but never delivered them, and later cancelled the order in 2018.[77]
At the beginning of 2019, Airbus confirmed that it was negotiating with Emirates on the A380 contract.If Emirates abandons this type of aircraft, Airbus may stop producing this super large aircraft.Emirates Airlines and Rolls Royce in Trent 900airplane engineThere are differences on the problem of insufficient fuel saving, and the order of 36 A380s may be changed to smaller A350s.The A350 may also replace the 40 units ordered in 2017Boeing 787-10 aircraft temporary order, because the engine profit margin of 787 aircraft is not enough to cope with the hot weather in Dubai.[78]
On February 14, 2019, Emirates decided to cancel the order of 39 aircraft and replace them with A350 and A330neo.Airbus said that this cancellation will end the production of A380 when the last batch of unfinished orders are delivered in 2021.[79]
On March 21, 2019, All Nippon Airways received the first of three A380 passenger aircraft painted with turtle style.The A380, named ANA Blue, flies three times a week between Tokyo and Hawaii.[80]
Airline operation plan
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Singapore AirlinesThe first A380 was received on October 15, 2007. Registration No.: 9V-SKA (471 passengers)AustraliaSydneyAnd Singapore routes;On March 18, 2008, the second and third A380s will be used for direct flights to London;On May 20, 2008, the fourth A380 will be used for direct flights to Tokyo;On July 9, 2009, the route from Hong Kong to Singapore was opened, and then used for direct flightsMelbourne, ParisZurichandFrankfurt。
Emirates AirlinesThe first A380 with registration number of A6-EDA (489 passengers) was received in July 2008 and used for direct flights to New York;Later, it will be used for direct flights to Melbourne, Sydney, BangkokAucklandLondon.
QantasThe first A380 was received in August 2008, registration number: VH-OQA (carrying capacity of 450 passengers), and it is used from Melbourne toLos AngelesRoute;Later will be used forSydneyTo Los Angeles, and via Singapore, to London.
Air FranceThe first A380 with registration number of F-HPJA (538 passengers, the highest passenger capacity A380 at present) was received in November 2009 and will be used in Paris toMontrealAnd New York Airlines.On May 24, 2007, Air France announced that it would order two more A380 aircraft in its fleet update plan. Air France would replace its B747 fleet with A380 and B777-300ER.
LufthansaThe first A380 was received in May 2010, registration number: D-AIMA (passenger capacity: 526), and used forFrankfurtThe flight to Tokyo (Narita), pick up before going to TokyoGerman National Men's Football TeamFly to South Africa for the World Cup;Later, it will be used from Frankfurt to Beijing and Frankfurt toJohannesburgOr Frankfurt to New YorkMiamiOsloWarsawHelsinkiStockholmCopenhagenBarcelona and other high capacity flights.
Korean AirlinesIn May 2011, the first A380 with registration number HL7611 (the A380 with 407 passengers and the lowest passenger capacity at present) was received for use on the route from Seoul to Tokyo (Narita). It was initially put into short haul routes such as Hong Kong and Tokyo, and later in the year, it was put into service on trans Pacific routes, including Seoul to New York andLos AngelesAnd Seoul to Paris.Korean Airlines has ordered 10 A380s in total, and is expected to receive 5 by the end of 2011, and the remaining 5 by 2014.
China Southern AirlinesThe first A380 with registration number of B-6136 (with a capacity of 506 passengers) was received on October 14, 2011 for flights between Beijing and Guangzhou and Shanghai Hongqiao. The second one was delivered on December 16, 2011. It is expected to receive three more in 2012 and 2013. China Southern Airlines A380 received the third A380 at the beginning of 2012, executed the route between Beijing and Hong Kong, and canceled the route between Beijing and Shanghai.
Since February 2022, China Southern Airlines has begun to decommission A380 passenger aircraft in succession.On December 21, 2022, the last two A380s of China Southern Airlines flew from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Mojave Cemetery in the United States. Since then, all the A380s of China Southern Airlines have been retired, and there is no A380 for CAAC。[94]
Malaysia AirlinesThe first A380 with registration number of 9M-MNA was received in June 2012, and the first and second A380 aircraft ordered have been in AirbusToulouseThe assembly plant has conducted taxiing and flight tests, and the third and fourth aircraft have also arrived in Toulouse for assembly.Malaysia Airlines has ordered 6 Airbus A380 passenger planes, the first of which was originally scheduled to be delivered in May 2008.
Thai International AirlinesThe first A380 was received in the third quarter of 2012 with registration number of HS-TUA. The first A380 has been assembled, flight tested, and then handed over to Hamburg, Germany for painting. Thai Airways ordered a total of six A380s.[81]
In May 2022, SimpleFlying reported that in April, there were two Airbus A380 aircraft registered in the United States, both of which were from China Southern Airlines.However, re registration in the United States mainly involves the ownership of the aircraft, which does not mean that the two aircraft can fly in the United States.[91]
A380-800F
Full cargo type, with a commercial load of 150 tons, the voyage is 10400 kilometers.FedEx(Federal Express) is the initiating user (FedEx canceled the order due to delivery delay).[82]
A380plus
The passenger model was announced at the Paris Air Show in 2017, which adopts a bifurcated winglet design.(not put into production before production suspension)[83]
A380-700
Basic shortened type, with 460 seats in standard cabin.
A380-800C
The mixed cargo passenger type is to transform part of the passenger cabins into A380 cargo cabins, which can accommodate about 397~454 passengers in a single cabin arrangement.(not put into production before production suspension)
A380-800R
The passenger model is the A380 dedicated to ultra long distance routes, British AirwaysAustralian AirlinesAnd the model proposed by Singapore Airlines.(not put into production before production suspension)
A380-800S
The passenger model is the A380 dedicated for short distance routes.(not put into production before production suspension)
A380-900
Basic extended type, 656 seats in standard cabin.
A380-900S
The passenger model is A380-900 for short distance routes.(not put into production before production suspension)
Accident record
Announce
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On January 10, 2008, an A380 passenger plane of Singapore Airlines crashed out of the runway due to hydraulic system failure when landing, but there were no casualties.The plane was carrying more than 440 passengers.[84]
On August 21, 2009, an A380 passenger plane of Singapore Airlines took off in Hong Kong. The air conditioning of the aircraft was even interrupted due to a mechanical failure, and the aircraft was later delayed for 17 hours before taking off.[84]
On September 29, 2009, an A380 passenger plane of Singapore Airlines took off from Paris, the capital of France, carrying 444 passengers. After flying for about 2 hours and 45 minutes, it turned back halfway due to the failure of an engine (Rolls Royce Trent 900) and landed safely.[84]
On April 1, 2010, a Qantas A380 with 244 people on board flew from Singapore to Sydney and landedSydneyAt the airport, two wheels on the left wing blew tires and burst into flames. No one was injured in the incident.[84]
On November 4, 2010,Qantas Flight 32 Accident。Qantas Flight 32(Qantas Flight 32, No. VH-OQA) When an Airbus A380-842 took off from Singapore and flew over Indonesia, engine 2 (left wing near fuselage) exploded and caught fire, the engine shell flew off and fell on IndonesiaBatam。The hydraulic system also failed due to explosion.Then the passenger plane turned back to SingaporeChangi International AirportEmergency landing, 433 passengers and 26 crew members were not injured.The scene photos showed that the No. 2 engine of the passenger plane was damaged, with obvious charring marks.After investigation, it was determined that the oil hose was broken.
On May 17, 2011, a Qantas Airbus A380, flight number QF10, flew from Singapore on May 17, 2011MelbourneOn the way, because of unexpected headwind and low temperature, the flight ran out of fuel before arriving in Melbourne, and was forced to transfer to about 700 km northwest of MelbourneAdelaideCity.The flight landed at Adelaide Airport at 4:15 a.m., and no 249 passengers on board were injured.This period was originally a flight ban period in the city, but the A380 flight has declared an emergency, so it has not violated the laws and regulations.Qantas Airlines said that after the inspection by engineers, the aircraft did not find any oil leakage, and the aircraft was in normal condition. It will go around after re inspection.The Australian Transport Safety Commission has launched an investigation into the incident.[84]
On June 19, 2011, an Airbus A380 with registration number of F-WWDD and manufacturing number of MSN004 was about to start a demonstration flight at Le Bourget Airport in Paris on the afternoon of June 19, 2011. Unexpectedly, when the aircraft was traveling from the hangar to the taxiway, the right wing hit the building, which was badly damaged.Under the overnight rush repair of Airbus, the aircraft has completed the replacement of wing end sails on June 22, and will carry out the display flight originally intended to terminate during the remaining air show period.[84]
On July 22, 2011, an Airbus A380 passenger plane of Korean Airlines, flight number KE701, registration number HL7611, was registered inTokyo Narita International AirportThe right engine scrapes the ground when landing.The flight carried 168 people from Seoul to TokyoNarita。When the aircraft landed on runway 34L of Narita Airport, the fuselage tilted too far to the right, causing the right outboard engine to rub the ground.Fortunately, the plane landed safely. After that, Narita Airport closed runway 34L for 20 minutes to check the damage, while Korean Air A380 could continue to fly after inspection, delaying flight for 1 hourIncheon International Airport。[84]
On October 29, 2011,China Southern AirlinesOne Airbus A380 (registration number: B-6136)Beijing Capital International AirportBefore performing the task, the staff found thatflap Power drive assembly failure, temporarily changed to 2 setsAirbus A330As China Southern Airlines had no spare parts, the next day's flight was also canceled. After that, China Southern Airlines contacted the Airbus General Factory urgently to send the parts.In the morning of the 30th, the parts were taken fromGermanyship toBeijingAfter day and night rush repairs, China Southern Airlines A380 resumed normal operation on the 31st.The incident was only 12 days after the A380 began operation in China on October 17.[84]
On March 27, 2012, a Singapore Airlines A380 (SQ26) took off from Singapore toFrankfurtAfter nearly 3 hours of flight, engine 3 failed, so it turned back halfway and landed safely.[84]
On October 22, 2012, an Airbus A380 passenger plane of Emirates Airlines left TokyoNarita International AirportAfter takeoffflap Stuck, had to return to the airport to land.After the first landing failed, the second landing was successful, but 11 tires blew out.[85]
On November 11, 2012, an Airbus A380 passenger plane from Emirates AirlinesAustraliaSydneyFly to Dubai, but about 20 minutes after takeoff, an engine of the plane exploded at 10000 feet, and the plane was about to turn back to Sydney for a sudden landing. No one was injured in the incident.[84]
On January 6, 2014, an Airbus A380 passenger plane of Singapore Airlines flying from London, England to Singapore was in theAzerbaijanEmergency landing.[84]
On April 6, 2015, an Airbus A380 of Thai Airways originally scheduled to fly from Paris to Bangkok was accidentally hit by a truck carrying cabin food at Charles de Gaulle Airport, resulting in wing damage and flight delay.The flight number of this plane is TG931. It was originally scheduled to take off from Paris at 13:40 on April 6 and arrive in Bangkok at 05:55 on April 7.But the plane had to be delayed because of this "unexpected accident".In order to successfully transport passengers, Thai Airways has arranged a passenger plane without picking up passengers to fly to Paris to replace the damaged A380.[86]
On June 26, 2015, an A380 passenger plane of Emirates Airlines carrying more than 500 people made a forced landing in Colombo, Sri Lanka due to "technical failure". Firefighters and emergency personnel were waiting at the airport, and no one was injured during the forced landing.[87]
On October 1, 2017, an Air France Airbus A380 flew from Paris to Los Angeles. During the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, an engine broke down in the air, and then the plane made an emergency landing at the airport in the Canadian town of Gusby.The flight number of the accident was AF66, which carried 520 passengers. Some passengers said that the flight had been quiet until the plane flew across the Atlantic Ocean. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and the plane shook and plummeted. Then the pilot announced that the engine of the plane had disintegrated in the air.From the clips taken by passengers, we can see that part of the engine in the accident is swinging in the air.Air France admitted that one of the aircraft's four engines was seriously damaged.[88]
On July 1, 2022 local time, an Airbus A380 flew from Dubai to Brisbane, Australia.Passengers said there was "a loud noise" after the plane flew for about 45 minutes. The crew stopped catering services and checked the wings and engines.But then the plane continued to fly for nearly 14 hours. Before landing, the crew contacted the air traffic control department of Brisbane Airport, reported that a suspected tire burst occurred when the plane took off, and asked the airport to provide emergency assistance.
It is reported that after the plane landed, the staff found a hole in the fairing of the left fuselage.The report also said that no passengers were injured and evacuated in this incident.[92]
On July 1, 2024, according to foreign media, a Lufthansa A380 ship caught fire after landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India.It is reported that the A380 (D-AIMC) is a LH 762 flight (carrying 490 passengers) from Munich Airport (MUC) to Delhi Airport (DEL).[95]
