The Airbus A380 has a full-length double-deck cabin with four engines, making it the most recognizable and unique shape. The Airbus A380 has an unrivaled advantage in terms of single-engine passenger capacity. In the typical three-class (first class - business class - economy class) layout can carry 555 passengers. A380 in service, breaking the Boeing 747 in the long-range ultra-large wide-body airliner field domination of the record 35 years, the end of the Boeing 747 in the market monopoly for 30 years, as the largest passenger capacity of civil aircraft (but the largest passenger capacity of civil aircraft). However, the largest civilian aircraft in terms of cargo capacity is still Antonov's An-225 Dreamliner).
The Airbus A380 utilizes more composite materials, improved aerodynamics, a new generation of engines, advanced wings, and landing gear. Reduced aircraft weight, reduced fuel consumption and emissions, seat kilometer fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions are lower. Reduced operating costs, A380 aircraft cabin environment closer to nature. The noise level during takeoff can be much lower than the current noise control standards (ICAO), and the A380 is the first long-haul aircraft to consume less than 3 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 kilometers (a ratio equivalent to the fuel consumption of an economy family car).
[edit]Research and development
Has always been a large long-range civil transport aircraft market is Boeing's Boeing 747 series monopoly, Airbus, although in other types of models are competing with Boeing, but only in this market has been a gap, although there has been the launch of the Airbus A340, but still can not shake the Boeing 747's Absolute dominance of the position. Airbus development of 500-800 large civil aviation transport aircraft, intended to seize the large passenger aircraft market held by the Boeing 747, Airbus put forward to the future development of civil aviation inference: the future development of the world's civil aviation transport aircraft will continue to large-scale development, and thus put forward the "hub/radiation" concept, namely Passengers converge on a hub airport via regional flights, are then transported to another hub airport by large transport aircraft, and finally arrive at their destination on a regional airliner. Airbus believes that the best way to improve air traffic congestion in the 21st century is to increase capacity; Airbus launched the ultra-large transport aircraft program project has caused a lot of people to worry about, Airbus believes that the market outlook for large passenger aircraft is very optimistic, while in order to improve the Airbus passenger aircraft series, occupying a more advantageous position to compete with the Boeing Company, it is worthwhile to take huge business risks.
Airbus began its ultra-large airliner research and development program in the early 1990s, in addition to perfecting the model to fill the gap in the ultra-large airliner market, but also hoping to break the monopoly of the Boeing 747 in the ultra-large airliner market. In the past, the Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar airliners have proved the risk of dividing this market. McDonnell Douglas had a similar strategy, launching the MD-12 program, but it was eventually terminated. In January 1993 Boeing and several Airbus partner aircraft manufacturers began **** with the feasibility of studying the Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT) and aiming for a form of cooperative construction.
In June 1994, Airbus announced its Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT) program, initially dubbed the "A3XX", which would compete with the VLCT program and Boeing's 747 successor, the 747X, which would lengthen the upper deck of the Boeing 747 to accommodate more passengers. The VLCT program was terminated in July 1996, and Boeing terminated the 747X program in 1997, and the A3XX was to compete with the VLCT program and Boeing's 747 successor, the 747X, which extended the upper deck of the Boeing 747 to accommodate more passengers.
In December 2000, the European Space and Defense Group (EADG), a major stakeholder in the European Airbus Group, and the British Space Group*** announced the adoption of the 8.8 billion euro A3XX program and the change of its name to "A380". ". At that time, six airlines had already booked ***55 A380s. The A380 was officially finalized at the beginning of 2001, and the development cost of the program had risen to 11 billion euros by the time the first A380 left the factory.
Construction of the first set of A380 wings began in January 2002, and in April 2004, the first A380 wings were assembled at the Broughton factory in the United Kingdom and shipped to Toulouse, France, for final assembly.The A380 prototype made its debut in 2004, and the first A380 was shipped from the factory at Airbus' Toulouse facility on January 18, 2005 under the serial number 001 and registration number F-WWOW. On April 27, 2005, the first A380 successfully flew. In November of the same year, the A380 made its first transcontinental test flight to Singapore in Asia.
The A380 aircraft testing program began in 2001 with systems testing, structural testing in November 2004, and structural fatigue testing in September 2005. on March 26, 2006, the A380 underwent an emergency evacuation test in Hamburg, Germany, with 853 passengers and 20 crew members, which was completed in 78 seconds. The test was completed in 78 seconds. Subsequently, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared the A380 to carry 853 passengers. the A380 underwent one of the most intensive certification flight tests in Airbus' history, with 2,200 flight hours in 15 months. Certification flight testing ended on November 30, 2006, when the A380 completed a round-the-world technical route proving flight.
On December 12, 2006, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) formally issued Airbus with the type certificate of airworthiness for the A380 aircraft.
[edit]Technical features
Airbus has worked closely with major airlines, airports and airworthiness organizations from the very beginning of the aircraft's design. Due to its size, the A380 is better able to reduce seat distance costs compared to any other airplane (as the Boeing 747 did in 1969). The Airbus A380 offers about 35 percent more seats and 49 percent more floor space compared to the Boeing 747-400, giving it wider seats, open space, and a seat-mile cost that is 15 to 20 percent lower than that of the most efficient aircraft.
Airbus limited the A380's wingspan and overall fuselage length to 80 x 80 meters during the initial feasibility study to avoid major airport redevelopment. This limit was set in accordance with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airports Council International. Airport compatibility has been taken into account in the design of the Airbus A380, allowing airports to operate this very large capacity aircraft with minimal investment and minimal improvements. In order to reduce boarding and deplaning times, new infrastructure will be designed for airports.
According to the ICAO endorsement, the requirements for operating airports that have runways capable of operating Boeing 747s can accommodate the A380, which is compatible with 45-meter-wide runways and 23-meter-wide taxiways, and has 20 main engine wheels that reduce the impact on ground loads and are comparable to the maneuverability of commercial aircraft in service. To improve the accuracy of taxiing, the A380 has cameras mounted on the rudder and under the wings to give pilots a clearer picture of the aircraft's position.
The A380 has a large fuselage, which is prone to wake turbulence problems, and studies of wake turbulence and aircraft spacing have been completed for the A380. The effect of turbulence on the aircraft behind the A380 is similar to that of the Boeing 747, and no changes to spacing standards are required. However, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) found that the airflow caused by the A380 aircraft is larger than that of the Boeing 747, and a working group set up by a number of civil aviation organizations has recommended that, after the take-off of the A380, small and medium-sized aircraft should be spaced out for three minutes before they can use the runway, and that large-sized aircraft should also wait for two minutes.
?6.1 Cockpit
The cockpit of the A380 is located at the very front of the fuselage at the height of the middle of the two passenger decks, and features a two-person system with new interactive displays and extended integrated avionics modules connected by Ethernet. the A380 is a new design, but retains the benefits of operational versatility. the A380 has the same cockpit layout as the rest of Airbus' fly-by-wire aircraft. The A380 has the same cockpit layout, procedures and operating characteristics as Airbus' other fly-by-wire aircraft, reducing the training time required for pilots to change from one Airbus aircraft to another.
The cockpit has eight LCD displays. These include 2 Primary Flight Displays (PFD), 2 Navigation Displays (ND), 1 Engine Parameter Display, 1 System Display and 2 Multi-Function Display (MFD), which provide the interface for the Flight Management System (FMS).
?6?1 Cabin
The Airbus A380 can carry 555 passengers (199 in the upper cabin and 356 in the lower cabin) in a typical three-class (First-Business-Economy) layout, or 850 passengers in the highest density seating arrangement. The typical economy class seating arrangement on the A380 is 2+4+2 on the upper deck and 3+4+3 on the lower deck. The Airbus A380 also utilizes more efficient air filtration equipment for passenger comfort.
The Airbus A380's full double-width cabin design provides more space for each passenger. The cabin air can be changed every three minutes, and 220 portholes allow more natural light into the cabin.
The A380's cabin is equipped with the most advanced in-flight entertainment system ever developed for an airliner, with a fiber-optic power distribution network that allows for a flexible selection of movies, video games, and TV shows. Passengers can also use portable computers and make phone calls while on board. There are more open spaces, such as a business center. The bilge cabin can be chosen for the setting up of a lounge area, business area, bar or other entertainment area, and according to the needs of different airlines, other facilities can be arranged, such as barber stores, sleeper berths, casinos, massage rooms or children's playgrounds. There is plenty of space for private ensuites in First Class, even bathrooms that include shower facilities.
Trent 900?6?1 engine
The Airbus A380 can be equipped with either the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or the GP7200 from Engine Alliance, a consortium of General Electric and Pratt & Whitney,
both derivatives of the engine used on the Boeing 777. The Trent 900 is the fourth generation of the Trent family of engines, designed to meet the needs of the A380. The GP7200 utilizes a GE90 core and PW4090 turbofan and low pressure compressor.
In terms of sales, the Trent 900 initially had the upper hand, and then the GP7200 sales rose to approach those of the Trent 900.
The A380 can taxi with only two engines in ground use, and uses only two counterthrusts and a low-noise auxiliary power unit to help reduce noise.
During the takeoff phase, the A380's four Trent 900 engines provide as much thrust as the power of more than 3,500 family cars.The 116-inch fans are capable of operating at nearly 3,000 revolutions per minute, which means that the end of the blades run at 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h), 1.3 times the speed of sound.
[edit]Technological innovation
Airbus has long pioneered new technologies in an incremental and reliable way, and the A380 program has developed, tested and applied a range of new technologies relating to materials, processes, systems and engines. From these, Airbus selects technologies whose maturity has been proven and which can deliver long-term benefits. To ensure that the aircraft performs better, costs less to operate, is easier to operate and more comfortable to fly. The Airbus A380 utilizes composite materials on a wider scale than previous aircraft, introducing many new systems and industrial process technologies. Improvements in aerodynamic performance, flight systems and avionics have enabled it to set the standard for the first decade of the 21st century.
In terms of the use of composites, the A380 was developed using the innovative GLARE (Glass Fiber Reinforced Aluminum) material, which is lighter in weight, stronger, has better fatigue characteristics, and significantly improved maintenance performance and service life compared to traditional aluminum materials, without the need for special machining processes. About 25% of the aircraft is made of advanced weight-saving materials, of which 22% is carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and 3% is GLARE fiber-metal panels used for the first time on a civil aircraft. the A380 uses for the first time a composite material made of carbon fiber to connect the wing to the fuselage of the central wing box. In addition, the A380 also used composite materials for the first time in the rear fuselage behind the rear pressure chamber.
In addition to composites, the A380 makes extensive use of advanced metal materials, which provide benefits such as reliable handling and ease of maintenance. Each of these materials will be optimized for use depending on the loads, stresses, and levels of damage that different components are expected to experience.
The A380 program utilizes laser beam welding technology, first used on the Airbus A318, which replaces the rivet welding method.
The A380 uses a hydraulic system with 5,000 pounds per square inch of pressure, which provides more power than the 3,000 pounds per square inch of pressure typically used in civil aircraft. The increased pressure means that smaller pipes and hydraulic components can be used to transmit power, reducing weight.
The A380 has a dual flight control system featuring four independent primary flight control systems in two different configurations. These include two conventional hydraulic maneuver systems and two electro-hydraulic maneuver systems.
The use of electro-hydraulic maneuver systems on the A380 provides greater flexibility in power resources, increased redundancy, and improved safety.
The A380 cockpit features state-of-the-art interactive displays and scalable integrated avionics modules linked by Ethernet. Multi-frequency generators developed specifically for the A380 are simpler, more reliable and lighter in weight than typical fixed-frequency generators. The A380 benefits from state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment systems made by leading manufacturers. These manufacturers offer enhanced systems to take advantage of the A380 aircraft's fiber optic network.