10.19.07
The 747 Gives Way to the Airbus A380
This year was the last of the reign of the legendary Boeing 747. This liner now is experiencing the rise of the new queen of the skies, of its successor Airbus A380. The whole world will greet the triumphant flight of the superjumbo on the 25 of October as by far the greatest scientific achievement of man. So, what characteristics were actually improved for the Airbus A380 to eclipse the 747’s fame and glory?
Boeing 747. This passenger airliner for a very long time was a standard aircraft of many airlines all over the world. It has 452-seat configuration. The flight time of the Boeing 747 is 5,7 thousand miles. It was produced by one of the largest air-constructing corporations Boeing Company starting since 1969. In October 1977 the wide-body jetliner set new around-the-world flight speed record via both North and South Poles: 26228,69 miles distance (from San-Francisco to San-Francisco) was covered within 54 hours 7 minutes and 12 seconds. Informally this aircraft was titled Jumbo Jet after the name of African elephant Jumbo who lived in London Zoo in the second part of the nineteenth century. Besides, the weight-carrying ability of the jetliner is more than 200,000 tons. But another machine was created capable of flying by means of aerodynamic forces, buoyancy and surpassing the 747 in many aspects. And this machine was the…
Airbus A380. For almost 40 years the world was expecting something like this to appear and to break the reign of the Boeing 747. And that is why the Airbus A380 was called by the mass media Superjumbo right away after its presentation. This aircraft is 33% bigger that the 747. Not for nothing it was the hugest industrial project in Europe over a long period of time. This is a plane of gigantic size and importance. Its seat configuration is twice as big as of its predecessor: 840 seats. The Superjumbo needs twice as more floor than the 747. That is why many airports of the world would not be able to provide the lading place for it. Though, it has already taken the lead over the Boeing 747 and it is the new icon of the skies.