A380 Wing Snaps

#141 By the sound of it, theyve already taken enough of a look from it to determine that a redesign isnt required, so barring anything unforseen there can only be a few possibilities in the minds of the engineers. You can bet your ass that there were people on the design team that knew basically what happened in that wing on the day of the failure, and the exact data will give them the precise requirements to fix it. Its probable that a single look at the wing told those engineers what failed, but the data will give them the exact amount they will have to strengthen that part by. This gives them enough to be able to tell their bosses that it isnt a major issue.
http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/2609843/#163

Chron.com | Airbus: Test Won't Delay A380 Delivery

Chron.com Airbus: Test Won't Delay A380 Delivery: "The A380 wing had ruptured sooner than expected during ground testing in Toulouse on Tuesday, reaching only 1.45 times its limit load before breaking _ 3.3 percent short of target. The wing had been bent upward by 24.3 feet at the tip.
Leahy said there should not be any major modifications to the design of the plane.
'We have enough data from that test to know what needs to be done,' he said. 'This should have no impact on the delivery of the aircraft.'"

USATODAY.com - Airbus sneaks past Boeing in 11th hour

USATODAY.com - Airbus sneaks past Boeing in 11th hour: "But Boeing outperformed Airbus in another key gauge of performance � the value of orders. Boeing sold more wide-body planes, which are more expensive than single-aisle models. Boeing sold 447 wide-body jets last year. Airbus took in 193 orders for wide-bodies.
The long-range, fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner, viewed by Boeing as its future, far outsold the comparable class of Airbus planes. And airline customers were drawn to Boeing's 777 because it is more fuel-efficient than the A-340, its Airbus counterpart, Nisbet says. "

A340-300 burns 15% to 20% more fuel per seat

Airlines say the 777 is beating the A340 because it is newer, less expensive to fuel and maintain, and more reliable. Tim Clark, president of Emirates, said that its new 777-300ERs have had fewer problems than its new A340-500s. The 777 has "exceeded all its planned performance criteria" for fuel consumption and range, Mr. Clark said. "That's why there's a resurgence of interest" in the 777.

The Boeing 777 is more fuel-efficient and less costly to maintain because it has two engines rather than four. Airbus officials said the A340 operates economically and that four engines offer airlines greater security and reliability than two.

Air Canada Chairman Robert Milton said in April that the carrier chose to replace its A340s with 777s because they "have considerable economic efficiencies" compared with the Airbus models. He said that "had a very dramatic impact on the decision."

Air France, another major Airbus customer but also a big 777 buyer, is one of few carriers that has flown both A340s and 777s on the same routes. Chief Financial Officer Philippe Calavia said a first-generation A340-300 from the 1990s burns about 15% to 20% more fuel per seat than a 777 of the same vintage. "It's more costly to maintain four engines than two," he said, adding that Air France expects "to further increase the proportion of 777s in our fleet."
WSJ January 16, 2006

Cargolux--Open wide 747

Cargolux--Open wide 747
http://www.cargolux.com/images/photogallery/offsize/35mmast6b.jpg

NWAnews.com :: Northwest Arkansas' News Source

NWAnews.com :: Northwest Arkansas' News Source: "Airbus lagged Boeing in the quarter in demand for the most expensive jets. Boeing received 251 orders in the lucrative wide- body category, twin-aisle jets with more than 200 seats. That was more than double the 108 orders for Airbus.
�Boeing clearly has the momentum in terms of what matters, and that�s the wide-body aircraft, the larger, longer-range international-market planes,� said Richard Aboulafia, "