What in the world will happen next with AirBus???
Airbus jet's embarrassing crash at air show
An A380 superjumbo scrapes a building and clips a wing, the latest in a string of mishaps.
The European airplane maker Airbus was left red in the face this weekend, when on on-ground accident forced it to withdraw an A380 superjumbo from the Paris Air Show.

The enormous plane--with a wingspan of 80 yards--scraped a building at the show, clipping its wing. Korean Air flew one of its superjumbo jets to the show to come to Airbus' rescue, The Wall Street Journal reported. The damaged
plane sat with its wing covered over the weekend.

The mishap wasn't the only embarrassment for Airbus at the biennial air show. The company also had to pull a military transport carrier A400M from a flight demonstration after problems were found in its gear box, the Journal reports. Airbus officials then brought in another aircraft to do a flyover pass to impress visiting foreign dignitaries who attended the show.


Meanwhile, rival Boeing's distinctive 747-8 superjumbo upstaged Airbus. The company said it had received $5.4 billion in orders for the new aircraft.

Despite the PR setbacks, Airbus pulled in billions of dollars worth of orders for its narrow-body A320 jet--especially from Middle East and Asia-based companies, according to Reuters. The narrow planes save 15 percent in fuel costs.

Earlier this year, a double-decker A380 operated by Air France clipped a smaller jet while it was taxiing, sending it into a spin.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_...ding-at-air-showideo at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_...building-at-air-show

quote:

Despite the PR setbacks, Airbus pulled in billions of dollars worth of orders for its narrow-body A320 jet--especially from Middle East and Asia-based companies, according to Reuters. The narrow planes save 15 percent in fuel costs.

Yep. The Third Worlders buy that POS like hotcakes, regardless of how many have flown themselves into the ground.

Proves a point about the third world politicos.

The Airbus 380 was being towed by a tractor when its wing clipped a building, so it wasn't really "pilot" error.

I just heard a quick story on the radio the other day that Rolls has paid a big chunk of money to Qantas. Don't recall the amount or the circumstances. The people riding that POS can think whatever gods they believe in that they weren't halfway between Sydney and HON.

quote:

Originally posted by ztreh:
Proves a point about the third world politicos.

And corporate America..

Yep.

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
The Airbus 380 was being towed by a tractor when its wing clipped a building, so it wasn't really "pilot" error.

No that was tug driver error/wing walker error/somebody had their head up their ass error. Unbelievable in any case that Airbus International wouldn't use a bit more caution when towing their jewel crown product out to the line of the biggest airshow/sales event in the entire aviation industry.

If Airbus runs their ramp operations anything like they run their flight test operations it's surprising to me that they don't destroy more airplanes on a day to day basis.

Airbus..

The keystone cops of commercial aviation.

The right stuff!! Francois bring the ladder! Hey where the F' is FRANCOIS!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRzWp67PIMw

More right stuff, with a test pilot at the controls what could possibly go wrong?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzD4tIvPHwE

Believe it or not this a fairly common problem with the A-320 this wasn't the first time and it won't be the last.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...aeDw&feature=related

Roll control you say. AYY tell you when you need roll control you silly little pilot person for I am the zee Airbus and youu don't need no stinkin aileronzz ferrrr landing!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...iAz8&feature=related

Do not pull the configuration warning horn CB on zee ground stupid people. I will release your brakes, so there. Once again I am smarter than you silly littler pilot persons!
http://blog.flightstory.net/41...round-test-accident/

Airbus a prime example of what happens when you let computer geeks wearing bow ties and pocket protectors design an airplane whom have no practical aviation experience.

Hmmm when you said "Airbus breaks another one" I thought you were referring to order records ie Airbus $72B vs Boeing $22B (at the Paris Air Show). Still, what do these airlines know!
Peter.

quote:

Still, what do these airlines know!
Peter.

They know that A/B will provide a cheaper airplane at rock bottom financing rates thanks to the French taxpayers support. They know that the A/B is a maintenance nightmare but it's offset by the cheap upfront cost. They know that the A/B has some inherent design flaws but once again nothing that's can't be overcome by the cheap price of econobox of the skies.

Well Air Bus is Europe Attempt to be Boeing, and when you get right down to it, why should any of this surprise any of us? After all Europe picked a fight with Libya and well it didn't go to well, so they called the U.S. Air Force. At some point nobody in their right mind will get on and Air Bus. There whole Business model is how can we screw Boeing and to the same extent the US today. In the end its going to be Boeing. That is unless our own Government decided to really screw them over.

quote:

They know that A/B will provide a cheaper airplane at rock bottom financing rates thanks to the French taxpayers support.

Interesting comment as that is EXACTLY what the Brits said about Boeing and the USA in the 60's ie. cheap government provided financing if you bought Boeing. Why is this wrong if the Europeans do it? Perhaps they learned their lessons well?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:

quote:

They know that A/B will provide a cheaper airplane at rock bottom financing rates thanks to the French taxpayers support.

Interesting comment as that is EXACTLY what the Brits said about Boeing and the USA in the 60's ie. cheap government provided financing if you bought Boeing. Why is this wrong if the Europeans do it? Perhaps they learned their lessons well?
Peter.

In 60's, US have many good plane maker, not only Boeing. Brit never make good plane. Only crap. Same for all Brit things, crap. old guns pretty good though.

Not fair; I laughed out loud during a conference call when I was supposed to be paying attention...

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
The Airbus 380 was being towed by a tractor when its wing clipped a building, so it wasn't really "pilot" error.

No that was tug driver error/wing walker error/somebody had their head up their ass error. Unbelievable in any case that Airbus International wouldn't use a bit more caution when towing their jewel crown product out to the line of the biggest airshow/sales event in the entire aviation industry.

If Airbus runs their ramp operations anything like they run their flight test operations it's surprising to me that they don't destroy more airplanes on a day to day basis.

Airbus..

The keystone cops of commercial aviation.

The right stuff!! Francois bring the ladder! Hey where the F' is FRANCOIS!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRzWp67PIMw

More right stuff, with a test pilot at the controls what could possibly go wrong?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzD4tIvPHwE

Believe it or not this a fairly common problem with the A-320 this wasn't the first time and it won't be the last.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...aeDw&feature=related

Roll control you say. AYY tell you when you need roll control you silly little pilot person for I am the zee Airbus and youu don't need no stinkin aileronzz ferrrr landing!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...iAz8&feature=related

Do not pull the configuration warning horn CB on zee ground stupid people. I will release your brakes, so there. Once again I am smarter than you silly littler pilot persons!
http://blog.flightstory.net/41...round-test-accident/

Airbus a prime example of what happens when you let computer geeks wearing bow ties and pocket protectors design an airplane whom have no practical aviation experience.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:

quote:

They know that A/B will provide a cheaper airplane at rock bottom financing rates thanks to the French taxpayers support.

Interesting comment as that is EXACTLY what the Brits said about Boeing and the USA in the 60's ie. cheap government provided financing if you bought Boeing. Why is this wrong if the Europeans do it? Perhaps they learned their lessons well?
Peter.

Intersting observation but dead wrong. In the '60s the US Government and the Brit's jointly decided that if you wished to be a new entry carrier to fly US to UK you really needed to buy something to 'help' the Brits economy. Take a look at the ones awarded entry into the market during this period and tell me if you see any Lockheed L1011 A/C powered with RB211 Rolls engines - now tell me that you believe they bought this combo because they thought it to be 'better' than say the B747?
And like most other things coming from the UK these powerplants required 'improvements' to make them dependable and reliable - anyone remember the 'Merlins' after Packard reworked them.
I sat in a meeting and listened to the Sr North American rep for Rolls state they would not have succeded if not for the engineering and Inspection staff of one of the airlines flying the RB211. And I can tell you for a certainty the RB211-524B4I was eons improved beyond the old RB211-22B - possibly on a par with any commercial jet engine ever produced by anybody.
Just my take on the matter - and I still do not like the Airbus.

747 is a 70's airplane I said 60's. Additionally I am talking about buying American airplanes vs buying British airplanes (at a time when the Brits had viable planes to sell). The claim was that the American airplane manufacturers had a huge advantage over foreign manufacturers because they could offer cheap financing backed by the American government. Now please answer that point. I am aware that you think that only America manufactures decent airplanes, and I will not dispute that theological dogma. Suffice to say that that view is not shared by all. However as Americans are fond of saying: we will let the market decide. Oh, wait, the market is stupid, right?
Peter.

quote:

However as Americans are fond of saying: we will let the market decide. Oh, wait, the market is stupid, right?

Yes, Market stupid. British Air big user of 747.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
747 is a 70's airplane I said 60's. Additionally I am talking about buying American airplanes vs buying British airplanes (at a time when the Brits had viable planes to sell). The claim was that the American airplane manufacturers had a huge advantage over foreign manufacturers because they could offer cheap financing backed by the American government. Now please answer that point. I am aware that you think that only America manufactures decent airplanes, and I will not dispute that theological dogma. Suffice to say that that view is not shared by all. However as Americans are fond of saying: we will let the market decide. Oh, wait, the market is stupid, right?
Peter.

The contracts for the fist B747 we flew was signed with Boeing in 1966 - does that qualify as the 1960's? And what A/C did the Brits have to offer to anyone at any price after the BAe 146, excepting their interest in the Concorde - None come to mind? I'm not attempting to argue with you I just don't think you have a valid thread going here.
I would think any airline looking to buy planes would have to look long and hard at the records of the 'Comet' and the 'Viscount', both of which were somewhat less that stellar performers as well as being plagued with myriad problems.
I'm not beating the drum for Boeing here - my own personal 'best performer' was and always will be Douglas but they are long gone. And of all the entities that survive today, Boeing's offerings are the most viable A/C in my opinion.
And one little caveat that has not been mentioned is the cost of spares for the AirBus - low purchase price is offset by the cost of the piece parts purchased from AirBus, believe me.

quote:

Originally posted by BUFFOOLIO:

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:

quote:

They know that A/B will provide a cheaper airplane at rock bottom financing rates thanks to the French taxpayers support.

Interesting comment as that is EXACTLY what the Brits said about Boeing and the USA in the 60's ie. cheap government provided financing if you bought Boeing. Why is this wrong if the Europeans do it? Perhaps they learned their lessons well?
Peter.

In 60's, US have many good plane maker, not only Boeing. Brit never make good plane. Only crap. Same for all Brit things, crap. old guns pretty good though.

Whereas BUFFOOLIO only good at making fool of himself.