| After reading some misleading articles on the net on | | | | Boeing just a 6-story one. To hold all this structure in |
| comparisons between the Boeing 747 and the Airbus | | | | the air, the Airbus needs a wing area of 845 m2, |
| A380, I decided to write with some facts about the | | | | compared to the only 541 m2 that needs the Boeing. |
| differences between the two of them and why the | | | | There are also differences inside the cabin. The |
| Airbus is really a revolution by itself. | | | | Airbus is half a meter wider than the Boeing, and this |
| It is true, some articles will tell you that the length of | | | | allows them to place an extra column of sits inside, |
| the two planes differs only by 2 meters. That is a | | | | or simply allow more comfort with the same columns. |
| fact, the Airbus A380 measures 72.8 compared to | | | | All this in the end gets translated in weight that you |
| the 70.7 of the Boeing. But the question is: who is | | | | need to lift up. The operating weight in empty of the |
| really speaking about length as a revolution? Nobody. | | | | Boeing is just 181,755 Kg. If we compare with the |
| The revolution comes when we look at what | | | | new big giant, it gives a value of 277,000 Kg, which is |
| happens related to the fact that the new giant is the | | | | about a 75% more. |
| first one in it's class with a full double deck. And I | | | | Pulling all this weight up in the sky needs a lot of |
| understand the 747 has a small part in the front | | | | power, and this has produced several innovations in |
| where double deck was introduced, but in no way | | | | the engines too. With the same number of turbofans, |
| along all the plane. | | | | the Airbus is able to produce a 50% more power |
| This makes the maximum capacity for passengers to | | | | than its little competitor. The exact number is 84,000 |
| go to almost the double: the Boeing has a maximum | | | | lb. |
| of 568 passengers while the Airbus can host 840. | | | | The only place where the two aircrafts have more |
| And a new version that will host up to 950 persons is | | | | or less the same numbers in only in performance. The |
| already being developed as many airlines where | | | | both have a cruise speed of around 900 km/h and a |
| interested in the option for low cost flights. And I | | | | maximum of 940 km/h, and they also approximately |
| understand that everybody will agree here with me | | | | share the same range, from 14,800 km for the |
| that this is a real revolution. We have nearly doubled | | | | Airbus and 14,205 for the Boeing. |
| the number of passengers we can transport with | | | | After all, my intention is not to say that the 747 is |
| one single aircraft! | | | | old-fashioned. This is a very old model that keeps |
| Again, then, the lack of information makes some | | | | working perfectly in the present. Apart from that, I |
| people to stick to one fact forgetting all the other. | | | | think we need to give an applause to the guys in |
| Going further in the discussion, there are many other | | | | Airbus, because it is obvious that the new A380 is a |
| characteristics that make the two planes different. | | | | real revolution. And it was to be, as problems with |
| Speaking in numbers, the height of the two planes | | | | landing gears have left the passenger plane's industry |
| differs in 4.7 meters. Sounds like a small thing, but | | | | unable to produce any bigger aircraft until today. |
| implies that the Airbus is an 8-story building and the | | | | |