Are we seeing the end of the era for the 'super-jumbo'? • Hacker News Board

Re: Are we seeing the end of the era for the 'super-jumbo'?

#41

Post by ubernostrum » Sun, Apr 26, 2015, 3:15 AM UTC

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #40

ubernostrum wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another important thing to note is that the A380 has, relative to its size, terrible cargo capacity, and using extra hold space to carry cargo in addition to a load of passengers has historically been a lucrative side business for passenger airlines. There are also doubts about whether it would even be possible, structurally, to do a freighter conversion of an A380, meaning that one of the traditional easy ways to sq…

A freighter version of the A380 was planned right from the start, and some orders were taken. So it's certainly possible. But that doesn't mean it would be economic. For various reasons - not least fulfilment delays because of manufacturing issues - the A380F hasn't been prototyped yet, and probably never will be.

A freighter-from-the-beginning variant could be possible. But knowledgeable people I've heard from say that taking a passenger A380 and doing a freighter conversion is probably either not possible due to the internal structure of the plane, or if possible would end up costing more than the resulting plane would be worth.

Re: Are we seeing the end of the era for the 'super-jumbo'?

#42

Post by dogma1138 » Sun, Apr 26, 2015, 11:48 AM UTC

geoelectric wrote: post #25

dogma1138 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That only works if you actually have the ability to fill the aircraft, smaller WB/UWB aircraft are cheaper to maintain, require less crew (even per passenger), consume less fuel and are much less restrictive in terms of airports in which they can land and be serviced. People don't count the fact that one of the reasons why smaller jets are more successful these days is that airports became much better at air traffic…

OTOH, I took the A380 from SF to France last year and thought it was the quietest, most comfortable plane I'd been on. Hopefully the same tech advances that hit that plane hit the smaller ones too. That was the first flight where my noise canceling headphones actually seemed somewhat superfluous.

Well add drunken British tourists flying to Sidney via HK and the less you have of them the better :)

All new aircraft has quite quiet engines overall (and i use active noise canceling headphones anyhow), that said having half the people onboard helps it quite a bit, If you fly 1st class i don't think it would matter, and the 380 has probably the best 1st class offerings out there but for anything below that i rather have less people around me :)

Re: Are we seeing the end of the era for the 'super-jumbo'?

#43

Post by dogma1138 » Sun, Apr 26, 2015, 11:49 AM UTC

xaqfox wrote: post #20

dogma1138 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That only works if you actually have the ability to fill the aircraft, smaller WB/UWB aircraft are cheaper to maintain, require less crew (even per passenger), consume less fuel and are much less restrictive in terms of airports in which they can land and be serviced. People don't count the fact that one of the reasons why smaller jets are more successful these days is that airports became much better at air traffic…

787-8 only. No 800. I know...it broke convention

You're right, I meant the 747-8 :)