Quote:
Originally posted by Maritime Q-Scout@Jun 15 2005, 01:04 PM
the biggest problem with the Concorde was none of the reasons cited above (while the two are both major problems) but the fact that it was forbidden to fly over land at Supersonic speeds. It would make cows milk sour, break windows, and was a disturbance to residents living under its flight path. That limited it to flying supersonic over water. Thus demand dropped like a rock in the neighbours swimming pool. Ergo only British Airways, and Air France used the jetliner because it was their governments that funded the project.
The crash in 1998 was more of the last straw, it was on its way out by that time anyway, the planes were getting close to the replacement date, and they weren't going to be replaced with the same thing. They had problems with their tires before; which if I'm not mistaken, I'm going on vague memory here was the problem, the tire exploded and the debris got caught in the engine? Feel free to correct me on that.
I do wish I had the chance to fly in one, but alas it goes into the "to do before I die, but no longer have the chance" pile (like watching Garth in concert).
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Exactly!
I think the A380 will work out long term. The capacity pressure at airports is building and that is what the A380 wants to cash in on, as those landing and gate spots get harder to come by the A380 becomes more and more appealing.
A 787 (an awesome plane) is more economical right now if you have 3 gate times at the destination and departure, but if you are only able to get one more spot at each end (or even one end, really) for a new route and can reasonably move 800+ passengers a day the A380 is in a league of its own...
Airbus really needs someone to go with an almost all coach set-up (westjet style, but international) and do it successfully, with only a few planes moving LOT of people, to get the market moving...
Claeren.