A stretch version of the A380? It's in the plans

A350XWB · Post by **A350XWB** » 24 Oct 2007, 14:27

Airbus has not yet launched the bigger A380-900, but several current A380 customers, notably Emirates and International Lease Finance Corp., are very interested.

Steve Udvar-Hazy, founder and chief executive of ILFC, the world's largest aircraft leasing company, has said he believes the bigger A380-900 will ultimately be the best-selling variant. Hazy is one of the industry's most respected executives.

Adam Pilarski, lead analyst for the Avitas aviation consulting firm, said the A380 is a plane that is "itching to be stretched."

The huge wing of the A380, nearly as long as a football field, was designed to support a much bigger fuselage than the current model.

"The wing is so huge that the plane looks weird," Pilarski said.

He went so far as to predict that the A380 will "be a flop" if it is not stretched.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/ ... ger24.html

L-1011 · Post by **L-1011** » 24 Oct 2007, 14:48

When Airbus designed the A380, the A380-900 was to be the main model and the A380-800 the smaller derivative. But as prospective customers were increasingly doubting their capability to fill such a big aircraft Airbus went on to build the A380-800 first (well the customers wanted to order the smaller one ) . The natural size of the A380 is the -900 . That's why the actual size 800 is "overweight" and has "oversized" wings for its capacity.
Let's hope the real Whalejet will be built one day

Gliderpilot · Post by **Gliderpilot** » 24 Oct 2007, 14:51

I hope they'll launch it for Airbus as well, that's maybe (if it's possible) a way to get the program break-even. The number has risen to 500+...

FLY4HOURS.BE · Post by **FLY4HOURS.BE** » 24 Oct 2007, 19:11

I think it's part of the strategy.

Airbus itself wants to be sure the A380 becomes a success.
The A388 is the entry-model.
Let the airlines and airports settle with this bird, and the A389 will come and remove the B747 completely from the market... if the A388 can prove itself, that is...

TexasGuy · Post by **TexasGuy** » 24 Oct 2007, 20:30

The market will determine if this version of the plane gets built. I dont think the market is there for it, atleast not yet, but stranger things have happened