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The four-engined, 555-passenger Airbus Industrie A380 was launched in December 2000 and first flight and certification are planned for early 2005 and mid-2006, respectively. The aircraft will be powered by four Engine Alliance ($) (General Electric and ($) Pratt & Whitney) GP7200 turbofan engines rated at about 81,500 lbst each, or ($) Rolls-Royce Trent 900s at 80,000 lbst each.

Range is projected at 14,815 kilometers (8,000 nautical miles). Airbus plans an A380-800F freighter variant to haul a 150,000-kilogram (330,700-lb) payload more than 10,372 kilometers (5,600 nautical miles). Additional variants are on the drawing boards.

Partners include ($) Hamilton Sundstrand (air conditioning, ram-air turbine), ($) Goodrich (air data system, main landing gear), ($) Thales (cockpit displays), Hurel-Hispano (engine nacelles), ($) Nord-Micro (environmental control system), ($) Honeywell (flight management system), ($) Messier-Dowty ($) (nose landing gear), ($) Liebherr/Honeywell (pneumatic system), and ($) Drager (oxygen system).

Forecast International expects an estimated 135 A380s will be delivered between 2005 and 2012.

($) LAX Partly Blamed For Virgin Atlantic A380 Postponement (Aviation Daily)
($) New York Kennedy Funded For A380 Strengthening (Airports)
($) Munich Airport Cleared For A380 (Aviation Daily)
($) Dutch 'Glare' Factory Ramps Up A380 Fuselage Panel Production (AW&ST)
($) China Readies For A380 (Airports)
U.S. Airports Not Ready For Airbus A380, Says Lufthansa (Aviation Daily)
Airbus A380 To Roll Out in Less Than 10 Months (AW&ST)
Trent 900 Progresses Toward First Test Flight (AW&ST)
GE-P&W; Engine Alliance GP7200 Readied for Tests (AW&ST)
A380 Will Utilize Global Supply Chain (AW&ST)
($) Goodrich Ships First A380 Landing Gear To Airbus (Aviation Daily)
($) Rolls-Royce Delivers First Trent 900 To Airbus (Aviation Daily)
($) Airbus: China Needs Larger Aircraft To Cope With Demand (Aviation Daily)

More articles

No. in flt crew	2
No. of pass.	555
Wing Span (ft.)	261.8
Gross wt. (lb.)	1,234,600
Entry into service expected 2006.

Detailed specifications

($) Airbus Industrie — airframe
($) General Electric — engines
($) Pratt & Whitney — engines
($) Rolls-Royce — engines
($) Hamilton Sundstrand — air conditioning, ram-air turbine
($) Goodrich — air data system, main landing gear
($) Thales — cockpit displays
($) Nord-Micro — environmental control system
($) Honeywell — flight management system
($) Messier-Dowty — nose landing gear
($) Liebherr/Honeywell — pneumatic system
($) Drager — oxygen system
($) Testex — engine and airframe test equipment

More contractors and suppliers

Airbus' confidence in the A380 business plan has remained strong in spite of the general economic downturn and, more specifically, the airline industry's morass.

Gallery coming soon

Aviation Week & Space Technology A380 Special Report
Official Airbus A380 Website