Customer Reviews

Airbus A380: Superjumbo of the 21st Century

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Airbus 380" takes the reader through the nearly 900 passenger airplane's development process - beginning with rough sketches in 1988. The aim was to break Boeing's 747 monopoly on large planes. Airbus envisioned increased travel to-from the Asia-Pacific market as justifying the need for new long-distance aircraft; the congestion at existing airports steered them towards a jumbo jet with targeted direct operating costs at least 15% less than those projected for new 747 models. After receiving a number of firm orders the go-ahead decision was made in June of 2000, aided or in spite of Boeing's decision to drop its effort to upgrade the 747 due to "insufficient market size." About 40% of the manufacturing was subcontracted out, and included a number of firms in the U.S.

Progress had been delayed by the Asian economic crisis in 1998, and the horizon darkened again with the air traffic slowdown post 9/11.

"Airbus 380's" narrative takes the reader throughout the development and testing, as well as initial manufacturing leading up to its January, 2005 roll-out. Clear photos, with accompanying specific explanation, provide insight to most every imaginable detail and an appreciation of the complexity and care involved.

Unfortunately for Airbus, the sudden rise in oil prices has led to fewer orders than hoped for, and wiring problems have twice created six-month production delays and the replacement of top management. Airbus has now committed to another $5 billion in development to further reduce operating costs in an effort to regain ground lost to Boeing's smaller but more efficient "Dreamliner."

Although it is somewhat bias towards Airbus and the 380, this book has a lot of good informaton on how the 380 came to life, and the competition with Boeing. The pictures are worth the price of the book (but the captions are lifted right from the text.) The text is a good read, and is as up-to-date as it could be, but missing the recent changes in Airbus mgt., development proceedures, and the new 350-XWB.

I read the book and I have no word to express my suprise about airplanes technology. The photos and information is good.
Congratulations to Guy Norris and Mark Wagner for an excellent work.

This book is a good read, but I would have liked more comparison of the A380 with the other super jumbos, i feel this book is too full of praises, I am not saying that a380 is not good, go for it if you are a die hard airbus fan or else just check out

www.AircraftCompare.com

..it not only tells a lot about the a380, but also compares it with the latest and oncoming competetion

I gave this book three stars because although it had good background content it wasn't complete. There's too much info about the concept aircraft to begin with. I would have hoped for a book completely about the production and technical features of the airbus A380 and the whole aircraft in a bigger book.

Excellent presentation and collection of photogrpahs particularly if you find it too troublesome to get them on the web.

Although the tracing of the history of the development from a business view point is quite comprehensive, the reader more interested on the technical side may be slightly disappointed as compared with some other airline series such as the airlife.

But it seems that this is the only book currently on the market about the A380.

I purchased this book as a gift for a nephew who loves jumbo planes.
Of course I took a peek at it before I wrapped it up, and I found it very hard to put down. I found the book well written and the pictures were fantastic. My nephew loved it as well.