Airbus has unveiled the first A350-900 flight-test prototype in its full paint scheme, as the airframer makes final preparations for the twinjet's maiden sortie. The aircraft has been fitted with its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines and the painting process marks one of the final stages before the flight-test regime begins. Customers have ordered 414 of the -900 variant, the first of the three-member family to be developed. (www.flightglobal.com) さらに...
One of the better looking Airbuses but it's quite ugly. I rather fly on Cessna 152 with its wing ducktapped back on rather than this. Seems like Airbus copied Boeing in some aspects.
They probably are, BUT, over the years, airplanes Boeing has evolved planes into that shape and it would not only be foolish but very expensive to try and totally redesign something else. Whether it's Airbus or any mfg., general shape will be there because it is tried and proven over the years. The fact that Boeing did it first and as far as I'm concerned, did it best, remains unchanged. And regards the 787, Airbus had their teething problems on the 380
Actually the Airbus A380 is an early rejected design for the Boeing 747. Boeing seriously considered the two level design that the Airbus A380 has, but rejected it eventually, because of the problems that would be encountered on an emergency evacuation, which had to be completed within 90 seconds.
I believe you are correct. I remember something about that back in the day when they first started talking about it, really before it got to a design stange or else it was one presented. As others were talking about in another post a few days ago, it really limits the market for that beast since it can't make most every airport like the 747 can. Most airlines would balk at the landing fee that an airport would have to charge to expand a runway to 200' wide and retrofit existing terminals.
I don't know if it can be considered "theft". Boeing has willingly shared it's engineering knowledge with other countries, including Russia and China, on its own in the past.