source:http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/26/airbus.launch/index.html
(居然放在headline耶)
TOULOUSE, France (CNN) -- The world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus
A380, has taken off from Toulouse, France for its first-ever flight.
The double-decked "superjumbo" lifted off the runway at 10:29 a.m. (0829 GMT)
Wednesday for the test flight with a six-member crew aboard.
Thousands of onlookers, both invited and uninvited, cheered and applauded
as the white-and-blue jet gathered speed down the runway and took off into
the blue skies.
Locals also could see the takeoff on a giant screen in the main square of
Toulouse in southwest France.
Plane enthusiasts have watched in recent days as the A380 performed ground
tests and taxiing maneuvers at the airport in the Toulouse suburb of Blagnac,
where Airbus is headquartered.
The 308-ton jet is expected to be airborne from one to five hours or
possibly longer, and Airbus officials said it would stay within about 100
miles (160 kilometers) of Toulouse.
The plane will circle the region and beam back real-time measurements from
22 tons of on-board test instruments to Airbus headquarters.
Weather conditions were nearly ideal for the takeoff, with sunny skies and
a gentle breeze blowing across the tarmac.
Airbus had warned that the flight, already about a month behind schedule,
could have been further delayed by an unforeseen change in the wind.
A strong southerly wind from the Mediterranean would have meant automatic
postponement, since it would have required a takeoff over the town --
considered too risky for a test flight.
Airbus chief test pilot Jacques Rosay, flight captain Claude Lelaie and
their four fellow crew members were wearing parachutes for the flight in
accordance with Airbus policy, spokeswoman Barbara Kracht told The
Associated Press.
A handrail leads from the cockpit to an escape door that can be jettisoned
if the pilots lose control of the plane.
On a maiden voyage, aviation experts say, risks remain very slim, since
a plane's aerodynamic characteristics are already well known before it
takes off, thanks to years of computer modeling and wind-tunnel tests,
AP said.
Problems are more likely, but still very rare, later in the test-flight
program, when the pilots deliberately take the plane to its limits.
An Airbus A330 prototype crashed here in July 1994, killing chief test
pilot Nick Warner and six others as they conducted a simulated engine
failure exercise, AP reported.
Airbus vs. Boeing
Made by European company Airbus, the A380 is set to challenge the
Boeing 747's long dominance of the jumbo jet market.
Boeing has talked down the threat posed by the A380, notably saying
that few airports in the world had been modified to take the bulk of
the new superjumbo, despite Airbus' claims that 50 were ready.
The U.S. company also has embarked on a midsize long-range aircraft
it is calling the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing is also looking at further
modifying its aging 747 to take 450 passengers.
Boeing scored two victories this week in its trans-Atlantic battle
with Airbus with announcements of major purchases by Air Canada and
Air India.
On Monday, Air Canada's parent company said it had made firm orders
for 18 Boeing 777 jets and 14 of the company's 787 Dreamliner jets
in a deal worth $5 billion at list prices.
As part of a plan to overhaul Air Canada's fleet, parent ACE Aviation
Holdings said it also had options to buy a further 18 more 777 jets
and 46 more 787s. (Full story)
And the board of India's state-owned international airline, Air India,
has approved an order to purchase 50 Boeing aircraft worth $8 billion,
Boeing executives in Mumbai confirmed to CNN.
The Boeing planes included in the deal are eight 777-200LR ultra
long-range models, 15 777-300ER long-range aircraft with 350 seats and
27 787 long-range aircraft with 250 seats. (Full story)
Meanwhile, China signed contracts on April 21 to buy five Airbus A380s
and 25 other Airbus jetliners in a series of deals totaling more than
$3.2 billion. (Full story)
Thirteen companies have placed firm orders for 149 of the A380t, which
comes with a catalogue price of between $263 million and $286 million
(200 million and 218 million euros).
France, Britain, Germany and Spain all invested heavily in the 10-year,
10-billion-plus euro ($13-billion-plus) program to build the A380.
Although the project has run some $1.4 billion over budget, Airbus
believes it will recoup its costs in 2008 and be an extremely profitable
flagship product for decades to come.
Airbus chief Noel Forgeard told CNN in January the aircraft had already
nearly covered its costs. The A380 was originally unveiled at a star-studded
event on January 18 in France. (Full story)
In a passenger layout, the jet has 555 seats and four aisles, with
a range of up to 15,000 kilometers (8,000 nautical miles).
UPS and FedEx have ordered a freight version which is to be unveiled at
a later date and will be able to carry cargos of 150 tons over 10,400
kilometers.
Some passenger planes will have cocktail bars, double beds and massage
parlors, while Airbus has suggested that selected jets may even have
jacuzzis and mini-casinos.
According to Airbus, the A380 has about a 13 percent lower fuel burn
than the 747 and is the first long-haul aircraft to consume less than
3 liters of fuel per passenger over 100 km -- said to be as efficient
as an average family car.
Carbon fiber components and fuel-efficient technology also mean the cost
per passenger should be up to 20 percent less than on a 747, raising the
possibility of cheaper tickets, Airbus said.
CNN's Richard Quest contributed to this report.
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