FAO Clanad

[237SJ]

I saw the Emirates A380 take off today as usual and it appears slower than a B744. How does the take off speed compare to the jumbo. Someone at work said it appears slower because it`s bigger but it definitely seems to "lumber" along. The climb rate seems quicker though. I was just wondering and thought maybe you`d know.

[Clanad]

Thanks for the question... I haven't had the chance to see the A380 up close and personal yet, but I've seen it in flight from about 5 miles away. It was in landing configuration, we were on approach to a parrallel runway at LAX and we were doing 165 knots, also in landing config. They (Quantas) appeared to be about the same speed. That speed is Vref (Velocity - reference, plus maybe 5 to 15 knots for gusty winds). (I was in a venerable B-727. Gosh, they are only 1.2 million pounds heavier than we... a pittance.

This from a test pilot site:

"The test went exactly as planned,” says Airbus chief test pilot Jacques Rosay, who was at the controls of Rolls-Royce Trent 900-powered A380 MSN001 (F-WWOW) alongside vice-president Airbus flight test division Claude Lelaie for the trial at the Istres test airfield in southern France on 4 March. In total, seven crew were on board the A380 including a flight engineer representing the European Aviation Safety Agency.

To comply with the certification requirements, the aircraft, which was equipped with 90% worn brakes, completed a 5km (three mile) taxi during which it made four stops - one of which was to simulate the higher residual idle thrust of the Engine Alliance GP7200-powered aircraft. With an all up weight of 675t (1,487,000lb) the A380 was accelerated down the runway to 166kt (307km/h) -the equivalent V1 speed for this take-off weight- before being brought to a halt using wheel brakes and spoilers alone, with the engines at idle"

The V1 speed is speed attained just before Vr (rotational speed)... this speed is highly variable..dependant on temperature especially, but also density altitude, runway slope and other considerations. Since this aircraft was at "all up" weight or max takeoff weight most other V1 speeds would be less.

Longwinded way of saying... it's all a visual illusion... since the craft is so huge it appears to be

[Clanad]

... flying slower. The speeds would be very comparable to the somewhat smaller Boeing 747-800, by the way.
Problems are being encountered at some airports isnce the outer engines (1 and 4) hang over the edges of the runway and erodes the edges of the pavement... sometimes badly... such is the cost of advances...

[237SJ]

Thanks clanad. It looks like the speed`s pretty much the same then. I`ve seen them at airports and the Emirates one goes over here (I`m about 6 miles from LHR) every afternoon. The weather`s really clear at the moment so there is a good view. It`s pretty quiet when it goes over. My sister has travelled on the Singapore airlines one and said it was the most uncomfortable plane she had been on but she was obviously talking about the fixtures and fittings and not the actual aircraft.

[johne1892]

Hi SJ, a great answer from Clanad.

My uncle flies for Emirates so the next time I speak to him in Dubai I'll ask......I'd worry if he didn't know!

[237SJ]

Johne, my mate flies for them as well. He`s on 777s. He did a CPL himself and worked his way up from flying Shorts (known as The Shed) via Ryanair to Emirates.

[237SJ]

Sorry Eddie, wasn`t ignoring you. I`ve never seen a Galaxy. Seen plenty of A380s though as we`ve been parked next to them at various places. They don`t look as big close up as you would think, it`s just that they are chunkier. Oh dear, I sound like a plane spotter now!

[Clanad]

Are you in aviation 237sj? With a user name ending in Sierra Juliette you sound quite knowledgeable...

[TonyV]

a nice piece of metal in the sky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmintlMBFb0&feature=player_detailpage#t=40s

[ChuckFickens]

Nice bit of metal on the ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJrIpGNqcww

[TonyV]

unless you marshall this lot - lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz7FI_S0_NE&feature=player_detailpage#t=23s

[TonyV]

or organise this to take place

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu21rM9ahkY&feature=player_detailpage#t=32s

[TonyV]

Chuck - some come down with a bump

[237SJ]

Clanad, yes, although you`ll find me the other side of your flight deck door. SJ is part of my initials. Talking of Julliet, we used to have an old 737 with the registration Julliete Juliette and a passenger decided to commit suicide by slitting his throat in the lavatory. The aircraft was known forever after as Jugular Jugular.

[heathfield]

Bigger aircraft seem slow compared to smaller ones. A (very) rough comparison is to watch the time it takes them to pass behind, say, a lamp-post, (or your index finger!).
I remember watching C5 Galaxys land. This was at a time when a Boeing 707 was considered to be a large aircraft! Galaxys seemed enormous then. The nose on Galaxys was so big that the pilot couldn't see the ground in front for quite a distance. After they landed, it was quite normal to see one of the crew get out and plug in a headset to a socket low down at the front of the aircraft, then walk forward with the plane, guiding it verbally to its parking area. I note that the shorter nose on the A380 does away with the need for that procedure!

[Clanad]

One of the most amazing things about the C5A, heathfield, at least to me, is the "kneeling" landing gear trucks. I've watched it numerous time lowering and raising the fuselage. All hydraulics, I know, but that's an amazing feat of engineering!

237SJ... great story! When I first started flying airlines we flew DC-3's out in the western part of the U.S. All the Captains were steely eyed WWII veterans with unique senses of humor. One night in southern Montana we had two or three "working girls" in back... they shuttled between Reno, Las Vegas and, of all places, Miles City, Montana since there was a magnificent "house of ill repute" there. Anyway, the fairly new Stew came rushing forward (no locked cock pit doors then) and breathlessly said that one of the girls in back was drunk and she was taking "all" of her clothes off!!! The old Captain looked at me, put his flight cap on at a rakish angle and said... "Son... you sit right there and fly this airplane, I'm going in back to take care of the trouble!" Seemed to take him an inordinate amount of time....

[237SJ]

There are so many funny stories in flying Clanad. Talking of people on aircraft shedding their clothes, my friend (crew) did a shuttle to Santiago and at the room party the night before had a bet with the flight crew as to how few clothes she could get away with wearing. She did the flight in her blouse, skirt and shoes. Nothing else. Meanwhile, as part of the bet, the captain wore her knickers and bra under his uniform. Good job he didn`t get a pat-down from security in the airport. Oh, for the old days!