On 1-18-05, a new jumbo jet, the Airbus A380 made its official debut in Toulouse, France.There are now some Airbus 380's visible at Toulouse.

The attachments show what it takes to make a wing on this plane,from mining bauxite in Australia to final assembly in Toulouse, France. From a story by Peter Pae, LA Times Staff Writer.





The Airbus 380, fabricated in Toulouse, France, is the largest passenger aircraft built, surpassing the Boeing 747.

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Lengthwise, it would nearly stretch from goal line to goal line of a football field while its wing tips would hang well beyond the sidelines. Three full decks will run along the entire length of the plane. Upper and main decks will serve as passenger areas, and will be connected by a grand staircase near the front of the plane and by another smaller staircase at the back. Although the lower deck will be reserved primarily for cargo, it could be outfitted for special passenger uses such as sleeper cabins, business centers or even child care service. In a one-class configuration, the A380 could accommodate as many as 840 passsengers.

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My thanks to all who have helped to improve this post. I have made modifications to placemarks based on new information and a few finds of my own. But it isn't completed yet. Within the information balloons of several of the placemarks are desired information improvments that I think can be made. When this post was originally made the best resolution in most areas outside of the U.S. was much worse than the lowest resolution available now. As resolution and local knowledge improve, more adjustments can be made.

Wikipedia link with updated information about the 380...

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This overlay is a high-resolution (0.6m !!!) QuickBird satellite image taken on the 12/06/05 during Paris Air Show.

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Image and quote from www.airportbusiness.com
The Airbus A380 taxies past the control tower of Singapore's Changi International Airport shortly after its landing.

Airbus to Compensate for Delivery Delays

AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

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The double-decker Airbus A380 made its first landing in Asia on Friday, and Airbus officials said Asian airlines that have ordered the superjumbo will be compensated for delivery delays.

Seven airlines in the Asia-Pacific region have ordered a total of 49 A380s, accounting for 31 percent of 159 firm orders so far for the world's largest passenger aircraft - but deliveries have been pushed back six to eight months due to production delays.

The rollout of the plane is now on track, said Charles Champion, Airbus' head of the A380 program, and Airbus is "committed to deliver the first aircraft by the end of 2006" to Singapore Airlines, the first airline to operate the jet.

Singapore Airlines, which has ordered 10 of the jets, has complained about an eight-month delay in delivery to November 2006. Australian Qantas, which has ordered 12 planes, and Malaysia Airlines, which has ordered six planes, are also unhappy with the postponement.

Airbus will compensate airlines for the delays according to contract terms, officials said.

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Image from http://events.airbus.com

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I wonder who will be the first to post one of these after they are in the air and Keyhole refreshes and improves resolution in some of its locations?

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OK, seems that Tilmann did it... A380