What is Digg?110 Comments
- RadiantBeing, on 10/11/2007, -2/+118Yeah, I prefer flying in airplanes that were grown from a single titanium crystal.
- supasurg, on 10/11/2007, -25/+74For some reason I don't feel comfortable flying on a plane that was constructed "Lego-like"
- purple, on 10/11/2007, -3/+23Atleast it isn't megabloks.
- mike81890, on 10/11/2007, -3/+21yes.... 1 part of 6 IS 1/6. Boeing can't fool you!
- WhiteRaven, on 10/11/2007, -23/+40You have no idea what you're talking about. Airbus exists by picking up Boeing's scraps. As one might expect from a semi-governmental entity, Airbus wasted phenomenal resources designing and building a behemoth no one actually wants. Aside from building excellent craft and doing so efficiently, Boeing understands the airline business and builds what the world wants... needs even. Airbus builds adequate craft (which they then fill with gadgetry in an attempt to appeal to passengers with fluff) in a wasteful manner and often don't seem to understand the needs of the industry.
- MacBastard, on 10/11/2007, -0/+17Even aluminum planes are built in sections - the 787 is different because the sections are essentially fabricated out of layers and layers of carbon fiber fabric and plastic epoxy, and then baked in a huge pressure cooker to make them ONE PIECE. Aluminum plane sections are built out of skin sections and ribs that are riveted or welded together - they are definitely not "one piece" units.
I think I'm going to feel safer inside a plane that has essentially only 5 joins in the main body than one that has dozens of them. (If that was a safety concern to begin with, which it really isn't.) - thatsmyaibo, on 10/11/2007, -9/+23Sorry, the Airbus a380 is gorgeous and brought a whole new concept to fuel efficiency and aviation design. I was at LAX when it flew in and seeing it in person makes you have a whole new appreciation for Airbus.
- mach32, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13parts come from every point on the globe. designed in the usa, final assembly in the usa. but tens of thousands around the world have a hand it the construction.
- FleetAdmSenick, on 10/11/2007, -2/+13And here I thought there would have been a link to the Lego Boeing 787 Dreamliner
http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=10177&cn=245
Only 79.99 USD according to Lego Shop At Home! - colifis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12The A380 is a marvelous piece of engineering. The wing design is amazing. However marvelous engineering does not guarantee them to be an economic winner.
- raid517, on 10/11/2007, -16/+26And Boeing never does and never has recieved a red cent in government money?
Yeah right chum, go figure... - buffalodan, on 10/11/2007, -5/+15Actually, Fedex and UPS both scrapped the a380. No cargo version is going to be made last i heard. Something coulda changed since march though.
- grooviekenn, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11I would love to see one being built in time lapse~ :)
- xspinkickx, on 10/11/2007, -9/+19@WhiteRaven
Actually there is alot of demand for the A380, especially for high traffic flights, and not to mention for cargo as well. - xspinkickx, on 10/11/2007, -3/+13this is true.
- TheCaterpillar, on 10/11/2007, -4/+13Isn't being sold to airlines??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Boeing_787_orders
As someone who works for Boeing, let me assure you, the 787 is going to kick ass. - Vrail, on 10/11/2007, -12/+21Yeah the 787 is cool. Yeah it's about time boeing gained some momentum back after airbus's eruption...
And yessir, I do believe good 'ol local boeing deserves to kick those euros out the window...
.. but is this article about the airbus-boeing rivalry or is it about childhood nostalgia and cool pictures?
Why am I arguing a vague obscure point that even I cannot grasp? I dunno...
Long live boeing, digg, and america. - aschmack, on 10/11/2007, -5/+14Would a giant accidentally step on these if he left them on his floor?
- evilregis, on 10/11/2007, -8/+17Does it kick Airbus' ass because it's Made In The USA™? Now with extra Patriotism?
- Zique, on 10/11/2007, -7/+15@WhiteRaven
So explain why Airbus has outsold Boeing for the last decade if they're so unefficient and don't understand the industry? - WhiteRaven, on 10/11/2007, -8/+15Didn't say that, did I?
- DollaDollaBill, on 10/11/2007, -9/+16Dugg down for not actually involving legos, weak.
- TheCaterpillar, on 10/11/2007, -0/+60 in operation 160 firm orders.
- emiliogtz, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8Actually, I get that for every google video link they post on Digg.... wtf?
- Typhoon2009, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9It's just being speculative ;) Boeing's made pretty solid aircraft from what I know, the 787 shouldn't be any different. Granted, don't count your chickens before they hatch, but that goes both ways in the "next major commercial jet" argument.
edit: Also, the Airbus hasn't sold as well as it was projected to. If memory serves me right, FedEx canceled their order. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6i'm kind of horrified at the opinionated crap people are posting -- airbus is designed for the european style of flying long distances, boeing is designed to fly to central hubs. the fact that the guy who wrote the blog doesn't even know that says a lot. the airbus has buyers, flies fine and the company has a good heritage and reputation as a pioneer of new technology. boeing can turn around and say that they revolutionized intercontinental travel. it's like comparing apples and oranges
as for the red cent *****? don't bet boeing haven't been subsidized or rely on government contracts, because they do. it should also be pointed out that airbus consortium was founded by european defense contractors. there's nothing gayer than freeps posting their jingoistic and uninformed idiocy everywhere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus#World_Trade_Organization_litigation
well, i've said it. now bury me - dagamer34, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Lol, the REAL Lego 787!
- mach32, on 10/11/2007, -4/+8talk to engineers and maintenance personnel, BOEING will get more votes. not that airbus doesn't build a fair airplane, but it's no boeing.
- brufleth, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6The reason Airbus was able to grow so fast (and eventually over take Boeing in sales [although that definitely hasn't been happening for an entire decade yet]) was that they receive government loans for development of new programs. The loans only need to be paid back if the program is financially successful. Effectively reducing the risk in bringing new products to market. That is why Boeing has filed suit against Airbus with the WTO. Airbus counter sued because of indirect government subsidizing due to defense contracts and tax breaks. I have to lean towards Boeing on this one as the A380 could ONLY have been developed with the help of those government loans and they were astronomically huge and the way things currently are it will take a very long time to turn a profit on that program.
At one time people weren't sure if more smaller planes or fewer larger planes were better. Airbus went with fewer larger and Boeing went with more smaller (and eventually an updated 747). Currently it looks like Boeing was right. The A380 can only land at a handful of runways around the world, requires airport redesign to support boarding 500+ passengers, and is so large that distances between planes landing and taking off has to be adjusted. These issues plus delays have prompted many initial customers to back out.
The A320 series of aircraft is still a work horse of most airlines and is the product that caused Airbus to sky rocket up in sales. They're a solid mid range aircraft that generally out perform 737. I still hate it when airlines use them on 6 hour flights though.
The whole America vs Europe crap is total BS. Airlines from all over the world use aircraft from both companies. Generally different routes will require different planes and often an offering from one company in a given niche will be better than what the other company has to offer. The 777 is an awesome plane right now. Great fuel economy, super long range (they flew one like 2/3 of the way around the world and only burned about a quart and a half of oil), etc. When I went to Japan last year I picked flights so I'd be on a 777. For shorter range flights you're probably better off trying to get on to an A320 series aircraft as they're probably newer and in better shape.
For many people in both the US and Europe you're also probably often flying on Embraer (Brasilian) or Bombardier (Canadian) regional jets for short trips (usually less than two hours). The use of regional jets has exploded and I think often people assume that these aircraft are also made by one of the bigger companies (Airbus or Boeing).
To the people claiming that US subsidizing of US airline companies helps Boeing, you're being silly. American airline companies buy from both Boeing and Airbus (among others). Also, many airlines in Europe, Asia and the Middle East are also given government money. Often the planes aren't even really owned by the airlines anyway. Financing companies are often the owners who lease the planes to whoever. - sw17ch, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7Very true. I've done some work on this plane (all software, admittedly) and I'm really looking forward to getting a ride on the 787. (Yes, I've seen a lot of the software and i STILL feel safe.)
- edebolt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Boeing and Airbus are a good rivalry which stimulates competition and helps bring better products to the consumer. Lets hope they push each other and stay ahead of a Chinese competitor that the PRC is spending lots of money to jumpstart.
- Anth, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6You're sorta right....
Europe: A380 delayed 2 years because of wiring issues, plus decreased production numbers the first few years.
USA: Boeing 787 currently on time, rollout on 7/8/7, first flight August 27 or 28, first delivery to ANA in May 2008.
Be sure to check out http://flightblogger.blogspot.com/ too, he's been good with the videos. - bob_the_alien, on 10/11/2007, -6/+10I know everyone is digging you down, and maybe rightfully so, however, the inclusion of Team American's theme song in anything, makes me Happy, so I dugg you up, America, ***** YEAH,
- xspinkickx, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5@jazh
no, generally speaking, from engineers from cathay pacific and british airways, there is a general perception that boeing planes are slightly better built. - Vrail, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Also, since when are people more afraid of the plane physically breaking apart on a whim than a drunk pilot smashing the thing into the control tower? Human error will always be far far more worrisome to me than some new methods of gluing a plane together....
- digdig, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Yeah buddy, its build from factories all over the world. The cargo plane that carries all those parts around was actually designed in Boeings Moscow bureau.
- fudgeigor, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Wow, that makes sense... I can see the business appeal in making Digg users "Potential Buyers", only problem there is, who here can afford a ***** plane? How about a commercial jet?
- jazh, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5The A380 that is... Airbus sells many, many aircraft and is the market leader for shorthaul routes IIRC.
They haven't sold many due to delays delays caused by an electronics problem which meant a two year delay. I would expect it to be very popular inn 5-10 years. - FuZi0nDET, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Lego like is a good thing; have you heard about how in-efficient the A380's design and production processes are? I read an article a few months back that said the A380 plants in Toulouse were operating below 30% capacity. Not to mention that they have problems transporting the giant sections across Europe as the infrastructure can't easily accommodate such a large plane. If it weren't for Airbus shooting themselves in the foot with the A380 delays Boeing would be on the defensive, and the A380 may delay production on the 787s competition from what I've read.
- redxii, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Made in the USA, with help from some guys hanging around Home Depot.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3This is why I sold all my Boeing stock.
They are out sourcing most of the assemblies that go into these new birds.
Can you say?: "who would have thought these Chinese wings would just fall apart like that". - raid517, on 10/11/2007, -5/+8@turgor
You are either mentally deranged/retarded or are playing deliberately dumb. (Or maybe it's all three?)
I am of course talking about straight out under the table government subsidies and tax breaks.
A lot of Americans like to bitch that Airbus is directly government funded - while at the same time forgetting to mention that Boeing (and the entire American airline industry in general) receives billions annually in indirect government aid.
So take your pick, either you take your money directly from the government, or indirectly via government tax breaks and extremely favourable deals subsidized by government cash for airlines that buy American planes.
I'd say all things considered, it is a pretty level playing field. - colifis, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Check out the modified 747 used to ferry 787 parts to final assembly - The Dreamlifter:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1206261/M/ - Nateon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I was hoping for a real to life lego model, fully scaled boeing 787. Boy was I disappointed.
- MacBastard, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Now THAT is awesome....
- MacBastard, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3@puppadogservant
There are many reasons why Boeing changed from the designation "7E7" to "787".
1. 7E7 was an interim name in the first place, with the 'E' standing for "experimental" or "efficiency", etc.
2. It's the next designation in line. Y'know, 747, 757, 767, 777, and.....
3. It is a fact that the numeral 8 is considered lucky in Chinese (not just Communist China) and other Asian cultures. (You don't think that Airbus thinks that A380 is bad name, do you?) Boeing would like to sell (even more) airplanes in Asia, and that association doesn't hurt.
You know, being able to sell planes to Red China is a Good Thing. Right now, Washington State is one of the few parts of country that can say it's selling more stuff to China and other nations than buying from them, so STFU. - sanman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2All that blue and yellow reminds me of the scenes from the F-35 JSF assembly facility:
http://www.jsf.mil/gallery/gal_photo_sdd_f35manf.htm
Hehe, kinda looks like a scene out of Macross ;) - sid1662, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I love the way these turn into jingoistic fanboy back-clapping with insults galore thrown in...
Thanks for the laughs! - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3airbus builds military products too, you donkey
go to google some time, i hear it's good for research - cfazzini, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4The company I work for designed and installed an Automated Composite Layer System (ACLS machine) for doing automated lay up of some of the composite structures. I went down to Wichita, KS where the main fuselage is being designed and made by Spirit Aerosystems to install this machine. The automated machinery they are using for making these airplanes is incredible.
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