New Airbus A380 May Not Be Safe

Site Notices

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - New Airbus A380 May Not Be Safe

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:40:00 PM EDT

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-57354488-52/worlds-largest-passenger-plane-may-be-unsafe-some-say/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

The BBC reports that the engineers are concerned about small cracks that have appeared on the wing ribs of some Airbus A380 airplanes, and that they're calling for the whole fleet to be grounded for investigation.

The cracks were found on A380s operated by Singapore Airlines and
Qantas Airways, the BBC reports, and Singapore Airlines says it has
repaired the wings of two of its A380s.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:40:31 PM EDT

[#1]

No shit. They're French.

ETA-what a way to waste post #6000. Shit talking the French.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:41:16 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
No shit. They're French.

Pfffft

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:41:52 PM EDT

[#3]

oh snap

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:42:20 PM EDT

[#4]

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:44:02 PM EDT

[#5]

Duct tape it.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:44:55 PM EDT

[#6]

I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:45:55 PM EDT

[#7]

If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going...

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:46:22 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:46:42 PM EDT

[#9]

I thought it'd be about lightning strikes blowing holes in the CF. My bad.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:48:16 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

That's the MO for pretty much every manufacturer everywhere.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:48:38 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:49:41 PM EDT

[#12]

Sigh. What the fuck.

Well, there are cracks in the F35B as well, so we cant just totally shun the french.

Oh, and fuck airbus.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:49:58 PM EDT

[#13]

I pretty much knew that once you said "airbus"

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:50:18 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:50:46 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:52:01 PM EDT

[#16]

when it first came out that the 380 holds 500 people my first thought was "feed lot!!!"........

who wants to be crammed into a plane with 500 of your closest friends??

Those things are fun to see videos of........such an engineering marvel........

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:54:38 PM EDT

[#17]

It's not the first time a new airframe has had growning pains. I'm no defender of EADS, but this happens all the time.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:55:42 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

What makes you think that?

The last several dash numbers of airplanes have precisely the same detail that is causing the Airbus problem. It's not going to cause a crash unless several stringer ties in a row crack, plus several adjacent ribs see the cracks.

Posted: 1/7/2012 5:59:37 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

What makes you think that?

The last several dash numbers of airplanes have precisely the same detail that is causing the Airbus problem. It's not going to cause a crash unless several stringer ties in a row crack, plus several adjacent ribs see the cracks.

Something about your screen name makes me think you may know a thing or two about aircraft.

Posted: 1/7/2012 6:02:19 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

What makes you think that?

The last several dash numbers of airplanes have precisely the same detail that is causing the Airbus problem. It's not going to cause a crash unless several stringer ties in a row crack, plus several adjacent ribs see the cracks.

True, the cracks aren't nearly as problematic as the engine problems the a380 had on singapore air and qantas flights.

Posted: 1/7/2012 6:02:51 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

What makes you think that?

The last several dash numbers of airplanes have precisely the same detail that is causing the Airbus problem. It's not going to cause a crash unless several stringer ties in a row crack, plus several adjacent ribs see the cracks.

Something about your screen name makes me think you may know a thing or two about aircraft.

I have a hunch that you're right

Posted: 1/7/2012 6:02:53 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

What makes you think that?

The last several dash numbers of airplanes have precisely the same detail that is causing the Airbus problem. It's not going to cause a crash unless several stringer ties in a row crack, plus several adjacent ribs see the cracks.

Something about your screen name makes me think you may know a thing or two about aircraft.

Structural analysis and integrity in particular from the job end. I'm a bomb guy now, working on this:

Posted: 1/7/2012 6:05:19 PM EDT

[#23]

That's why they call them scare bus.

Posted: 1/7/2012 6:09:23 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

What makes you think that?

The last several dash numbers of airplanes have precisely the same detail that is causing the Airbus problem. It's not going to cause a crash unless several stringer ties in a row crack, plus several adjacent ribs see the cracks.

Something about your screen name makes me think you may know a thing or two about aircraft.

Structural analysis and integrity in particular from the job end. I'm a bomb guy now, working on this:

http://www.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=14897

Cool stuff. My grandfather was an AE / ME at P&W back in the day.

Posted: 1/7/2012 6:09:53 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
No shit. They're French.

ETA-what a way to waste post #6000. Shit talking the French.

380 wings are made in England.

Posted: 1/7/2012 6:44:54 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have always thought that Airbus made a substandard product.

Lately, it's been due to unnecessary over-complication of a variety of systems.

Or in this case, the rush to get these jets into production.

Seems like Boeing got it right this time when they kept pushing back the 787 schedule in order to get things right.

What makes you think that?

The last several dash numbers of airplanes have precisely the same detail that is causing the Airbus problem. It's not going to cause a crash unless several stringer ties in a row crack, plus several adjacent ribs see the cracks.

Something about your screen name makes me think you may know a thing or two about aircraft.

Non-flying dynamic load testing of airframes (accelerated life testing) tries to stay ahead of real time, real flying load influences on strength and durability. However, sometimes "stuff" happens. On the Aardvark, our D6-AC tool steel wing pivots and carry through structure were fairing well in the accelerated life testing. However, the tests did not mimic the forced incursion of rain water and salt spray from real time, real aircraft flying in torrential tropical weather, under the wing skin and into the tool steel structure and subsequent rusting. When I saw the partially rusted, partially bright crack in the remains of a failed wing pivot after a development unit crashed at Nellis, it made quite an impression.