Aerospace Technology

The world’s first double-decked jetliner, the Airbus A3XX, renamed as the Airbus A380, is the largest passenger airliner ever built. The successful flight of the Airbus A380 on February first in 2007 using GTL (Ground to Liquid) fuel, gave possible solutions to the increase of global warming. The use of GTL reduces CO2 emissions and results in low cost since less jet kerosene fuel is used. In one of the four engines of the Airbus A380, 60% is filled with standard jet kerosene fuel and 40% is filled with GTL, which is made out of natural gas from gas plants in Malaysia. The Airbus A380 produces only 75g of CO2 per passenger, which is a very low amount of carbon dioxide. According to Airbus.com, the GTL in the engines produced a smooth sound and reduced vibrations in the aircraft, in general, a hybrid feeling. This GTL fuel may not only help the environment, but it may increase the amount of comfort. Also, Airbus notices in the experimental flight that the GTL reduced the loudness of the noise from the engines and as stated before, it may increase the amount of comfort because of the smooth noise that is produced by the GTL used engines. GTL helps the Airbus Company economically because it is much cheaper than regular jet kerosene. Producing more GTL than kerosene will help the economy of Airbus. However, more GTL is required to equalize the amount of support it gives to the gigantic aircraft. Currently, there is not enough GTL fuel to power all the commercial aircraft in the world but many people believe that in about 2015, GTL will be sold by oil companies such as Shell and will slightly change the aircraft industry in a positive way. In addition, Shell was the company that first developed GTL fuel and worked with Airbus for the creation of an experimental flight using an Airbus A380 on February first. The company decided to use this specific aircraft because of two unique aspects. The Airbus A380 is a very fuel-efficient aircraft flying today and many people believe that it would remain that way for approximately 30 years. It also contained four engines and one was needed to fill the GTL fuel. The other three engines were critically important because it contained regular fuel and if the experimental flight turned out wrong, the three engines would have enough support to bring the aircraft back to the airport. However, without these engines, the Airbus A380 wouldn’t support the weight in which the engines where designed for and without the engine support, Airbus would lose an Airbus A380 which is equivalent to 275 million dollars. The successful 3-hour experimental flight began a slight change in the aircraft industry. As www.airbus.com states, “The A380 is a new generation of aircraft.”
As many people know, the Airbus and Boeing Company have a tough rivalry. Many different people prefer either one of their luxury and comfort and both companies receive victory and losses per year. Different people prefer Boeing’s luxury or others congratulate Airbus’s early start and success. To clarify, the Boeing Company began in 1916. On the contrary, the Airbus Company was founded in 1970, fifty-nine years after Boeing’s foundation. What many people like about the Airbus is that it developed very quickly and had a rivalry with a company that started fifty-nine years before the Airbus. This accomplishment is something very unique that the Airbus cotains. People such as Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal from Saudi Arabia replaced his private Boeing 747 for a 300 million dollar Airbus A380, which placed the world record of the world’s largest private jet. The prince’s nickname for his new VIP luxurious aircraft is the “Flying Palace”. Furthermore, according to the BBC News, Boeing’s 747 Jumbo Jet dominated the aircraft market for forty years until the Airbus A380 came in. Although the Boeing has more history behind the company, Airbus being created so early has become stiff competition against Boeing. The successful creation of the Airbus A380 using GTL as power source gave a helpful economical boost as well as more public support. Two years ago, Boeing was boasting about their large orders from other aircraft companies or airlines. However, Airbus, which represented Europe, was contracted by the United States Air Force, one of Boeing’s prime customers, which embarrassed Boeing because of the fact that Boeing was an American company. The cause for the contract was that Boeing accidentally reduced the size of the tankers in a contract with the U.S. Air Force therefore, the Air Force decided to change its buyer. After the Air Force contracted Airbus, Boeing was too embarrassed to let this go and tried to persuade the Air Force to change their minds. However, the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Wynne, described Boeing and Airbus’s rivalry as “not even close” which silenced the Boeing Company. Airbus’s achievement not only gave them lots of money such as 100 billion dollars from the contract but it also succeeded in “stepping ahead” of its rival, Boeing. As a result, Airbus is now leading the competition. Currently, British billionaire Richard Branson’s (photo shown in my Commercial Spacecraft post) Virgin Group is planning to experiment bio-fuel in a Boeing 747. I believe that this was caused because of Boeing’s losing competition and Boeing’s attempt to reestablish itself in the competition. Also, I believe that the Airbus A380 was a unique and successful achievement that gave the Airbus the opportunity to help the environment and even beat their rivals, Boeing. However, this achievement will not be used as a commercial product until enough GTL fuel source is created. I think that the Airbus A380 could have been Airbus’s main source of victory and strategic power in which if used wisely, would benefit the company with financial expansion. As shown in the example of the Air Force contract, it gave Airbus an incredible amount of money, 100 billion dollars, that if Boeing were to receive it, they could have used it to surpass Airbus’s efforts. In reality, Airbus succeeded in receiving an American company to help beat an American aircraft company. The continuous efforts of Airbus may help change the world in an economical way for Airbus, but at the same time, delay global warming for at least one more day.
Some information from www.gizmag.com, www.cnn.com, www.wikipedia.org, www.airbus.com, www.surfersvillage.com, http://www.cbw.cz/en/the-wind-is-changing-in-the-boeing/airbus-rivalry/7123.html, and  www.news.bbc.co.uk. Airbus A380  Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal´s Airbus A380 “Flying Palace” interior bed.