Boomerang

Timber, no "U" in Qantas

I have no desire whatsoever to fly either plane one day, A380 will be like a can of sardines, and Emirates is already asking for a stretched version to fly 1000 passengers :scared: :scared: .

Flying LHR-SYD or the SYD-LHR non-stop on the new B777 might prove a bit difficult due to crew fatigue levels but i am sure the bean counters have a solution.

Flying Banana

No it's actually a windup, took me hours to hack the Qantas website and make a fake webpage

longreach

According to Boeing, 9,420 nautical miles (17,445 kilometers) fully loaded although testing may have proven that they can in fact fly further

Pollyana

Although it will suit some people to fly it in one hop, and it'll be an amazing achievement for aviation, personally I like the stop in the middle - leg stretch, wander round the shops, have a decent beer (lovely bar in HKG selling Stella and Walker's Crisps!!). Just breaks it up a bit - and thats from somone who loves flying!

Flying Banana

Quite an achievement when you consider 103 years ago the Wright's made the first ever powered flight, the distance of which was shorter than the economy cabin of a 747!!!

Definitely wouldn't want to spend the whole London Sydney flight on a non stop plane, getting off to stretch the legs and get away from the stale cabin air for even an hour is bliss.

marco121068

Or that annoying git who always tends to sit infront of you whacking down their seat just as you're about to tuck into your meal

A dogs life

Can some please explain to me why its not possible to invent an aircraft that just goes up vertically, and then hovers while the earth rotates underneath it, and then comes down again when it gets to the point it wants.

It would be sooo fast. Just think, lift off, fly a bit north, then hover till the UK passes underneath and then touch down again. As the UK is only 10 hours behind Oz, that would be a 10 hour flight.

I'm missing something aren't I

Tom Sawyer

Yes only 10hrs behind "circumferentially", but about 10 hrs flying time North. So roughly the same flying time as now if you went via Hong Kong on a good day.

As for the A380, I'll be getting my hands on it on the near future. Work on Airbus's at the momment, they build a great airplane, better than Boeing IMO, and I'm qualified to work on both. As for the 777 "Worldliner", I think there is still a lot of work to do to make it economically viable to the airlines to fly LHR - SYD direct both ways, but it will happen in the next 5 - 10yrs.

Wol

Or alternatively wait until continental drift brings the destination around to you?

(Actually, most Long Haul flights seem to be on this timescale anyway........)

A dogs life

Yeah but no but yeah, but no but, If you need to fly directly north for ten hours, and the earth rotates beneath you for ten hours, then you are over the UK. So no need to fly west, just fly north and let the earths rotation do the rest. So still just a ten hour flight...

What am I missing?

Timber Floor Au

PMSL CLASS !

Boomerang

Look who is in Brisbane:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/958063/L/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/958101/L/ :scared:

A dogs life

Oh gawd That is one ugly plane! Of course if its brilliant, spacious, and functional inside I couldn't give a damn how ugly it looks outside.

Until my hover plane comes along...

lucyb

Looks like a Guppy head on.