Boeing 747-8 or A380?

Question

Boeing 747-8 or A380?

Answer 1

747-8, always been a loyal boeing person :/

Took airbus almost 30 something years to catch up to the 747...airbus must be waaay behind.

Answer 2

Boeing!

Answer 3

I'd rather fly on an A380 for the novelty factor, but I can't say which is better because I haven't flown on both.

To the above posters: A380s aren't made with 40-year old technology, and their wings don't snap off. Airbus and Boeing are both very competent and cutting-edge aircraft manufacturers.

Answer 4

Is this a question of Airbus vs. Boeing or about the 747-8 vs. A380?

I have worked in the aerospace industry for 20+ years and chances are a plane you are on has a part on it that I had something to do with it.

I think highly of the Boeing product because of it's ruggedness. It is in the aircraft makers DNA dating back to the B-17 of World War 2. Safety, performance and comfort is an integral part of the design. The 747-8 is a refinement and a sound financial move by Boeing versus venturing into the risky development of a all new large heavy hauler.

  Orders for airbus A380s have dropped from the original announcements. freight haulers were the first to flee in the face of delays and delivery push backs. Airbus made the decision to put the FedEx and UPS planes on the back burners and concentrate on the airline revenue aircraft.  This has understandably made the freighters pissed. Some even went back across the pond and changed the orders to a like number of 747-8's

  I may be heavily involved with the A380 right now and I want it to succeed but I just have a strong preference for Boeing aircraft to fly.

Answer 5

Airbus has been trying to match Boeing model for model in their almost 40 years of trying to develop what they call their family of airlners.  The 747 was one they probably should have skipped because it was too large for all but a few international airlines to begin with and was already being phased out and largely being replaced by the 777.

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The 747-8 is a stretched refinement of the original concept with an all new wing that has raked wingtips, a refined tail, and a new interior and flight deck which borrows heavily from the 787.  (hence the -8)  The model is not the huge investlment that the A380 is. This latest 747 will be longer than the A380 but with only a stretched upper deck will still seat fewer passengers.  Luftthansa one of the worlds top airliners was impressed enough to be the only airline (at this time) to have ordered the 747-8 passenger version.  Serveral have been ordered by a leasing company and VIP versions. All other orders are for the freighter version.  

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With orders for around 160 examples the A380 is not exactly burning up the order book. Airbus says 300 examples is the break even point but industry insiders put that number signigicantly higher.  The current problem with fuel prices may see it end up being a white elephant before they build enough of them to break even on the multi billion dollar investment.  A slowdown in domestic and international airline business (already beginning to happen) could be a disaster for Airbus.  The governments that subsidise Airbus may have to write off the bad investment they way they did with Concorde.

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Boeing has built over 1000 747s but it is unlikely that the A380 will come close to this number.  A replacement for 747 is already being studied.

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Answer 6

The Boeing 747 will be almost the same as the A380 in capacity.

But it will be far superior in technology.

Better glass cockpit.

More savings due to better mile-age (less fuel more distance)

Answer 7

Both really big airplanes

Answer 8

Boeing.  The wings don't snap off, and all four engines have thrust reversers.  It also has 40 years of service to prove its safety, whereas the A380 has 40-year-old technology but nearly zero service to prove its safety.

If it's not Boeing, I'm not going.

Answer 9

i like the a380 more than the 747 i think it looks more better even tho it has took them years to catch up they eventualy are

Answer 10

People now are criticizing the A380, but I say it's GOOD. Most people don't remember the early days of the 747 development programme, when problems came close to sinking the company!

Answer 11

A380, I've always been an Airbus person and i think the A380 is much cooler and is a huge technological step over the 747-8. The 747-8 might come 3years after the A380 but its still not as advanced.