The Proof is In This Very Impressive Video!
The Airbus A380 might not have been a commercial success but it still won its way into the hearts of faithful avgeeks. With two full decks, the jet is able to seat up to 800 people in a single class seating arrangement.
More About the A380’s Sad Bad Timing
When it was first introduced in 2005, Airbus expected it to be a runaway success. Their theory was that congestion at hub airports like LAX and London Heathrow would require larger aircraft to support continued growth. Unfortunately, the economic downturn of 2008 struck at about the same time when larger 777-300ERs were becoming more common and the 787 was introduced. Airlines realized that they could fly more efficient aircraft to bypass the hubs altogether or carry slightly smaller loads with the efficiency of two engines instead of four. Particularly after the pandemic, the A380 fell out of favor. Airlines like Lufthansa, Air France, Thai, Ethiad, and Malaysia all retired their fleets less than 15 years years after introduction.
You Still Can See Thai Airways Fly an A380 (Sort of)
Even with the real Thai Airways having retired their A380s back in 2020, there is still one way to see one fly. Christopher Ferkl from Austria built a 1/13 scale A380 in Thai colors. In the video below, his creation takes flight.
The massive RC model jet is 20 feet long with a wingspan of 18.5 feet. That’s huge! The model is powered by 4 M166TS engines that provide 166N (about 37 pounds) of thrust each. The jet carries about 2.2 gallons of fuel and has operational landing gear and flight controls. According to the video, it took 3 years to build, quite the labor of love!
Check out this awesome video from our friends at RCScaleAirplanes on Youtube. Their video has already racked up a few million views in just the first few weeks!
