airbus

In Paris, the 747-8 Intercontinental paints the town orange

PARIS--As he neared the end of the nearly 10-hour flight from Everett, Wash., to the French capital and the Paris Air Show here, Boeing chief pilot Mark Feuerstein got some unexpected gratification.

"It was a real quiet flight over," Feuerstein said of the trip that began just an hour north of Seattle, where Boeing builds many of its biggest passenger planes. "But as we approached Paris, it became a big deal. People knew who we were, on the radio. It was exciting. A lot of the pilots in the area saw us and were commenting, asking, 'Is … Read more

The 404 839: Where Obama drops the axe on Weiner (podcast)

Continuing our Justin Yu-less week, we've got Joe Kaminsky filling in. We'll ask him about his first initial impressions of the Wii U and if he thinks Nintendo's next console has the goods. We're starting to hear that it's 50 percent more powerful than the PS3, but is that even impressive?

Speaking of things that are remarkably unimpressive, Duke Nukem Forever hits stores today and we'll round up reviews from around the net. They are not positive.

Have you heard about the Airbus of 2050? It's almost transparent! Tune in to see just how terrifying this sounds to Jeff and why he'd rather be put to sleep like how Bruce Willis was in "The Fifth Element."

The 404 Digest for Episode 839

The Airbus of 2050 really freaks us out. The Wii U is supposedly 50 percent more powerful than the Xbox 360/PS3. Big deal. Duke Nukem Forever? Not so much. Odds are we know your iPhone lock password. Apple starts selling unlocked iPhone 4s.

Episode 839 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The transparent Airbus powered by your body heat

Some people believe the future is something to look forward to. And, indeed, there is some evidence that, for a small number of people--especially those who work at Facebook--that might well be true.

However, there are certain aspects of futuristic technology that might make you blanch a little over as you contemplate the difference between what you are now and what you might become.

For example, Airbus has today been in London presenting some of its more advanced dreamings about the future of air travel. They seem to revolve around a plane that has a see-through fuselage, no first class, … Read more

CNET Road Trip Europe: Planes, trains, and automobiles

When I was in my twenties, the idea of a summer in Europe meant a big backpack, a Eurail Pass, a small budget, and a lot of freedom.

I'm not in my twenties anymore, but I've just flown across the pond to begin Road Trip 2011, my sixth annual tour of a specific area of the global map in search of stories, photos, and videos about some of the best geek-oriented destinations I can find.

And this summer, after previous journeys around five regions of the United States, my travels have taken me to Europe. But despite countless … Read more

SFO to welcome first scheduled A380 flight

Update (Tuesday, 1:12 p.m. PDT): Lufthansa's A380 has landed at San Francisco International Airport, making the airline the first to offer regular service of the world's-largest passenger plane to SFO. But Air France is said to be ready to begin its own A380 service here on June 8.

Though I mostly write about cell phones at CNET, you may have noticed that I'm rather passionate--some would say obsessed--over commercial aviation. I was lucky enough to attend the first flights of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 747-8, so I jumped at the chance to witness … Read more

Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is here

EVERETT, Wash.--Sporting an all-new corporate color scheme--red and orange and white instead of the company's traditional blue and white--Boeing unveiled its next-generation 747-8 Intercontinental here today.

With the formal unveiling, the aviation giant made it clear that its 787 Dreamliner is hardly its only card in the global commercial aviation poker game.

Billed as the most fuel-efficient and cheapest airliner to operate in the world, the new plane seems poised to join its predecessors in the 747 line as an iconic representation of what air travel can and should be.

And while preorders of the 747-8 Intercontinental are … Read more

In Singapore, even airplanes can have paparazzi

CHANGI AIRPORT, SINGAPORE--If you don't think airplanes can have paparazzi, consider the following scene.

I was here last month, having flown in from San Francisco the night before, only to wait about 18 hours for my flight to Calcutta, India. Carrying my camera around in search of things to photograph at what I had been told was one of the world's most-interesting airports, I spotted my most-desired prey: An Airbus A380.

But a clear view of the plane was blocked by some walls, as well as a locked gate lounge, and I couldn't figure out how best … Read more

Airbus A380's lumbering airshow acrobatics (video)

FARNBOROUGH, England--It's not hard to imagine what a jet fighter might do at an air show--barrel rolls, steeply banked turns, that sort of thing. But most airshows don't have a 525-passenger, four-engine, double-decker passenger aircraft showing off, too.

The Farnborough International Airshow, though, is not just for tourists. It also lets those from the world's airlines and air forces to scrutinize wares before spending millions or even billions of dollars on very expensive capital equipment.

The Airbus A380 is one such potential expense. It's not often you see such an aircraft being pushed closer to its … Read more

Boeing wins $1.7 billion contract from FAA

Boeing has won a $1.7 billion contract from the Federal Aviation Administration to create the Next-Generation Air Transportation System.

One of the goals of the system, also known as NextGen, will be to update the current air traffic control system from its traditional radar-based tracking to one that uses a GPS-based technology called ADS-B, the company said Thursday. Such a move is designed to deliver greater accuracy and safety in managing the growing traffic in the skies. To help develop the new system, Boeing said it will rely on air traffic management models and simulations.

In addition, Boeing will … Read more

Boeing's next-gen 747 takes first flight

Updated at 4:28 p.m. PST with additional details about the 747-8F.

EVERETT, Wash.--With all the recent hoopla about the first flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, true aviation buffs may be the only ones aware that the most iconic jumbo jet of all time was also preparing for a crucial step forward.

And on Monday, it happened: the 747-8 Freighter, the next generation of Boeing's 40-year-old flagship jet, took off from Paine Field here, the first flight of the cargo version of what will be the longest commercial plane in the company's history, a very important advancement for the venerable 747 program.

The 747-8 is considered an essential airplane for Boeing, even as it proceeds with the 787 Dreamliner, because the former will be the aviation giant's entry in the more energy-efficient roster of planes that airlines and freight carriers are demanding for long-haul flights with high capacity for passengers and cargo. (The passenger version of the plane is set to arrive about a year after the cargo model.)

And while the passenger version of the 747-8 is perhaps sexier than the freighter that took off at 12:39 p.m. PST on Monday, the 747-8F's first flight is vital evidence that the 747 program is alive and well, and ready to move solidly into the 21st century.

Boeing says that the 747-8 will be quieter and far more fuel-efficient than the existing 747-400 series. It is thought that the passenger version will hold as many as 467 passengers, 51 more than on a current 747-400. The freighter version will offer 21 percent more lower-hold revenue cargo volume than the 747-400 and cost about 8 percent less per seat mile to operate, the company says.

A big part of the plane's improved efficiency comes from an innovative wing design which features double-slotted flaps inboard, and single-slotted flaps outboard, fly-by-wire spoilers and outboard ailerons. The plane also features GEnx-2B67 engines, similar to the GEnx engines that will power the 787 Dreamliner. The engine features a high-pressure compressor that is the most efficient and compact GE has yet produced, Boeing says. The result is said to be high fuel efficiency and low noise.

Boeing said the 747-8F will offer the lowest cargo cost-per-mile in the business. It weighs 154 tons, has a range of 4,390 nautical miles, a height of 63 feet, 6 inches, a wing span of 224 feet, 7 inches, and a length of 250 feet, 2 inches. It can reach Mach 0.85

The Monday takeoff was delayed by nearly three hours by low cloud cover, and the flight was scheduled for about four hours in the air, with a series of initial tests intended to demonstrate the plane's airworthiness.

But as Boeing deputy test program manager Brian Johnson said, Monday's flight was much more "a chief pilot time," as it marked the first opportunity for Capt. Mark Feuerstein, the man in that role in the 747 program, to have "four hours in the cockpit to just get comfortable with" the plane. … Read more