Ok so it's nothing to do with trains, but still interesting!
City to get 'superjumbo' flypast
The plane is has a wingspan of nearly 80m and a length of 73m
Thousands of people across Bristol will get the chance to see the world's biggest passenger aircraft as it makes a low-level pass over the city.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4987862.stm
Best station to see it from? Filton Abbey Wood? Patchway? Clifton Down for the Suspension Bridge?
Airbus A380 flypast 18th May
No idea where I originally saw this:
"Airliner due in Bristol in summer The world's biggest airliner is to fly into Bristol where its wings were designed, this summer.
The double-deck 555-seat A380 aircraft is scheduled to land at Filton on Saturday 10 June.
Plane maker Airbus is organising a special event to mark the liner's first visit. Hundreds of aerospace workers are involved in the A380 project.
The airliner is due to enter commercial service towards the end of 2006 with Singapore Airlines."
"Airliner due in Bristol in summer The world's biggest airliner is to fly into Bristol where its wings were designed, this summer.
The double-deck 555-seat A380 aircraft is scheduled to land at Filton on Saturday 10 June.
Plane maker Airbus is organising a special event to mark the liner's first visit. Hundreds of aerospace workers are involved in the A380 project.
The airliner is due to enter commercial service towards the end of 2006 with Singapore Airlines."
More about the flypast:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/ar ... ture.shtml
The plane will be flying over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Downs and the Airbus factory in Filton sometime after midday.
Weather permitting, Bristolians should get a great view of the A380 as it makes its way to Heathrow Airport.
We'd like to show off the plane on this website, and that's where you come in.
Get your cameras at the ready and send in your snaps as soon as you can on Thursday afternoon.
We'll be on hand to publish the best snaps here on the BBC website.
Send your pictures to bristolphotos@bbc.co.uk
When
The A380 is due to fly over the city some time between midday and 12.30 on Thursday.
Where
It will fly over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Downs and the Filton BAe factory.
Weather
Our Met Office colleagues say there are going to be sunny spells, but there could also be heavy showers during late morning - so make sure you wrap up if you're going out!
The winds could also cause moderate turbulence at 500ft, the height the plane is due to fly over the city at.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/ar ... ture.shtml
The plane will be flying over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Downs and the Airbus factory in Filton sometime after midday.
Weather permitting, Bristolians should get a great view of the A380 as it makes its way to Heathrow Airport.
We'd like to show off the plane on this website, and that's where you come in.
Get your cameras at the ready and send in your snaps as soon as you can on Thursday afternoon.
We'll be on hand to publish the best snaps here on the BBC website.
Send your pictures to bristolphotos@bbc.co.uk
When
The A380 is due to fly over the city some time between midday and 12.30 on Thursday.
Where
It will fly over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Downs and the Filton BAe factory.
Weather
Our Met Office colleagues say there are going to be sunny spells, but there could also be heavy showers during late morning - so make sure you wrap up if you're going out!
The winds could also cause moderate turbulence at 500ft, the height the plane is due to fly over the city at.
Great views from Patchway, it made loads of passes, including one with its wheels down! It very nearly landed at Filton, it was incredibly low, maybe it just touched the runway and took off again?
Its an incredibly silent machine, even on full throttle there was barely a whisper from the engines. People filming on Patchway footbridge had the sound drowned out by a passing pair of Paxman Valentas!
Got a couple of pics of the "steps" of Patchway old footbridge, now wrapped in wooden coccoons. A lot of work going on here, including the now-completed addition of those bumpy yellow slabs along the platform edges, presumably designed to pitch the unwary partially-sighted over the edge. The old GWR cross-pattern platform edging bricks remain though!
Only got one poor shot of the A380 thanks to ^%$%*ing batteries dying...I checked them before I went out and they were fine!
Oh well, there were literally hundreds of people out on the rooftops so I expect there will be a million new Fotopic galleries soon 
p.s. Patchway's shelters are F-all use in torrential downpours.
Its an incredibly silent machine, even on full throttle there was barely a whisper from the engines. People filming on Patchway footbridge had the sound drowned out by a passing pair of Paxman Valentas!
Got a couple of pics of the "steps" of Patchway old footbridge, now wrapped in wooden coccoons. A lot of work going on here, including the now-completed addition of those bumpy yellow slabs along the platform edges, presumably designed to pitch the unwary partially-sighted over the edge. The old GWR cross-pattern platform edging bricks remain though!
Only got one poor shot of the A380 thanks to ^%$%*ing batteries dying...I checked them before I went out and they were fine!
Oh well, there were literally hundreds of people out on the rooftops so I expect there will be a million new Fotopic galleries soon p.s. Patchway's shelters are F-all use in torrential downpours.
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horace
- regular
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:09 pm
- Location: Deepest darkest Wiltshire
- Contact:
9f against an A4
I am sorry folks, i do think the A380 is an amazing plane, but surely the first flight of concorde from filton must rank higher than this. yes i did see concorde first time and not the 380 so maybe i am biased. I just worry that the 380 is of the same mould as another giant bristol aeroplane the brabazon. i know this a railway web site, but great engineering is common to both forms of transport. i do wish it every success, but i do think that the the 380 is a 9f against concorde which was an A4, and we know which lasted longer. the 9f's were gone 10 years after they were built.
Who said one was more important?
Concorde is a truly beautiful creation, but it rules the heart rather than the head. It was always an impractical, unworkable white elephant, and cost a hell of a lot of money for very little financial reward.
The A380s size may prove its downfall, but with major airports already expanded to accommodate its massive (air)frame, this stumbling block looks less likely to come into play. Here's to a long and successful (and profitable!) career for this new aviation first.
Concorde is a truly beautiful creation, but it rules the heart rather than the head. It was always an impractical, unworkable white elephant, and cost a hell of a lot of money for very little financial reward.
The A380s size may prove its downfall, but with major airports already expanded to accommodate its massive (air)frame, this stumbling block looks less likely to come into play. Here's to a long and successful (and profitable!) career for this new aviation first.
The one picture I managed to grab before the batteries died for good:
http://www.steamvids.freeuk.com/a380patchway.jpg
This was on the very first pass, where she came within inches of touching down at Filton!
And here are two pictures of the old footbridge steps, encased in their wooden cocoons:
Up side, from the car park:
http://www.steamvids.freeuk.com/patchway1.jpg
Down side, from the up platform.
http://www.steamvids.freeuk.com/patchway2.jpg
http://www.steamvids.freeuk.com/a380patchway.jpg
This was on the very first pass, where she came within inches of touching down at Filton!
And here are two pictures of the old footbridge steps, encased in their wooden cocoons:
Up side, from the car park:
http://www.steamvids.freeuk.com/patchway1.jpg
Down side, from the up platform.
http://www.steamvids.freeuk.com/patchway2.jpg
Here's one that features the "runway" level crossing at Filton:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/im ... y.shtml?12
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/im ... y.shtml?12
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Portishead Prowler
- regular
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:37 pm
You can't really see how big it is on its own, as it has the same basic shape as all modern airliners. It's only when you compare it to a normal-sized jet that you see just how HUGE it is!
http://chaisphotos.fotopic.net/p23014064.html
http://chaisphotos.fotopic.net/p23014064.html
There are some images of the A380 here:
enjoy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/im ... ry.shtml?1
enjoy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/im ... ry.shtml?1