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Why Airbus' A380 offers a surprisingly quiet takeoff experience

Why Airbus' A380 offers a surprisingly quiet takeoff experience
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Randy Tinseth, Boeing's VP of Marketing | Boeing Website

Airbus has revealed that its A380 aircraft has transported over 300 million passengers since its introduction. A notable feature of the A380 is its quiet cabin, especially during takeoff, which contrasts with older airliners known for their noise. This quietness is attributed to design adaptations in the fuselage and engines, as well as the large wingspan of the jet.

The high-bypass engines of the A380 are quieter than older low-bypass engines. These engines are positioned far from the cabin due to a broad wingspan, reducing noise levels inside. Cabin insulation technology further blocks noise from reaching passengers. Once cruising speed is achieved, aerodynamic efficiency reduces drag and thrust requirements, maintaining a quieter environment.

"Think of this as a trade-off between the level of background noise that might drown out desired noises (a flight attendant being able to hear the passenger’s drink order) versus undesired noises (one passenger being able to hear every other passenger’s drink order)," said Randy Tinseth, Boeing's VP of Marketing.

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Despite its advantages, some pilots have expressed concerns about the quietness affecting their ability to sleep during long-haul flights. Emirates pilots reported difficulties sleeping due to hearing sounds like crying babies or flushing toilets in Wired magazine in 2008.

The trend towards quieter aircraft continues with models like the Airbus A220 featuring advanced engine designs that reduce noise emissions. However, opportunities to experience flying on an A380 may decrease as airlines phase out these superjumbos in favor of newer models.

Last month, Simple Flying reported another scrapped A380 acquired by Setna iO for spare parts. Data indicates that 30 A380s have been scrapped so far. Despite this trend, some airlines remain committed to keeping their A380s operational for hub-to-hub operations.

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