The A380 and 747 are the largest airliners that their respective producers manufacturer. Since their creation, no other airliner has been able to carry as many people! Since their creation, many airlines have asked themselves “A380 vs 747- which one do we need?”
Since then, many av geeks have asked themselves the same question “A380 vs 747: who is the true Queen of the Skies?”
Today, with both airliners looking to be retired by their respective airlines, we will finally decide who the true “Queen of the Skies” is.
The moniker “Queen of the skies” is a nickname often given to the 747, but it was not the first airliner to be called that. That honor would go to the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. However, the most famous bearer of the name is of course the 747. It is often given to the largest and most iconic airliner of its time- at the moment, that belongs to the 747.
But Airbus wanted to change this, by introducing their own double-deck, long range, wide body aircraft. This aircraft became the A380. However, Boeing’s 747 has still remained the “Queen of the skies”, or has it?
What are the selling points of the 747?
The 747 was originally devised as a cargo transport aircraft for the US military. Due to the larger Lockheed Martin C5 Galaxy, the 747 was not chosen by the US government to go into production.
However in the early 1960’s, Pan American World Airways’ president, Juan Trippe, approached Boeing in search of a larger aircraft.
Boeing reconfigured the design of the former military transport aircraft, and showed it to Juan Trippe. He asked for some minor changes before he would place an order. When those changes were made, Pan Am placed an order for 25 747-100. And thus, the 747 was born!
- Cheaper than the A380, for many airlines, it’s not only the cost of fuel that dictates the price of the tickets, but also the price of the aircraft itself. This is because, as rich as the largest airlines usually are, they usually don’t have $357 million lying around for a 747, nor a spare $432.6 million for an A380!
- The 747 is truly iconic, when you ask anyone, whether they are an av geek or not to name a commercial airliner, the 747 is usually the answer! This is due to the fact that the 747 has often been the flagship aircraft for all of the airlines that it has flown with!
- 747 is more fuel efficient, whilst the 747 has nothing on the 787 or A350 in terms of fuel efficiency, the 747 is more fuel efficient than the A380. And this isn’t just by a slim margin, this is by a lot (at least in aviation terms anyway!) Due to the more seats that are present on the A380, there is more weight, which means that the A380 needs to burn more fuel to fly the same distance that a 747 would!
- Better user experience, as with most things is aviation (and life in general!) This is highly subjective, however, in a debate of “A380 vs 747- which is the best?” most people will bring up the better user experience of the 747 and say something like: “In a question of “A380 vs 747?” the 747 is far superior due to its better user experience!”
What are the selling points of the A380?
In a debate of “A380 vs 747, which is better?” people are bound to point out one glaring problem- the A380 is a “rip-off” of the 747. The A380 was first flown in 2005, and was first entered into service in 2007, whereas the 747 was first flown in 1969 and was entered into service in 1970.
A whole thirty-five year gap! However, many A380 fans would bite back, saying that it was designed to challenge the supremacy of the 747 in the first place!
- It carries more people, in terms of the sheer amount of people, the A380 wins hands down! In a question of “A380 vs 747?” Most A380 fans would bring up the fact that the 747 has nothing on the A380 in terms of the amount of people it can carry. An A380 can carry between 544 and 868 passengers, whereas a 747 can only carry between 416 and 660 passengers!
- It’s more awe-inspiring, when you see an A380 and a 747 next to one another, your eyes are naturally drawn to the much larger A380. This means that your awe goes towards the A380, rather than the 747 (even though both are deserving of all the awe, as they are massive!)
- Better user-experience, as I said earlier, this is rather subjective. In an argument on whether the A380 or 747 is better, there is always an argument from Airbus fans, about the superior user experience of an A380. They usually put this down to the aircraft being more modern- the A380 is thirty-five years younger than the 747 after all!
- It flies literally anywhere! London to Perth? The A380 can do it! London to New York? The A380 can do it! London to Hong Kong? The A380 can do it! And these aren’t the only routes that an A380 can do! In a debate on “A380 vs 747?” It is bound to drop up, that the A380 (and also 747) can fly to every corner of the globe without an issue (even if a layover is needed for some routes, mainly to do with staff hours than anything else!)
A380 vs 747- who wins in the end?
If you were to walk up to me and ask me ” A380 vs 747- which is better?” I would probably instantly respond with “747!” However, this is largely down to the fact that I flew the 747 when I was a commercial pilot!
I do believe that the A380 is a true work of genius, and a true marvel of modern engineering. In a head-to-head debate of “A380 vs 747?” I will always choose my jumbo jet as the true “Queen of the Skies”. Call me heartless, but that’s just my opinion!
Naturally, with any topic this fragile, a classic “Airbus vs Boeing” debate. Things get heated. Whilst I may believe in a question of “A380 vs 747?” The 747 will always come out on top, there is surely a whole continent of people who’d disagree with me!
A380 vs 747- which is the true “Queen of the Skies”? That is a question that will likely stand the test of time, but tell me what you think in the comments below!
Image credit: Kiefer via Flickr