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Megaplane ( 巨型飞机 )
The Boeing Corp and Europe&39;s Airbus consortium are preparing to offer bigger airplanes to the world&39;s airlines. Now that talks on a joint project have broken down, Boeing is pushing a stretched version of the 747, and Airbus is designing an all new aircraft, known as the A3 × ×.
Seating 550 passengers in the basic model, and 650 in a stretched version, the 1.2 million pound A3 × × will not only be the largest airplane in the world, but it will also be one of the most advanced. The outer wings and the horizontal stabilizer ( as big as a smaller jet&39;s wing ) will be made of carbon-fiber composite materials, and will be the largest such structures on any aircraft except the B-2 stealth bomber. Metal skins will be welded together with lasers, removing thousands of fasteners.
When a strong wind strikes the A3× ×&39;s 260-foot wing, movable control suces will pr it from flexing like a giant spring. This will make the ride smoother and will save weight by reducing the load on the wing spars. A flexible-skinned flap will subtly change the wing&39;s curvature to match the airplane&39;s changing weight as it bums fuel on each journey.
The A3 × × will carry up to 1,600 meals, filling more than 100 food and beverage cans. To make more room for passengers, Airbus plans to put the carts in the lower hold ; automatic conveyors and eleva-tors will deliver them to the two passenger decks. Airlines have asked Airbus to look at extra features ran-ging from lower-deck sleeper cabins to a children&39;s playroom.
Airbus expects to offer the A3 × × to airlines in 1998, and deliver the first aircraft in 2003.
The basic model of A3 × × can carry more than 500 passengers. 查看材料