Airbus A380

My mate Rob just returned with his family from London on a Qantas A380. As you likely know S'pore and Emirates also fly these new aircraft. The thing that most impressed him was how quiet it was.

Rob, who is a bit of a geek and music tech head reckons Airbus had enabled a noise cancelling system throughout the cabin in effect utilising white noise to cancel out engine sound. (This is how the headphones work). He told me they employ this technology in fighter jets. Makes perfect sense but I thought I'd check it out.

Hard as Google worked I could find NOTHING, NADA, NIET to tell me such a system exists on A380's. Best I could find was Wikipedia's advice that the engines result in a 50% reduction in cabin noise. It seems this is what Rob experienced? 

Who is right? If the system does not exist, WHY NOT?

I didn't think it was that quiet. Not much quieter than the Boeing 777 I remember thinking.

Remind me where you flew Dek and with who?

SIA, Syd-Sin-Syd

Hmmn. Maybe I have to tell Rob to stop taking the meds.

The only thing that wowed me abt it was it's size... from the  outside

LOL!

did you feel that there were so many more passengers?  or does the 2 level split mean you dont notice

and did you hang out at the bar?

- be honest

You don't notice. Because the seat as as small (if not smaller) than any other place. And there's barely any space between your face and the seat infront.

I was disgusted at that. Meant that they fit in more seats cos they have more space, without a single thought to economy passengers. And that irks me

Friend Rob said the same thing about lack of space on Qantas Economy. they flew over on the 747 so had a near-term comparison. Business on all 3 airlines is I'm told pretty impressive. First AMAZING. Especially Emirates. (I can attest to the new SQ biz seats). The QF ones better too and more pitch to the seat in front. I had thought they had attended to the Economy experience as well. Seems not.

Does look crowded!

QF does I say have an Economy Bar - of sorts.

Hmm   economy does look rubbish...

reminder to oneself...    turn left

Well, I never complained about flying when I was flying business/first.

The real measure of an airline's humanity is in their economy class

how do you say economy in arabic

*shrug*

HAHAHA I like the 'Wellbeing room' in that pic

@ gel. LOVE this stuff - your link that is. Will study later tonight. I am happy not to own one just so longer as I have a very good friend who lets me take that 'plane when and where I want ... and foots the bill. 

i actually grabbed the link of your scrolling twitter

The Twitter stream being put to good use. Love that too!

Sorry, what is this "economy class" you talk of?

Contrary reports on the A380 from Ben who emailed: "Sing econ was excellent. A380 from sing with exit row was as good as BA premium econ." 

Hi Alex, sorry i thought I'd left a message earlier but alas the phone must have rung and I omitted to hit the send button... In regards to noise cancellation technologies developed by the likes of NXT I will make enquiries and respond back but I will add that about 20 years ago at Farnborough Air Show I met with some guys who were making excitors that monitored and matched the vibration of the airplane to create a noise/vibration cancellation. I'm sure that this tech must have moved on somewhat since then for aircraft. NXT (the flat panel loudspeaker experts - amongst other things) licenced the technology from DERA who were creating noise cancelling technologies for fighter aircraft cockpits. It's a good tale but first I wilkl find out more....