Bloody Huge Mate

I've always wondered why there wasn't more competition for the Boeing 747 as the mega carrier of the skies. I mean that plane has been around for about 30 years without really being updated too much. Well enter the Airbus A380, its being launched today. It can seat up to 800 people, and has a ridiculous on board shop and all kinds of other gadgets. Most airports in the world are currently not able to take the plane as it is just too damn massive. Still I can't imagine flying economy is going to be exactly comfy. With 800 other hot sweaty souls jammed in around you on two floors in really can't be that good. This aircraft news site has some background information on the jet and this LA Times article (free registration required) goes into a bunch of detail about how its all manufactured. The sooner that supersonic scramjets become the norm the better I say.