Originally Posted by
supermasterphil
My "no" was based on the statement that the A380 hasn't carried any pax yet. It's in scheduled service since end of October 07
Just one of several hints that the undated fake e-mail is from at least a few months ago. Another is the outdated order total for the A380, which was up to 193 (177 firm) when I last checked. (Still a good way from its 400+ break-even point, but that's a different topic.)
Also, the blended wing/body (BWB) concept is not exactly a secret. It was first used in 1929 in the Junkers G-38. (
Photos on this page; third one down shows it best.) McDonnell-Douglas demonstrated a 1/16 scale model in July 1997. (
Press release here.) An April 1999 article in
Wings talked about how Boeing, which had acquired MD in the meantime, was studying it. If the potential advantages cited in the e-mail were not offset by more serious drawbacks, it would be in use by now.