Plane enthusiasts from around the world will soon be able to get a small slice, or in some cases a rather large slice, of aviation history next week as parts and trimmings from an A380 go under the hammer.
More than 500 items will be auctioned off over three days in a charity event in France with the vast majority coming from just one aircraft – Emirates Airbus A380 MSN13/Reg: A6-EDB.
The plane came into service in 2008 and was the 13th A380 built by Airbus, and the second to join Emirates, reports avgeekery.com. The downturn in travel due to the coronavirus pandemic saw it going into storage in 2020 before it was decommissioned in 2021. Since then it has been broken down for the auction with proceeds benefiting the Airbus Foundation and the AIRitage Association, which preserves aerospace heritage.
So what can you get for your hard earned money?
READ MORE:
* Giant A380 takes to the skies powered by cooking oil
* How this scrapped Emirates A380 will live on, including the famous bar
* For sale on LinkedIn: Six slightly used A380 superjumbos
* Airbus A380: The first flight of the final superjumbo
Well those with a more limited budget can start with Lot 347, which is a handheld microphone with no estimate listed, so you could get a bargain. After that €80, or NZ$140, could get you Lot 12 – a set of three emergency exit light panels, or for an extra €20, some red latches from the galley.
If you want a private VIP experience at home, Lot 37 is the curtain that separates economy from business – yours for an estimated €100-150. Or how about Lot 97’s toilet seat and bowl for up to €300?
Of course there are some big ticket items like rows of four economy seats (€1500-2500), the access door to the cabin (€3000-5000), and parts of the propulsion system (€15,000-20,000).
Perhaps the most glamorous item is Lot 200 – the business class bar at a snip of up to €30,000, or just over NZ$50,000 (plus some hefty postage and packaging).
There are some sentimental items up for grabs too.
Airbus is actioning off “one of the famous orange suits worn by Claude Lelaie, one of the two pilots who flew with Jacques Rosay during the flight test campaign of the first A380”.
The first flight took place on April 27, 2005 and Lelaie said he agreed to donate his jumpsuit for two reasons.
”Firstly, I wanted to make this gesture for the Airbus Foundation, which works in the humanitarian field for the benefit of communities and for the young. This resonates with the educational approach that I carry out with schools, with my books on flight testing in the aeronautical profession,” said Lelaie.
”Secondly, it is my way of paying tribute to all the women and men who have made this fantastic programme possible, and in particular the Airbus Flight Test team, which I had the honour of directing and who do a remarkable job.”
The jumpsuit is Lot 330 with an estimate of between €2000-3000.
Also up for grabs are some items like the A380’s blades which have been turned into works of art by street artists.
The A380 is one of the most beloved aircraft ever built.
At one stage it was seen as the future of aviation. It was state-of-the-art and could carry more than 800 passengers in quiet comfort. But it also proved expensive to run and airlines started to turn increasingly to smaller, more fuel-efficient planes.
In December last year, the final ever A380 superjumbo was handed over to its new owner, Emirates. The aircraft, which is registered as A6-EVS, was the 251st to be made. While production may have halted, the superjumbo will still be a frequent sight in the skies and airports for years to come.
The auction starts on Thursday, October 13 at 2pm (CEST local time), or 1am on Friday here in New Zealand, and then over the following two days, but anyone keen on bidding must register beforehand.
© 2022 Stuff Limited