# why did they name it airbus 380? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787 "2003-08-21T22:30:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stereonationpga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@stereonationpga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stereonationpga)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/1 "2003-08-21T22:30:38Z")
i’ve been wondering this ever since i heard airbus is creating a double decker aircraft called a3xx. i know the 300-340 are taken but wouldn’t it suit it better to name it 350? the name 3xx (three double x) sounds much better to me, anyway can anyone plz explain y they named it the 380? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/2 "2003-08-22T01:05:40Z")
It follows Airbus’s numbering scheme. A300, A320, A340, A360… There are also the derivitives, A318, A319 (shorter versions of the 320) and A321 (longer version of the 320). It is similar to the method Boeing uses starting with the 707 except for the 717. 717 was originally given to a plane in the early 60’s but it was not built. It was later given to the MD90 after Boeing bought McDonnell-Douglas. And the 7E7 will not become the 787. As a longtime Boeing employee, I sure hope they decide to build the 7E7 in Washington state. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/3 "2003-08-22T02:02:44Z")
But that is just it, I cannot find the A360 model on the Airbus website. Perhaps they skipped it to avoid the obvious circular reference? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/4 "2003-08-22T05:42:42Z")
My WAG is that “360” sounds smaller than “747”. “380” sounds hmore impressive while still retaining the naming scheme. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/5 "2003-08-22T06:02:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > \*\*It follows Airbus’s numbering scheme. A300, A320, A340, A360… > \*\* But there’s also the A330 (200 and 300) which is one of the more popular Airbus planes. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/6 "2003-08-22T07:56:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > It is similar to the method Boeing uses starting with the 707 except for the 717. 717 was originally given to a plane in the early 60’s but it was not built. According to my references, 717 was the model number for the tanker and transport aircraft built for the U.S. Air Force, derived from the 707 airframe. A total of 820 were built. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/7 "2003-08-22T08:13:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scr4 \* > \*\*My WAG is that “360” sounds smaller than “747”. “380” sounds hmore impressive while still retaining the naming scheme. \*\* Mmmm, you’re right… “360” sounds smaller than “747”, but “380” sounds much bigger than “747” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/8 "2003-08-22T08:19:06Z")
Got to admit Hammos1, I didn’t really get that either! Care to explain, scr4, how 360\<747\<380 ? ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/9 "2003-08-22T08:26:12Z")
I recollect reading an article stating specifically that 360 was skipped because a “three-sixty” was the aviation term for flying a complete circle. Sorry, no cite. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/10 "2003-08-22T16:04:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > \*\*According to my references, 717 was the model number for the tanker and transport aircraft built for the U.S. Air Force, derived from the 707 airframe. A total of 820 were built. \*\* The 717 is an active model number. It is the Boeing model designation for the old “MD-83” since Boeing bought out MD. [http://www.boeingphotostore.com/source/PODGallery.aspx?L1=jets&L2=11821](http://www.boeingphotostore.com/source/PODGallery.aspx?L1=jets&L2=11821) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/11 "2003-08-22T18:42:58Z")
I’m aware of that, **bernse**. I still think of that plane as the DC-9; wish companies wouldn’t fiddle with their numbering systems. However, **racer72** said that no 717s were built when the number was originally assigned in the 1960s. From [http://www.boeing.com/commercial/707family/](http://www.boeing.com/commercial/707family/) > [@](#): > > Another aircraft type that traces its ancestry to the 707 prototype is the U.S. Air Force KC/C-135 tanker-transport/cargo airplane. Boeing built 820 of these aircraft for the Strategic Air Command and the Military Air Transport Service (predecessor of the Military Airlift Command). The KC/C-135 series was initially designated within The Boeing Company as the model 717. In January 1998, the 717 model number was reassigned to the commercial line for the 717-200 regional jetliner. Also, production was from 1956 to 1965, so it slightly predates the “early 60’s”. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/12 "2003-08-22T18:49:09Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was some strange thing like the focus groups all associated 360 with 720 which is \< 747. Focus groups do strange things. ---
**Author:** ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/13 "2003-08-22T18:49:18Z")
There was an article in _Aviation Week_ when the double-decker A3xx was named. The article quoted an Airbus executive who noted that the shape of the “8” suggested the two levels within the plane. Hence, A380. (This may be at least partially why “A360” ws skipped.) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/14 "2003-08-23T03:41:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Andy \* > \*\*Care to explain, scr4, how 360\<747\<380 ? \*\* I meat having at least one digit larger than 7 or 4 made it sound impressive. But I guess it’s just me, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![stereonationpga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@stereonationpga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stereonationpga)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/15 "2003-08-23T22:09:02Z")
i found something that says they skipped 370 because the number 7 is associated with boeing, but that still doesnt explain why they had to skip 350 and 390 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/16 "2003-08-23T22:58:46Z")
BTW there was also an A310 (no longer made AFAIK). So the really skipped numbers were A350, 360 and 370. _However_… it looks to me like Airbus and Boeing do not maintain a strict chronological sequence. (An example being the redesignation of the MD95 as “717”, that makes it fit as a plane “lighter” than the current-generation 737 in the scale). So I suspect they may be reserving 350 and 370 designators for other types of aircraft that may come down the road, or for other projects that just haven’t seen the light of day. (Such as a medium-range widebody to take over from the 300) BTW, in the early 60s, before the launch of the 727 mid-range jet, Boeing put out a “clipped” version of the '07 called the 7 **20**. So that was confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-it-airbus-380/196787/17 "2003-08-24T16:57:11Z")
You’ll need to contact the PR dept of Airbus Industrie (fill in the form on [www.airbus.com](http://www.airbus.com)) or BAE SYSTEMS ([sales.marketing@baesystems.com](mailto:sales.marketing@baesystems.com))