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Old September 28th 05, 01:42 AM
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Robert M. Gary wrote:
Certainly techonology isn't a barrier, a lot can be done in 25 years.
The real question is whether or not pax will pay to ride in such a
device. I suspect they would

-Robert


Hopefully, Airbus fixes their nose-gear issue by then. And 380's
maintain cabin pressu

"Joseph Mangan, 41, is a whistle-blower. As a result he and his family
find themselves in a foreign country with unfamiliar laws, fighting a
legal battle that has left them almost penniless.

A year ago, Mangan told European aviation authorities that he believed
there were problems with a computer chip on the Airbus A380, the
biggest and costliest commercial airliner ever built. The A380 is a
double-decked engineering marvel that will carry as many as 800
passengers - double the capacity of Boeing Co.'s 747. It is expected
to enter airline service next year.

Mangan alleges that flaws in a microprocessor could cause the valves
that maintain cabin pressure on the A380 to accidentally open during
flight, allowing air to leak out so rapidly that everyone aboard could
lose consciousness within seconds.
....
To discuss his case with The Times, Mangan took a five-hour train ride
to Munich, Germany, where the gag order doesn't apply. "I don't want to
destroy TTTech," he said. "But I still get nightmares of people dying.
I just can't let that happen."

To help pay living expenses and legal fees, Mangan sold his house in
Kansas. With only about $300 left in his bank account, Mangan missed a
Sept. 8 deadline to pay his $185,000 fine and faces up to a year in
jail. Next month he's likely to be called before a judge on his
criminal case.

The family expected to be evicted this month from their apartment, but
their church in Vienna took up a collection to pay their rent.

At the moment, Mangan is hiding out at a church member's home because
he fears he could be arrested at any time.
....The Mangans live day to day, not sure what will come next. If they
can't pay their rent, they hope to return to the U.S. to live with
Diana's parents in Ohio, although they have maxed out their credit card
and can't afford plane tickets.

Mangan is getting ready to file for personal bankruptcy.

TTTech has offered to drop its legal action against Mangan, court
records show, and pay him three months of severance, if he retracts his
statements. But Mangan has refused.

Mangan said he was looking for a new job. He has contacted dozens of
aerospace firms in the U.S. and Europe, but none have returned his
calls. "Nobody wants to touch me," he said."

If it ain't Boeing, I ain't Going...JG