Poised for takeoff on that hot morning in April 2005, the Airbus A380 had the purposeful, powerful presence of a giant predatory bird. With its enormous gulled wings, imperiously tall tail, and broad, domed forepeak, it looked ready to take on the world. It has had plenty of supporters along the way-and critics. No civil airliner since the supersonic Concorde has aroused such emotion, such fascination, and such cause celebre.

To a confident Airbus and the thousands of awestruck workers who cheered it into that cloudless sky over Toulouse, it means so much more. The European company has been transformed under the broad wings of this incredible project into a single corporate entity-from a loose consortium into a new, more dynamic force to challenge its worthy adversary Boeing in every market sector.

Airbus A380: Superjumbo of the 21st Century tells of the drama of the A380 project, introducing all the key players and unraveling the controversies surrounding its development. Time, of course, will reveal the true destiny of the superjumbo. Given the skill, spirit, commitment, and passion of all those involved in the birth of this remarkable aircraft, however, the signs are that the A380 will be the flagship of the twenty-first century and take its place as one of the greatest aircraft ever made.