Model A380 usurps Concorde roundabout

Passengers driving up to an approach roundabout at London Heathrow Airport will now be greeted by a not-so-small model of the Airbus A380.

Weighing 45 tonnes and boasting a wingspan of 26 metres, the giant model is a scaled-down replica of the superjumbo, which Singapore Airlines presently flies into Heathrow.

Despite being one-third the size of the airliner, it is the largest aircraft model in the world and replaces a mini-Concorde that had sat at the entrance to the UK hub for 16 years.

The imitation plane sports the livery of Dubai-based Emirates, which is due to start operating A380 flights between Heathrow and the United Arab Emirates on December 1.

Commenting at the unveiling of the Heathrow model, Emirates president Tim Clark told the Daily Mail: "While the previous Concorde model represented the past, our A380 represents the future - and it is a future of cleaner, quieter aircraft."

Emirates has so far placed orders for 58 of the superjumbos, each of which takes six months to construct and has a price-tag of about $315 million (£158 million).

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