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The half a Billion Dollar flying palace - Rolls Royce not included
Holy crap. That is about the only response I have to this Airbus A380 being developed for Saudi prince al-Waleed bin Talal. Of course, the prince has not officially announced that this will indeed be his new home on the road, but enough news has been pieced together to link him to the purchase.
Not only is this the first Airbus A380 sold to a private owner, it is the most expensive private plane ever put together. For comparison - one of the most popular large private planes in the world is the Boeing Business Jet, which starts at "just" $42 Million.
Seriously, someone obviously sat down with some crayons, and decided to design the most insane, over-the-top plane they could. This thing has it all - starting with the special cylindrical elevator that comes out of the bottom of the plane. His Chauffeurs can then drive his Rolls Royce up the ramp on the rear, and park it in his on-board garage.
Relaxation comes from a steam room, Turkish bath, concert hall (with a baby grand piano) or in one of the five private quarters, complete with king size beds. Less fortunate guests will have to spend the night in one of the 20 "normal" first class sleeper suites.
When his Royal Highness needs to get some work done, he can take the elevator up to his boardroom and play with the touch screen TV's or the holographic projection system.
And finally in the lineup of ludicrous additions - get this - the well being room has a floor made from a giant screen, showing what the plane is flying over.
Total price? About $488 Million Dollars.
Gallery: Super Airbus A380
Filed under: Photos, Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 4)
simon180says Jun 14th 2009 5:27AM
Wow..this is quite a list of complaints, insults, and inputs--both good/wise and bad/foolish. You know, I normally don't write comments to blogs of these online news articles because the blogs after the articles are almost always unfailingly hateful, whiny, and crude insult exchanging. This one though, is worthy of an exception and may be a new experience for me.
Holy cow! I always knew that a petty thief in Saudi Arabia caught in the act of his/her crime probably often literally paid the price of the hand the thief was seen trying to use to steal the good(s)! but would any of you believe that slavery lasted legally around there until until 1960 according to wikipedia? or that women are legally forbidden to drive motor vehicles on public roads??!! hey, at least they don't have cheaper auto insurance rates than men (which they do in U.S.A)..and the birthrate?! An Islamic Holy Book of Faith is the legal constitution of the land??!! I dunno much of the Qur'an, but if it's much like the Holy Bible I'm more acquainted with--it's a bit outdated..look at the article, folks..seriously, this nation has got some serious evolving to do.
O.K., first off, when it comes to the hasty generalization Muslims being invariable crooks, which is the message I hear entirely too frequently, I gotta ask, what in God's name makes every single dead or alive Christian and Jew so vastly better, more intelligent, more evolved, and downright holier? (man I wonder how many ppl here and there believe in the theory of evolution!! lol) and the impoverished masses constantly whining and belly-aching over the "fortunate" people apathetically living their lives and snobbishly sneering at or ignoring the Plebians and their problems due to poverty??!! Come on people, personally, my income bracket is better off when Democrats are in power, therefor that's the party I tend to vote for and towards--that said, unlike some people, I share Republicans view on loathing twits who constantly demand handouts, freebies, and something for nothing like it's air to breathe at the wealthy "Haves'" expense..Sometimes, but not always, those wealthy people are enjoying themselves because they did something, plural to justify having it..Such may be so in this purchase..the Western World, or maybe the world in general.period, is taking its time to change transportation methods and fuel sources and ways of life, so therefor we sweat bullets for hard earned wads of money for fuel among other things to constantly flow into the leaders of Saudi Arabia while those leaders innovate purchases like this and relax in their palaces, getting massages from Concubines..seriously, folks--put simple, just like my name, if you all really wanna change these problematic facts, quit bickering and complaining and start doing, and there's something intelligent to consider as well!! It's called....thinking, it often results in progress! and it's mainly made us different from other primates and animals as well!
Bob Jun 14th 2009 8:10AM
ATTENTION ALL LIBERALS. Read this very carefully. This is what you have done to our great country by voting that Marxist Tyrant Obama to the highest office in the land. When we, as capitalists have our incentive to produce and grow the economy that is going to provide the tax dollars needed to support those of you who live off the government?
SOCIALISM--antithetical to the individual and individual freedom. Every time a state tries to impose socialism, then individual liberty is eroded and poverty prevails. The opposite is laissez faire and prosperity.
Socialism does not believe in private property rights, that people should get ahead via hard work and entrepreneurial risk taking, that people do not own the fruits of their labor, and it does not support voluntary association of the individual.
Socialism is similar to communism that it wants to create a classless, stateless society where the means of production are owned by the group. Everything is done for the group before the individual.
State-run socialism requires legalized theft and determines the winner and losers through taxation and wealth distribution. Many people on the left, especially far left, believe that they have a right to your labor and this is based on taxes to support the nanny state. These people often confuse a right with a privilege.
My question to all of you who voted for the great Obama “Is this the change you wanted?” because this is the change you have gotten. We are ALL on our way to losing the liberties and freedoms that have made this country so great. You are experiencing the beginning of the end of our great country. You wonder why Rush, Hannity, Levin and the rest are so upset? They, like myself are patriots an can’t stand what is happening under the great Obama
The first and most important duty of any president of this great land is to protect the freedoms and liberties so many have fought and died for. This is not happening; in fact we are being sold down the river by the great Obama. He does not love this land, he is not a patriot he is not a statesman he is a statist. He is an egomaniac on a power trip. If you want to see what we are turning into with all of the socialist programs, private enterprise take over’s, compensation limitations etc. this fool is imposing on us go back and take a look at communist Russia!! Take a look a Cuba!! Take a look at any country that has ever had an oppressive Marxist government!!
Make no mistake liberals, this man only cares that you put him in office. Beyond that you mean nothing to him and time will prove it to you.
I am a conservative right wing Republican. I am far from wealthy. I work very hard to earn a living and it is becoming increasingly difficult under current conditions. I did not agree with all of the policies of the Bush/Cheney administration. I supported them because I love my freedoms, liberties and way of life our country affords all of us.
Wake up liberals. Stop the Bush bashing and take a long hard look at what this POS Obama is doing to this country. He is not the Messiah; he is a marauder out to steal the very life you have come to enjoy and a citizen of the USA
THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, BLACK OR WHITE, RIGHT OR LEFT WING. It is about preserving the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness our forefathers intended. A great Democrat once said “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”. IT’S TIME TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR COUNTRY. Stand up America. If you love this country spread the word. Do your homework, research. Help stop Obama and his thugs from destroying us. It is time for all of us to unit and save our country.
Flagrante Delicto Jun 14th 2009 10:10AM
Keep filling up those SUVs and help the Prince realize his dream plane.
austin Jun 14th 2009 11:29AM
Thats not the answer. The republican idiot's need to wake up and stop trying to line there pockets using oil. Alternative fuel!!
MOORE Jun 14th 2009 10:53AM
It will take more than a towell head with a big plane to wake up the American people. Democrat scum in this country still block every effort to drill for oil in this country and the Arabs get richer.
winston Jun 14th 2009 4:04PM
One word will make this whole discussion moot:
HYDROGEN.
The Arabs will still make their money off the rest of the world--but we don't
have to play along.
EVERY car manufacturer in the WORLD(except Kia, maybe) has already experimented with them--and MADE THEM WORK.
think about it.
( I'm sure all those guys who used to work at GM are......)
mw Jun 14th 2009 11:09AM
He's creating jobs. I think it's great!!!
mw Jun 14th 2009 11:14AM
It is interesting that he wants to limit compensation to nothing above the President's salary, but he does have a private chef, maid service, valet, chauffeur, travel (air force one, hotels, restaurants, sightseeing) to any city, country, etc. and this includes all of his family (maybe his mother in law as well). So his compensation is not $400,000, but way above that.
austin Jun 14th 2009 11:17AM
Does anyone still think the gas companies were justified in charging us over $4.00 a gallon during bushes rein of terror?
A. Mancin Jun 14th 2009 11:28AM
TO: jeffmoenss
You are truly pathetic! Obama is destroying the lives of so many of us that we cannot even count. He is kissing ass to the unions who elected him and now he wants to put the health providers under his rule. He is a total socialist and only you who want everything for free support his agenda. And, of course, like Obama, you blame everything on Bush - who history will see as a truly great President who kept us save for 8 years, but he, too, spent too much. Obama has been there for 6 months now and has managed to spend us into bankuptsy - and you stupid liberals keep supporting this crap. He is leading us down the road to socialism, which, has been proven over and over, DOES NOT WORK!!!!
A. Mancin Jun 14th 2009 11:44AM
TO: Hugh Jassol
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Your description of Republicans was a bit off base. I think you meant Democrats -- you know, the ones who do not pay their taxes and then become part of the new administration. Chirs Dodd with his over $600,000 "cottage" in Ireland that he reports on this income taxes as being worth only about a third of that, Barney Frank who did not know about the gay bordello being run from his appartment (!!), and told us that Freddie and Fannie were in great shape recently. You are a true joke and your last name fits you right on!! And now we have Obama who is going back on one promise after another since he became President. And how long is he going to blame all of his problems on Bush?? He is screwing up the economy with all of this spending and driving us into bankruptcy and socialism. While Bush also spent too much, Obama is making him look like a piker. But then, as a liberal Democrat, you probably do not pay taxes so what the hell do you care!!!
cc Jun 14th 2009 12:47PM
Japan has taken our electonis and auto industry.....korea has taken our major appliance and a good part of our electronic industry....the Arabs all our energy $$$$ ..illegals have taken all the landscaping, and a good part of constuction work...Gee I wonder why the middle class is at an all time small make up of the USSA (thats not a typo!) Everybody go out and spend all you can on something made in China today, preferably at Walmart and help grow China's middle class, so they can totally rob us of being the world's SuperPower....then maybe we won't have to run to rescue people like the Iraq's that will soon all be swimming in $$$$$ from oil purchased by the middle class of China and the USSA tax payers will not see one red cent (pun intended) of the $$$$$$ we spent freeing them of all those WMDs
dexter sargeant Jun 14th 2009 1:54PM
damnit i was going to buy that plane!
kevin Jun 14th 2009 5:08PM
(linkback) Wow! or Meh? The half a Billion Dollar flying palace- Rolls Royce not included [VOTE] - http://www.pikk.com/f0c4c
Bob Cieslak Jun 20th 2009 10:14AM
This is peanuts compared to the price (initial cost, maintenance cost and operating cost) of flying Air Force One. The prez doesn't bring his limo with him in the same airplane. He uses an Air Force fleet to deliver his goodies to him, including a COUPLE of limo's and another stand-by Air Force One.