I know nothing about aviation technology (engines turn on, plane goes up, plane comes down!) but for some reason, the A380 intrigues me with its hugeness and novelty.
Given OTL technology, what's the earliest such a plane could have been built? Ever-reliable Wikipedia tells me McDonnell Douglas made some progress on a similar design (MD-12) in the 1990s - is that about the earliest that it could have been done, or could Boeing (or whoever) have built something that big back in the 70s, or even earlier?
(As far as AH goes, a double-decker airliner screams Nazi mega-project, doesn't it?)
Given OTL technology, what's the earliest such a plane could have been built? Ever-reliable Wikipedia tells me McDonnell Douglas made some progress on a similar design (MD-12) in the 1990s - is that about the earliest that it could have been done, or could Boeing (or whoever) have built something that big back in the 70s, or even earlier?
(As far as AH goes, a double-decker airliner screams Nazi mega-project, doesn't it?)