Anorak Corner

Aviation has been one of my interests since I was about 11. I grew up three miles from London Airport and spent my spare time in and around the place, especially in the Queen's Building viewing areas. I still cannot pass by an airport without peering over the fence.

So, with apologies to those of you who are not interested, can I just ask if I am the only one to be unimpressed by the A380 Airbus (aka superjumbo) because for all its awesome technology it is just plain ugly? Even against the venerable 747, it's a dog. Compared to the elegance of a Comet (or for that matter almost anything from the De Havilland stable) or the Caravelle or the DC9/MD series, or the practical perfection of the old 707, or the show-stopping beauty of Concorde, it has the grace and poise of a second-hand fridge.

The old engineers knew that if it looked right, it was right - just look at the Spitfire, the A4 Pacific locomotive, the cream of the Royal Navy's fleet, and pretty much anything designed by Brunel. Must the fact that the A380 is the product of a thousand EU committees condemn it to permanent attendance at the Ugly Bug Ball?

I fear that it does.