点评:Today we went on the Airbus A321 factory tour. I am so disappointed. They take you on a bus on a 3-minute drive to the A321 final assembly building, and then spend the first few minutes in front of a cut-away drawing of an aircraft explaining up how the aircraft is assembled, the countries in which the various component parts are manufactured, etc. Then an elevator ride to the top of the assembly point, overlooking 3 or 4 aircraft in the engine fitting stage (the last stage of construction). Honestly, here you see exactly the same as you would see at any airport departure gate. You cannot see any actual assembly of the aircraft, no mystery, no behind-the-scenes insight. The elements which are conspicuous by their absence (fuselage mating, wing fitting, any sense of movement or action) is covered by a video displayed on screens overlooking the viewing gallery. The "factory tour" presentation is just a monologue by the tour guide, essentially describing everything you can't see. A short look from the building's external balcony over the testing bays, and to the airport beyond, completes the A321 portion of the tour. Bus back to base, and then you get to step inside the prototype A400M, the content again mostly covered by video. As an aviation professional who has done a similar tour through the Boeing 777 and 747 lines of the past, I was mortified that Airbus would call this a "factory tour". My family (mother, wife, teenage kids) were equally bored. Please, Airbus, actually show us some manufacturing, in a part of your factory where actual assembly is done. To charge for this empty content is petty. (On the other hand, the Aeroscopia museum from which the tour departs, is excellent. I should have spent more of my time there.)
翻译:今天我们参观了空客A321工厂,真是太失望了。他们先带我们坐巴士,三分钟就到了A321总装车间,然后花几分钟时间对着飞机剖面图讲解飞机的组装过程、各个零部件的生产国等等。之后乘电梯到总装车间的顶层,俯瞰着三四架正在进行发动机安装的飞机(这是组装的最后一个阶段)。说实话,这里看到的景象和机场登机口一模一样。你根本看不到任何飞机的实际组装过程,没有任何神秘感,也没有任何幕后揭秘。那些明显缺失的环节(机身对接、机翼安装,以及任何动态效果)都被投射到观景台上方的大屏幕上播放的视频所掩盖。所谓的“工厂参观”讲解,其实就是导游的独白,把所有你看不到的东西都一股脑地讲了一遍。从大楼的外部阳台上短暂眺望测试车间和远处的机场,A321部分的参观就结束了。之后乘巴士返回基地,然后可以进入A400M原型机内部参观,但参观内容仍然主要以视频形式呈现。作为一名曾经参观过波音777和747生产线的航空专业人士,我对空客竟然称之为“工厂参观”感到非常失望。我的家人(母亲、妻子和十几岁的孩子)也同样感到无聊。拜托,空客,请带我们参观一下你们工厂里实际的组装车间,让我们看看真正的生产过程。为这种空洞的内容收费实在太不划算了。(不过,参观的出发点——航空博物馆——非常棒。我应该在那里多待一会儿。)