Half-sized aircraft engine made of Lego, a real-size mock-up of A380’s front section and four flight simulators are among the biggest attractions of the Emirates’ Aviation Experience.
Located next to the Greenwich peninsula terminal, the new London’s aviation theme park has been unveiled today by Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.
Speaking during the event, Johnson praised the educational potential of the park, which aims at showing visitors the world behind the scenes of civil aviation. “It’s fantastically educational, children can pick up the technical stuff here,” he said.
In terms of size, Emirates’ Aviation Experience can hardly compete with other world’s aviation parks and museum. However, the project’s authors believe the level of interactivity and the focus on the 21 century technology instead of on history, makes it rather unique.
The four flight simulators available to visitors inside are said to be the only flight simulators in the world accessible to general public. Two of them are modelled after the cockpit of Airbus A380 and the other two after Boeing 777.
Though a bit simplified compared to those on which pilots regularly practice, the simulators allow visitors to take-off, manoeuvre the aircraft and land, simulating a flight from London Heathrow to Dubai. The HD screens and advanced graphics used in the simulators give an almost real-life experience of what it takes to fly the aircraft.
In other sections of the park, visitors can follow the journey of a suitcase from check-in through various conveyer belts to the plane and back. On interactive screens they can play a series of aviation themed games that show various processes that are taking place away from passengers’ sight but are crucial for a flawless travelling experience - including picking up garbage inside the aircraft after landing.
Quite impressive is the 2:1 model of the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 aircraft engine made of Lego. Including all moving parts, it consists of 165,000 lego bricks and took 8 weeks to build. The installation is accompanied by an interactive board explaining the aerodynamic principles behind flying.
The admission fee to the park is £3 excluding the simulators. Those interested in taking a ride will have to invest a bit more - £40 for a 30-minute simulated flight.
Watch our video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h23Cdcs-3KM&feature=youtu.be
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