The Jumbo Disco That Didn't Fly

Anyone for a jumbo disco – or a gym session to work off that meal? They were just some of the crazy - and not-so-crazy ideas - that aircraft manufacturers came up with to sell the virtues of new jumbo designs that promised room to move. Some, like the jumbo disco, were discounted with a smile but others, like a downstairs lounge, were given a shot. Subscribe to the Airlineratings.com newsletter to get the relevant news first We fly to Bora Bora McDonnell Douglas, now part of Boeing,  has to take the prize for the most bizarre suggestions to make it into mock-up form. It touted the jumbo disco for its DC-10 in 1970 and followed that up with a gym for its proposed superjumbo in MD-12 in 1991.

Interestingly, the then Korean Air president dismissed the gym and said on his airline’s aircraft there would be a mahjong parlor instead! The manufacturer also touted a business office on its MD-12. However, the four-engine MD-12 never made it past the mock-up stage. McDonnell Douglas also proposed a downstairs passenger deck on its three-engine MD-11. Called the Panorama deck, it would have afforded a great view of the countryside below.

However, the costs of strengthening the fuselage in case of a wheels-up landing killed off the idea. Boeing is also guilty of some crazy ideas. The 747 downstairs Tiger Lounge made for great photos – but was never taken up.

Not content with one try,  Boeing rolled out the downstairs “Austin Powers Lounge” under the floor some 20 years before Austin Powers was made famous by Mike Myers in 1997.

Boeing also looked at putting windows in the roof of its 747-8I series in an effort to make it more appealing.

Also, a business class club made it into the roof of the 747-8I as well as sleeping cabins – but only in mock-up form.

Only the Airbus concepts of a large bar and showers for the A380 have made it into reality. Emirates, the champion of the A380 has a bar in the upper rear cabin for premium passengers along with showers for first-class up forward. One Airbus concept that didn’t get past the mock-up stage was the duty-free shop.