This ship/barge/convoy arrangement sounds pretty goofy. It would probably have been cheaper to build the final assembly plant at a sea port.

AGREED. Moving huge Aircraft parts via the road isn't the best solution. Although this monster will be a site to see, it will be restricted to certain airports, as many will simply not have the facilities to handle an aircraft with the wingspan tha the A380 will have.Oh sure, eventually there will be, but it won;t happen overnight.And there's no such thing as "leave it until tomorrow" in the airline industry. time costs money.I beleive this might be a vital point for Airlines to consider when ordering up this beast.