Farnborough 2016, it was moved from September to July a few years back to get the better weather. All they did was curse July with a week of bad weather. This year was no better. On the Monday it rained so hard the chalets were flooded out. I went on the Wednesday believing that Wednesday was still themed as 'Military Day' - wrong ! However I waited and sat in the F-35B mock-up. The man from Lockheed supervising the visitors was a little purturbed when I asked did the engine still cause cracks in the bulkhead and did it stop being stealth when it rained ? Or, did the engine melt decks when it landed vertically ? Oh well it's a snip for £120 million a piece.
During the afternoon I was walking around the flight line wondering why there were so many people about ? On the horizon was a dirty black cloud moving ominously toward us. Nobody seemed to notice or care. I made it post haste to the chalets. Soon after I got under cover, thunder and lightning, then the heavens opened and it was Noah's Ark time.
After some very noisy rain on the chalets a huge roar happened. From the shelter of a chalet door I saw that Boeing had launched the F-18 Super Hornet for a display. Still heavy cloud and rain. I t didn't seem to bother the F-18, which put on a good and noisy display despite the weather. No F35B you may ask ? Well no sign of the new super machine. Hiding under a large umbrella somewhere no doubt?
Clever marketing from Boeing,"Our fighter flies in all weathers, what about yours ??"
I returned on the Friday and the F-35B flew this time. Heralded as the one size fits all, I was interested to watch the machine perform. An American military man took control of the microphone to address the enthusiastic throng. Well he sounded pretty enthusiastic anyway. "Now the F-35B will execute a tight turn." He enthused. It took most of the airfield to turn. I wondered how it would deal with the Sukhoi 27-35 series aircraft and the later Mig-29s ? They can turn on a sixpence and do some unsual standing still and tailsliding manoeuvres. Apparently upsetting any tracking doppler radars.
Here is a short video I took with an old camera, a bit of camera shake I'm afraid:-
"The pilot only needs to press a single button in the cockpit, and the aircraft lands itself, VTOL style!" Our American cousin purred. The F-35B has AI, 'artificial intelligence'. Very advanced computing, yet this should should be able to go into any fly-by-wire/light fighter ? For somewhat less cost than the F-35B ?
Well, less of the crtiticism of the F-35B, time will tell. Here is another short video of a vertical hover. It cannot tilt and bow to the crowd in acknowledgement as the Harrier does.
London City Airport is one of my favourite places to fly from. It has in the past been restricted to distance and payload of its routes because of the short length of the runway and the 5.5 degree glideslope approach. The only exception being British Airways BA1 to New York. This flight, using an Airbus A318, routes via Shannon in Eire, where the passengers clear US immigration and customs while the aircraft is refueled for the Transatlantic crossing. Landing in New York as a domestic flight. No waiting in queues for the passengers. Just staight through and out. On the return the aircraft is light enough on arrival to fly New York(JFK) London City direct.
A new aircraft has appeared on the scene that may very well be a game changer, it is the Bombardier 'C' series. The CS100 will open up routes from London City that previously were not possible. With seating up to 130 pax, it had a difficult period of inception to begin with, problems in configuration, finance etc, but now it has arrived with its new Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G. A light structure from composite materials and aluminium-lithium. Quiet engines with low emissions mean it has a range of 2,350 nm range from London City. I shall be watching its progress. Swiss Lines have just recieved their first aircraft.
The German Dornier 728/928 series of Regional aircraft showed much promiss. Then Dornier had financial difficulties and the Dornier 728/928 went the way of the Dodo.
The new Sukhoi SuperJet 100 appears to be a resurrection of the Dornier project. City Jet of Eire have ordered 13 and received 2. Eventually they will replace the Avro RJ85, an aircraft of which I am personally fond. The Russian Sukhoi carries 98 pax as against the RJ85's 95.
Sukhoi SuperJet 100
Here is elegance, the Airbus A350-900 XWB. At the moment it is rarely seen at Heathrow, whereas the Boeing B787 is a common sight. I believe the A350 to be a better aircraft on all counts, but Boeing have produced their aircraft in greater numbers and more quickly.
Airbus A350
Here's the big brother, the A380, to which I have nicknamed 'Deux Ponts' after an earlier double decked Breguet aircraft.
Here is an interesting military aircraft, the Airbus A400M Atlas. Some are arguing it falls between two stools. Too big for some missions, not quite big enough for others. Well it is here and looks a useful piece of kit.
A400M Atlas
Here is a genuine replacement for the Lockheed C-130J Hercules, the Brasilian Embraer KC-390. When I visited where the aircraft was parked, there was a number of senior RAF personnel having an invited look. I wonder ??
Embraer KC-390
Here is a strange one. The Antonov AN-178, it has a bit of a hump back.
The Boeing P8 Poseidon, I would have preferred the Kawasaki P-1. Four engines are better than two for marine patrol.
The Red Arrows did a fly past, then another with the A350. That was it. No more excellent displays at airfield airshows.
Here is real beauty, the vintage De Havilland DH 89A Rapide.
The A350 waves good-bye to the end of another Farnborough in the rain.
