With today seeing the official media launch of the 2014 Farnborough International Airshow, ADS will provide our own weekly countdown to the show on this blog, by looking back on some key highlights over the past 50-60 years.
First up is 1955, and the famous Vulcan ‘barrel-roll’ performed at Farnborough by the aptly-named Wing Commander ‘Roly’ Falk. The roll can be seen at 3:06 minutes in the video below:
The manoeuvre showcased the sheer agility of the V-bomber, despite its 70 tonne weight and nearly 100ft wingspan. This agility was something which would go on to impress the US Air Force during the Red-Flag trials in the 1970s and 80s. A restored ‘Vulcan to the Sky’ XH558 will be performing at this years air show – although do not expect a repeat of 1955!
The video above also shows the first flight of the P1 by English Electric – the prototype research version of the Lightning (see 5:07 in the video) . Nearly 50 years on, another ‘Lightning’ will be on show – this time the F-35 Lightning II, showcasing the future of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
