For this week’s blog post counting down to the 2014 Farnborough Airshow, we take a look at the 1962 show – which gave a greater focus on the exhibitor stands at Farnborough, an important part of the commercial aspect to the airshow.
The 1962 video below shows viewers the inside of one of the exhibition halls (from 1 min 19 secs), stating that over 300 companies were visiting the airshow, and a record 380 stands. The exhibition halls are a key element to the airshow for companies, seeking to develop greater commercial links with buyers, and showcase their company innovation and product line strength. The continuing lure of the exhibition halls at FIA mean that over 1500 companies will be exhibiting this year, with many more as part of national and international pavilions.
Interestingly, the video segment on the exhibition space also show us the swivel engines which would become synonymous with the Harrier and an aerodynamic model which would eventually be developed into the iconic Concorde.
The video also shows a key focus on the commercial aviation industry, with the VC10 an integral part of the show (from 10 mins 34 secs above). The VC10 was an important aircraft as the commercial sector began to develop in the early 1960s, and achieved the fastest London to New York crossing of the Atlantic by a subsonic jet airliner. It also became a vital part of the RAF’s strategic airlift fleet, and was only retired in Sept 2013 to make way for the A330 MRTT – a significant achievement for a 150 seat airliner built originally in 1962.
