For this week’s blog post counting down to the 2014 Farnborough Airshow, we take a look at how the appearance of iconic commercial aircraft over the years has seen the airshow develop its name as the ‘global shop window’ over the last 60 years.
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland Comet was the world’s first jet airliner, and showcased the UK’s world leading jet engine technology after the Second World War. The Comet paved the way for the development of modern airliners in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as a greater understanding of the ‘physics’ of commercial jet flight and a new approach to safety. The aircraft went through various modifications and was eventually used by the RAF as the ‘Nimrod’ maritime surveillance aircraft. Below is a picture of the Comet debuting in Farnborough in 1949, and here is a link to a video of its appearance in 2 different variants at the 1958 show.
Bristol – the ‘Brabazon’ and ‘Britannia’
The formation of the government’s Brabazon Committee in 1942 set out the future needs of the UK’s civilian airliner market, and developed recommendations or ‘Type’ specifications which would eventually result in the mighty Bristol Brabazon and its smaller cousin, the Britannia. Only 1 Brabazon was ever produced, but it appeared at Farnborough in 1950. The video below shows it on static (48 seconds) and flying (1 minute 54 seconds).
Whilst the Brabazon project was not successful, nearly half of the money spent on the project was put into infrastructure developments at the Filton Aerodrome and allowed for the development of the Britannia – which went on to achieve strong export orders and active service across the world.
Airbus – A330 and A380
Airbus have displayed some of its most significant and strongest selling aircraft at Farnborough over the years.
In 1998, Airbus debuted the A330-200 – which only started official deliveries in that same year. The A330-200 has so far achieved over 600 orders, and operates on many of the medium to long haul flights across the world. Here is its display in 1998 at the airshow.
In 2006, Airbus debuted the now iconic A380 at Farnborough – showcasing the aircraft’s sheer size, as well as its impressive lack of noise for such a large aircraft. The aircraft’s display yet again showcased UK expertise in both wing design, manufacture and assembly, as well as modern propulsion through the Rolls-Royce Trent engines. A HD video of its impressive 2010 display at the show can be viewed below.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The 787 test aircraft visited the show 2010 as static item – however 2 years later, Boeing displayed its first ever commercial aircraft in the 787 Dreamliner. Deliveries for the aircraft only started in 2011, and Boeing saw Farnborough as the perfect opportunity to showcase its new aircraft’s manoeuvrability and detail its modern use of passenger technology. 182 orders were placed for the 787 the year after the airshow and its 2012 display, which can be seen below, allowed potential customers to see the benefits first hand.
