Day 3 – Wednesday 4th September

The day’s proceedings began with a tour of the Show by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by the inevitable host of minders and paparazzi; Delta staff photographer Keith Draycott assures us that walking backwards in a jostling crowd through an exhibition hall while squinting through a viewfinder was a novel experience, to say the least!

Prince Philip’s departure at the controls of a BAe 146 of the Queen’s Flight briefly interrupted a flying display which was strictly for the hardy or well-wrapped – a solid overcast and a stiff north-easterly breeze lowered both the temperature and the display ceiling, while the crosswind made for extended take-offs and landings in both directions. Although the light was too poor for serious photography, there was much to entertain those who stayed outside to watch.

The display sadly opened with the scorching departure of the F-18 Hornet, withdrawn by McDonnell Douglas after an alarming loss of height during one of its manoeuvres the previous day led to its invalidation. Subsequent highlights included the radical (and noisy) aerobatics of the Kamov Ka 50 Hokum attack helicopter with its concentric twin rotors, the Airbus A330 and A340 waltzing around each other in a tight circle like a World War 1 dogfight at WW1 speeds, and, at long last, the first official demonstration of the vectored- thrust Sukhoi Su-37.

Yevgeny Frolov had made several attempts in evening practice sessions to squeeze this machine’s awesome gyrations into the tight space and altitude limits in force at suburban Farnborough, and his routine now drew spontaneous applause from one of the world’s most critical audiences. The Mig-29 and Su-30 had already demonstrated the familiar Cobra manoeuvre, but the 37 went a stage further with the Hook (a yaw and roll out of a Cobra) and a unique backward flip, the ‘Kulbit’, which amounts to a stationary loop completed within the aircraft’s own length while remaining under perfect control. This supersonic bird can stop in mid air and come out pointing its weapons in almost any direction the pilot chooses. Where do we go from here?

The builders of the new generation of stealthy fly-by-wire canard delta fighters believe they have the answer. Dassault’s Rafale and SAAB’s pretty but rugged little Gripen, the latter shortly to enter service, are much further along in development flying than the Eurofighter, and it shows in the tightness of their manoeuvres, but the RB-199 powered British prototype flown by John Turner has given increasingly assured displays as the week progresses. When the later versions, already flying with EJ200 engines and sophisticated avionics, reach the air show circuit, the fur will really fly. All the new western fighters are expected to equal or even surpass the agility of the Russian machines, now nearing the end of their development potential. Vectored jet nozzles, already standard on the Lockheed-Boeing F-22 Rapier, could easily be adopted for the European canards if developments warranted it, but there is no perceived need for them just yet.

As so often happens, within minutes of the end of the show the sky cleared as if a curtain had been opened, and homeward bound photographers had a few minutes of sheer heaven as aircraft were brilliantly backlit in gold against a retreating wall of sepia coloured cloud. Even dull days at Farnborough have their magic moments!

Two new items of interest from the trade side of the show were the model of the C-27 that appears in the Lockheed-Martin hall, and an announcement by The Aviation Company Ltd. The C-27 is a developed version of the twin engined Alenia G-222, with uprated engines and avionics and some structural changes. The type is aimed at producing a medium sized transport aircraft to supplement the C-130 fleet in US service, and as a lower cost alternative to four engined transports for service with other nations. The advantage of the teaming of the original design with the Lockheed-Martin group is that of support. Lockheed-Martin already has a large number of maintenance facilities world wide to support the C-130 and other types. By including the new C-27 in this range of aircraft, it gives the type a serious market advantage in the eyes of many potential buyers. The Aviation Company Ltd is a Gatwick based aviation consultancy and asset management group, and has just become the world’s first organisation to be granted a Civil Aviation Authority JAR 145 approval for the Remote Visual Inspection (Borescope Inspection) of aircraft powerplants. The CAA recently issued new regulations regarding RVI to ensure that only approved trained engineers will be able to use and interpret the results of these inspections. The Company welcomed these new regulations, and have met the rigorous standards set by the CAA, whose granting of the approval now allows The Aviation Company to officially certify its inspection work. Although not a glamorous part of the aviation scene, and certainly one that makes headlines only when things go wrong, recent events have underlined the importance of reliable scheduled maintenance in airline operations, and it is satisfying to see such a responsible attitude being taken by a British company at the leading edge of the inspection and monitoring field.

And, as a tailpiece, here is the tale of a distinctive tail. Seasoned Farnborough buffs will remember the appearance here twenty years ago of the McDonnell Douglas YC-15, built in competition with the Boeing YC-14 for an abortive C-130 Hercules replacement programme. The two YC-15s built were retired and preserved, one in a museum at Tucson, but their shape, especially that of the inverse-tapered fin, lives on in the giant C-17 which made such an impression at Farnborough 94. Now these attractive veterans are to return to service as testbeds for future transport projects, to be made available to various companies as required. Modifications on the cards include a possible new wing. Who knows, we may see one at Farnborough again some day.