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Paris Air Show '97 (Editor's Note: Miro just returned from the Paris Airshow and has submitted this Special Report. We hope you enjoy it! )
Two years have passed since the last get together and everyone or anything that means something in aviation is gathered at Le bourget Airport in Paris once again. The organizers of this year's gathering managed to get exhibitors from all over the world for the 42nd time: there are 1850 exhibitors from 43 countries. Every visitor to this year's show can feel the tension between the American and European aircraft makers. This is prompted by increasingly significant competition around the globe for new aircraft, the aging 747 fleet, and by the announcement of the intention to purchase McDonnell Douglas by Boeing in December of last year. Among the more than 220 aircraft and helicopters on display at Le Bourget this year, there are premiere displays of the Brazilian double engined EMB 145 regional transporter, the new Global Express by Bombardier, the Cessnas Bravo and Excel, and the Gulfstream V for those VIP's who can afford it.
There were also many helicopters from Eurocopter on display, and a flying display of EC 120 and Tiger HAP 665 P were also provided. Eastern Europe is represented with the SW4 helicopter by Swidnik and and some of the great Zlin aircraft by Moravan Aviation. In addition to the SU 32 there are also some great Russian planes on display. Starting with the small aerobatic Sukhoi SU 31 and going all the way up to the Ilyushin IL 76.
The show started on Saturday the 14th with a press preview day and will last until the Sunday, the 22nd. We were told that the American B2 bomber is expected and that an F22 will make an appearance, but as of this writing that is not yet confirmed. The show will close on Sunday, the 22nd of June and organizers estimating that more than 300,000 visitors from all over the globe will attend by the time of the closing ceremony. From Paris exclusively for AVSim Magazine , Miro Majcen. More Photos from Miro:
All Images on this page are Copyright - Miro Majcen, and cannot be reproduced, transmitted, or used for any purpose other than your personal use © 1997 - AVSIM
Magazine |
(Miro's
approach to Paris - on final looking through the cockpit
forward. Actually, here is what Miro had to say about
this photo: "I had a chance to be in the cockpit of
an Adria Airways A 320 while landing at Paris Charles de
Gaulle APT (thanks to captain Hauptman and raining manager
Darko Jarc".) Looks like it might have been a short
final to us!!!)
Also on display is
Swedish JAS 39 Grippen from Saab, the Sukhoi SU 32, the
Russian double rotored KA 50 Kamov helicopter (this is a
basic single seat, close-support helicopter and is
pictured to the right). The KA 50 features two counter
rotating coaxial main rotors which avoid the need for a
tail rotor and allows the construction of a simple and
more compact airframe. As the KA 50 is a single seater,
Kamov has introduced some of the advanced autohover
systems developed for its naval helicopter to reduce the
pilot workload. The main rotor are jettisoned before the
pilot seat is ejected.) 
The funny looking,
but very advanced AN 74 TK was also on display(the
primary role of AN 74 is as a STOL replacement for the
turboprop AN 26 with a primary mission of cargo
transportation). The use of engine exhaust blown over the
upper wing surface and down over large multislotted flaps
gives the AN 74 TK a considerable increase in lift. The
special cargo door and ramp, low pressure tires and
multiwheel landing gear are suitable for operation from
unprepared strips.) 
And of
course, we cannot leave out the EF2000 which is a high
performance, agile combat aircraft, optimized for the
air-superiority role in both the beyond visual range and
close combat scenarios, and which possesses comprehensive
air-to-surface attack capability. It's configured as a
delta-canard aircraft, with active flight controls. There
are more than 1000 orders expected by the manufacturer. 
Displays from the
American exhibitors are mostly of the older designs; in
addition to the F16, F18, and the AH64 Apache, there was
also the unbelievable STOL C 17 Globemaster driving
backwards after a very successful and heck of a short
landing. Boeing is showing the new B737-700 which shows
the obvious advantage of American industry since Airbus
only just announced the new A3XX widebody project (ed
note: see breaking news from earlier this week). 
