Thursday 26 July 2018

Airbus New Kids?

Airbus A350-900/100 and the A220-100/200.

Two new types of aircraft are hitting the world, but the question to be asked is the demand their for them? The Airbus A350 is a wide body, but what it lacks is capacity, still being smaller that the successful counterpart the Boeing 777 series!

On the other hand Airbus has agreed to buy the Successful Canadian Bombardier CS-100/200 and rename them the A220-100/200 to save the workforce in N-Ireland, after being pressured from the U.K government!

Since Farnborough it is not known how many Airbus A220's have been ordered, but the second generation A321 and the Boeing 787-9/10 seem to have done very well! Sometimes rushing into projects is not wise and knowing what is wanted ahead is a wise move to hold back for a time?

Aerobatic/Racing Aircraft. Two.

Always a Demand!

Speed and aerobatics will always be a challenge to the aviator and records want to be broken all the time? Sport flying is adventurous, despite its dangers, people like the thrill and excitement of aircraft in this category?

There are always new concepts and ideas  coming to the fore in aircraft design and many of the worlds light training aircraft started off as competition aircraft before they became the SIA-Marchetti  SF-260 Warrior, Epsilon, Yakolev YAK-9/11, 52, Sukhoi SU-26, Shorts/EMB-Tucano, Pilatus PC-7/9, and many others too numerous to mention from around the world!

Many bi-planes developed from agricultural spray aircraft today fulfil the role of wing walking and other enjoyable aerobatic events!

Thursday 5 July 2018

RAF 100th Anniversary!

Wales National Air Show 2018.

This year despite it being the RAF's 100th Anniversary, it was perhaps a little bit disappointing in Swansea, when the Catalina Flying boat was cancelled and it was just the re-run of last year without any naval helicopter display team?

What was on show represented the spirit of World War-I (1914-18) with Biggles (Tom and Jerry) and some Ariel 'Dog fighting.' The display of the RAF Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Chinook Transport helicopter and the RAF Typhoon jet made up for many things?

But it was the RAF Red Arrows who once again stole the show with their continued amazing aerobatic displays and paid off team work, that make them one of the best if not well known combination display teams in the world!