Aircraft

In pictures: Farnborough Airshow 2012

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The Korean T50B added a splash of color to Farnborough's overcast sky (Photo: Gizmag)
Lancaster Bomber on the deck (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Landing gear down: Malaysia Airlines A380 with Qatar Airways 787 Dreamliner in the foreground (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurocopter’s EC175 taking off (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurocopter’s EC175 throwing shapes (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurocopter’s EC175 landing (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurofighter Typhoon roars across Farnborough skies (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurofighter Typhoon roars across Farnborough skies (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurofighter Typhoon roars across Farnborough skies (Photo: Gizmag)
AgustaWestland helicopters AW139, AW169 and AW189 flying in close-formation (Photo: Gizmag)
AW169 breaks away from the AgustaWestland pack (Photo: Gizmag)
Farnborough Airshow is a truly international affair (Photo: Gizmag)
The Saab Gripen on fine form (Photo: Gizmag)
The Saab Gripen on fine form (Photo: Gizmag)
An F/A-18 Hornet prepares for take-off (Photo: Gizmag)
An F/A-18 Hornet takes off (Photo: Gizmag)
Security. Mud. There was no shortage of either at Farnborough this year (Photo: Gizmag)
Aerial display of the F/A-18 Hornet (Photo: Gizmag)
Aerial display of the F/A-18 Hornet (Photo: Gizmag)
Aerial display of the F/A-18 Hornet (Photo: Gizmag)
Aerial display of the F/A-18 Hornet (Photo: Gizmag)
An F/A-18 Hornet comes in to land (Photo: Gizmag)
An F/A-18 Hornet comes in to land (Photo: Gizmag)
A Stolp Starduster Too SA300 raring to go (Photo: Gizmag)
A Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced training jet on the runway (Photo: Gizmag)
A Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced training jet takes to the sky (Photo: Gizmag)
A Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced training jet takes to the sky (Photo: Gizmag)
A Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced training jet takes to the sky (Photo: Gizmag)
A Stolp Starduster Too SA300 completes its display flight (Photo: Gizmag)
The Korean T50B added a splash of color to Farnborough's overcast sky (Photo: Gizmag)
The Korean T50B added a splash of color to Farnborough's overcast sky (Photo: Gizmag)
A lone security guard watches the Korean T50B take off (Photo: Gizmag) (Photo: Gizmag)
The Korean T50B added a splash of color to Farnborough's overcast sky (Photo: Gizmag)
The Korean T50B added a splash of color to Farnborough's overcast sky (Photo: Gizmag)
The Korean T50B added a splash of color to Farnborough's overcast sky (Photo: Gizmag)
Flight of the Phillips ST2 Speedtwin (Photo: Gizmag)
Flight of the Phillips ST2 Speedtwin (Photo: Gizmag)
There were no shortage of aircraft flights in addition to the billed displays (Photo: Gizmag)
Qatar Airways' 787 Dreamliner on the ground (Photo: Gizmag)
An MV-22 Osprey taking off (Photo: Gizmag)
An MV-22 Osprey taking off (Photo: Gizmag)
An MV-22 Osprey does its thing (Photo: Gizmag)
An MV-22 Osprey does its thing (Photo: Gizmag)
Police motorcyclists on patrol (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
A model of the Sukhoi Su-35 on display (Photo: Gizmag)
Helicopter window shopping (Photo: Gizmag)
Alenia Sky-Y UAV static display (Photo: Gizmag)
One of many flight simulators on display (Photo: Gizmag)
The Drako UAS (Photo: Gizmag)
The SpaceShipTwo replica on display (Photo: Gizmag)
The SpaceShipTwo replica on display (Photo: Gizmag)
The SpaceShipTwo replica on display (Photo: Gizmag)
Sikorsky Black Hawk S-70i static display (Photo: Gizmag)
Virgin Galactic weren't the only ones with launch capabilities to tout (Photo: Gizmag)
Big engines: a distinct theme in the Airshow halls (Photo: Gizmag)
Big engines: a distinct theme in the Airshow halls (Photo: Gizmag)
Wave Sight mini-UAV on display (Photo: Gizmag)
A model of Reaction Engines' SABRE engine (Photo: Gizmag)
Thales LMM lightweight multi-role missile (Photo: Gizmag)
Creation Zephyr MRV (Photo: Gizmag)
A robot from the University of Warwick's WMG research group (Photo: Gizmag)
The capacious insides of a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (Photo: Gizmag)
A US Army UH-72A helicopter (Photo: Gizmag)
An F-15 Eagle (Photo: Gizmag)
The hefty landing gear of the F/A-18 Hornet (Photo: Gizmag)
General Dynamics F-16 on the ground (Photo: Gizmag)
An F-15 Eagle (Photo: Gizmag)
An F-15 Eagle (Photo: Gizmag)
Rear end of the F-15 Eagle (Photo: Gizmag)
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from the front (Photo: Gizmag)
Still in testing, the Airbus A400M Atlas was slated to fly at Farnborough this year, but was ultimately unable to do so (Photo: Gizmag)
Still in testing, the Airbus A400M Atlas was slated to fly at Farnborough this year, but was ultimately unable to do so (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurocopter’s EC175 (Photo: Gizmag)
Tubular Typhoon (Photo: Gizmag)
The enormous Omega Tanker (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
A Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced training jet takes to the sky (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurofighter Typhoon roars across Farnborough skies (Photo: Gizmag)
A Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced training jet takes to the sky (Photo: Gizmag)
Eurocopter’s EC175 (Photo: Gizmag) (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)
View gallery - 96 images

The skies over Hampshire, England, may have been resolutely overcast, but there has been nothing dull about the spectacle of the biennial Farnborough International Airshow taking place in them this week. Crowds composed mostly of media, military and millionaires endured airport-style security checks to observe aerial displays from ear-piercing fighter jet fighters, enormous airliners and aeronautic display teams of dubious sanity.

Jet fighters and trainers

Jet fighters and training aircraft were undoubtedly the loudest things in the sky this week. Between the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen, F-18, Yak-130 and Korean T50B, there was no shortage to choose from.

Eurofighter Typhoon roars across Farnborough skies (Photo: Gizmag)

The nimble aerial display put on by the RAF Typhoon was particularly impressive, not to mention loud - the sound literally penetrating the rib cage if you stand close to the runway. The Eurofighter Typhoon program continues apace, with the announcement this week that Typhoons are to gain electronically scanned array radar, Meteor air-to-air missiles and Paveway IV guided bombs.

Beasts of burden

There was no shortage of larger, in fact massive, aircraft. News that the Airbus A400M Atlas was unable to fly was perhaps the disappointment of the week. Still undergoing flight-testing, seeing the four-engined military transport in flight would have been a treat, but attendees hankering for larger aircraft were by no means short-changed, given the display flights of an Airbus A380, 787 Dreamliner, and, for those that kept their eyes peeled, Lancaster and B52 bombers.

Malaysia Airlines A380 puts on a display at Farnborough (Photo: Gizmag)

Helos and tilt-rotors

Helicopters were ably represented with aerial displays from the implausibly nimble Eurocopter EC175 (being launched this year), as well as the close-formation flying of the AgustaWestland helicopters.

Eurocopter’s EC175 throwing shapes (Photo: Gizmag)

As ever, the presence of a Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey (the M-designation signifying this is a US Marine Corps vehicle) was a point of some curiosity, not least because of its distinctive sounds, which shift between those of a jet airplane or helicopter depending on rotor position.

Aerobatics

All eyes were on the Blades aerobatic display team when its distinctive blue Extra EA-300s took to the air. The Blades' 15-minute display contains more than 30 maneuvers. Death-defying may be a cliche, but it applies in spades to the team of ex-RAF jet pilots, all of whom are former Red Arrows.

Blades aerobatic display team (Photo: Gizmag)

There was plenty more on display in the air, on the ground, indoors and out, including robots, UAVs and bleeding-edge technology aplenty. Take to the gallery for a flavor of this year's Farnborough Airshow.

Words: James Holloway

Photos: Noel McKeegan

View gallery - 96 images
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1 comment
Mark A
Another beautiful day in England. Nice planes.