The world's biggest and oldest International Air Show opened at Le Bourget near Paris on Monday. More than 2,100 companies will attend it this year, which is a record number. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive in Le Bourget on Tuesday.
For the time being the Russian delegation headed by Deputy Prime minister Sergei Ivanov is showing its latest developments at Le Bourget. These include the recently commissioned Sukhoi Superjet 100, which can carry 98 passengers on board to medium distances of up to 4,400 km. The second Russian aircraft is the Beriyev Be-200, which was widely used in extinguishing wildfires last summer. Putin remarked on its efficiency when he flew it himself as a second pilot.
The French are interested in this unique amphibious aircraft. They want to upgrade their fleet of fire fighting equipment.
The Swiss stirred a lot of interest this year by presenting the world's first solar-powered Solar Impulse. The engine of this mini one-seater is powered by solar batteries. For the time being they are not designed for long-distance flights. This aircraft got to le Bourget from the second attempt – its pilot failed to retract landing gear. This upset the aircraft's aerodynamics and discharged the batteries.
But Solar Impulse is more of an amusing development. Meanwhile, the Airbus A380 may see great success in the near future. It is the world's biggest liner measuring 24 metres high and almost 80 metres long with a wing span of just under 80 metres. It can carry up to 853 passengers without landing or refueling for a distance of up to 15,400 km. This time, its journey to the air show started with a gaffe -- it failed to turn during taxiing and bumped its wing into a building. However, its manufacturers found a replacement at the last moment and sent a liner without any flaws.
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) came up with the most fantastic project: a seaweed biofuel powered jet. That said, it can reach the stratosphere and fly at a speed of up to 5,000 km per hour. It will take it only two and a half hours to fly from Paris to Tokyo. It is a pity that this super-fast aircraft will not be developed any sooner than 2050.
Maxim Volodin