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Paris Air Show 2009: A sense of scale
Covering the Paris Air Show is like trying to cover a football field with a napkin. There is so much space, depth and gravity to each display that you could spend a week going through each exhibit hall and still not get the full picture.
The above photo is a great example. This landing gear will be part of the new Airbus A350 aircraft, a model that still hasn't been fully developed, but that's generating a lot of buzz.
Standing right next to the gear you get a sense of the size of that aircraft. Each of the wheels comes up to your chest, which means the entire system is over 15 feet tall. And this is one corner of one display, in one corner of hall 3. It adds up quickly.
Engines have the same effect, with Pratt and Whitney, United Technologies and GE all bringing out the big guns for jaw dropping passers by. Check out one of the GE GENex engines that'll be used on the Boeing 787 (with composite fan blades!) on display after the jump.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joe Jun 23rd 2009 9:55AM
I was also there this weekend and had a great time. For a long time I wanted to be a pilot but didn't have the time or finances. And this is the first airshow I've been to in over 5 years. A couple of things stuck out for me right away.
* Compared to the really load fighter jets, the A380 was eerily quiet.
* You need to have a press pass or industry pass to see the good stuff. I loved being able to see the planes but the fences were put so far away that it felt like watching the animals at the zoo from the outside of the park. As a kid I used to be able to go right up underneath the fuselage.
* I wish Boeing had a stronger presence. As the main competitor to Airbus it really felt like it was Airbus' show. Except for the GEn-X engine on display there was barely anything on the 787. Hell they even had a cabin mockup of the A350XWB. In this economy it would be prudent to reinforce the perception that everything is on schedule (though 2 years late). The main purpose of the show is to buy and sell planes. I can only imagine how many orders Boeing might have lost due to their minimal presence.
Kent Wien Jun 23rd 2009 10:31AM
Joe,
I couldn't agree more. Grant and I mentioned the same thing regarding the lack of access for the public to any descent viewing area for the show. The flight line is blocked by the "chalets" – buildings leased by Boeing, Airbus and all the other big players.
In fact, the private chalets were the ONLY presence by Boeing. They didn't even have a booth there.
But Grant and I DID manage to find a real gem relating to the 787 that we'll be posting soon. It was practically buried, but we got the scoop! Watch for that tomorrow.
Kent