farnborough

At Farnborough, SpaceShipTwo and a Brit UAV

All this week in the pouring British rain, people in suits have been gathering at a biennial trade show in Farnborough, England, to ogle the latest aircraft -- and sometimes buy a few. There's plenty on display for aviation geeks to get excited about, such as the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo, but I was mainly there to take a look at the tech that BAE Systems is hawking out to its mostly military customers.

The main attraction was the first public showing of a plane that flies itself -- a 1983 Jetstream once used by a Scottish distillery that's … Read more

Airbus A380's lumbering airshow acrobatics (video)

FARNBOROUGH, England--It's not hard to imagine what a jet fighter might do at an air show--barrel rolls, steeply banked turns, that sort of thing. But most airshows don't have a 525-passenger, four-engine, double-decker passenger aircraft showing off, too.

The Farnborough International Airshow, though, is not just for tourists. It also lets those from the world's airlines and air forces to scrutinize wares before spending millions or even billions of dollars on very expensive capital equipment.

The Airbus A380 is one such potential expense. It's not often you see such an aircraft being pushed closer to its … Read more

Farnborough: Where aviation struts and cuts deals

FARNBOROUGH, U.K.--Most trade shows will fit inside any old convention center big enough to accommodate the vendor booths, sales reps, and keynote speeches. But the Farnborough International Airshow needs a runway, too.

This weeklong show west of London is where the aviation industry goes to buy and sell airplanes, helicopters, and everything needed to build them. By Thursday, $47 billion worth of business had taken place as airlines placed orders for dozens of expensive jets. That may not match 2008's record level of $88.7 billion, but it's nothing to sneeze at.

The show itself, which … Read more

Photos: On the ground and in the air at Farnborough Air Show

The Farnborough international air show in England this week brought together aircraft makers eager to show off their established planes and tout their works in progress. It also attracted aerospace buffs eager to get an up-close look at aircraft on the ground and gaze at flyovers above.

The trade show is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. It was established as a place for the British public to learn about the best of British aviation engineering, and has since emerged as a global showcase for all things aerospace. Click on the image above to see scenes from this year's … Read more