MAKS 2007 – Wrap-up

  So, MAKS ’07 wrapped up Sunday and what was the final talley?   100,000 visitors daily (new records for the show), but  a mere $1.5B US in sales (mlitary and civilian).   According to Russia Today (Business) Ilyushin Finance was the biggest winner with $1B in sales, mostly stemming from sales of the mid-range Tupolev Tu-204…

Russian Citizen Tries to Buy B-52 at MAKS 2007

Yep, you read the headiline right — from Reuters: MOSCOW (Reuters) – A wealthy Russian tried to buy a U.S. B-52 bomber from a group of shocked American pilots at an air show near Moscow, a Russian newspaper reported on Friday. The unidentified Russian, wearing sunglasses and surrounded by bodyguards, approached the U.S. delegation and…

Russian Marketing at MAKS 2007: SU-35MKS Brochure

Say this about the Russians – definitely getting slicker in their marketing than their Soviet forebears… (and it’s in English too)     Techie note – have been experimenting with inserting Flash objects this weekend, so if the above just shows up as a blank check your browser settings or if you are on a network…

Iranian Link to Russia’s MiG-31 Sale to Syria?

 (Picture from globalaircraft.org) Reports at the Paris Airshow this week that something was afoot between Russia and Syria over sales of MiG-31’s (and thereby updating Syria’s aging fleet of MiG-25’s) has generated a certain amount of heat over allegations that Iran is secretly funding the deal.  More below the fold:

Mach 6.5 At 100K Feet…

Perhaps you remember this: or this: Roll out the TFH crowd because: “The Air Force has awarded Lockheed’s Advanced Development Projects arm a top-secret contract to develop a stealthy 4,000-mph plane capable of flying to altitudes of about 100,000 feet, with transcontinental range. The plan is to debut the craft around 2020. The new jet…

Props!!

Readers of the legacy site know that your humble scribe is something of a throwback in that he has a fondness for prop aircraft. Comes today an offline note from Mike C. (DC Tailhook RR “Handler”) that included links for F4U training vids. 😀   … so work up those right thigh muscles, there’s more…

Next Generation AEW rolled out: E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., April 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — The first Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, being built for the U.S. Navy by prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), made its first public appearance at rollout ceremonies here today. The E-2D was designed in New York and built in St. Augustine. The aircraft unveiled today…

Red Bulls: Of Replication, the B-29 and TU-4 Bull

One of the threads arising out of the F-22 “Raptor-ski” post was the practice of using foreign designs to advance indigenous efforts. All nations, at one time or another, have used this process. The US manned space program though Apollo, for example, is but an outgrowth of Werner von Braun’s concepts and designs which in…