![]() Driven by a 1,200hp Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6 turpobrop powering a conventional front-mounted propeller, the Aarok project has been entirely self-funded thus far. Conceived by the French defence contractor Turgis and Galliard (who have been developing the Aarok for three years), this new Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) is immediately distinctive on account of its size: weighing in at an estimated 5.4t maximum take-off weight and boasting a 72ft wingspan. The prototype of a new French-manufactured drone dubbed the ‘Aarok’ has emerged ahead of the Paris Air Show. The Aarok is taking aim at Reaper and Eurodrone MALE markets. With the 'Instagrammable impact' of a mockup alone having perhaps faded since Farnborough, it's all eyes to the skies for the flying show this week, where Volocopter have promised daily demonstrations. Boeing's sixth-generation Wisk is sited elsewhere, yet Vertical - the undisputed instagram star of last year's show - is certainly conspicuous by its absence. Nestling between building fascias and pedestrian crossings, Volocopter's Volocity and Archer's Midnight craft take centre stage, surrounded by prototypes from Archer, Ascendance Technologies, EHang, Lilium and Eve (the latter of whom are represented by fuselage segments only). ![]() (Charlotte Bailey/RAeS)Ī first for this year, a dedicated eVTOL space - located inside Hall 5 - showcases a variety of movers and shakers in the eVTOL market, some moving notably more than others. Hall 5 exhibits eVTOLs in a simulated urban environment. Meanwhile, Australian flag carrier Qantas has picked the A350 passenger variant for its Project Sunrise initiative to fly non-stop from the east coast of Australia to London, Paris and New York. Today, according to data from Cirium, some 495 A350s are in service with 91 airlines - with a further 435 set to be delivered to customers in the future.Īirbus' next plans for the A350 include the A340F cargo version of the airliner, which was launched in 2021 and now features a 111t payload. "The A350 is shaping the future of air travel and airfreight" according to Stan Shparberg, SVP Head of Marketing for Airbus Commercial and International. The rest, they say, is history, with the widebody having evolved into a firm favourite with airlines and passengers alike. Readers with long memories may recall it was initially revealed as a tweaked A330, before lukewarm responses from the market sent Airbus back to the drawing board. (Airbus)įirst flying on 14 June 2013, Airbus' flagship widebody airliner, the A350 is now celebrating its tenth birthday. The A350s 175in main cargo door will be the largest in its class, says Airbus. In short: we want to do this in Paris by 2024.” A350 soars a decade on “Our overarching goal is still to see our VoloCity air taxi take to the skies (or, more specifically, the lower airspace) first, before any other UAM competitor flies an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) commercially in the western hemisphere. ![]() We’ll fly there for real” the company proudly proclaims. The company made its first flight in French airspace in March 2022 and has been collaborating with authorities ahead of its intended commercial debut during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. ![]() ![]() A VoloCity mockup is also on display in Hall 5, giving visitors the chance to hop inside and imagine what it will be like to fly in an air taxi. Set to make its debut as the first eVTOL in a Le Bourget flying display this week during both trade and public days, is Germany's Volocopter with its VoloCity. Volocopter plans to launch its commercial services in the French capital in the summer of 2024 and says the public flights at the show will allow the public to witness the low noise signature and zero in-flight emissions of the VoloCity air taxi first-hand. Volocopter will be flying daily at around 1.30pm. However, with an overriding push for decarbonisation one of the undoubted highlights of this year's event is the large number of eVTOLs on display. Visitors to Le Bourget on Sunday got a sneak preview of some the highlights of what promises to be a busy and fascinating week ahead.įrom fast jets to attack helicopters, autogyros to drones and airliners to aerobatic aircraft there really is something for everybody spread out on the ramp at #PAS2023. TIM ROBINSON FRAeS, STEPHEN BRIDGEWATER and CHARLOTTE BAILEY provide a look at some of the most exciting news and highlights ahead of the first trade day at the Paris Air Show 2023. ![]()
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