Aerospace |
August 4, 1997
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Moscow Airshow To Join Russian Aerospace And Defense Companies
The upcoming air show in Zhukovsky will be the biggest ever undertaken in Russia. It will take place August 19 to 24 in the territory of Gromov's Flight Test and Research Institute, some 50 km southwest of Moscow. More than 420 companies and 150 aircraft will be exhibited, along with numerous missiles, radars and space systems. The first three days will be set aside for trade visitors, with the weekend devoted to the public. Entrance tickets can be purchased at the site. The biggest part of the exposition will involve CIS manufacturers, with almost all Russian aerospace and defense companies participating. There are rumors that the Mikoyan 1-42 and a brand new superiority fighter from Sukhoi will be unveiled during MAKS'97. Speaking on behalf of the Russian military-industrial complex, Sergei Mikheev, general designer at Kamov, said, "We will have a large exposition containing everything we made in the last two years. My company will display the Ka-52 Alligator combat-management helicopter, a night version of the Ka-50, the Ka-226 and many other aircraft, including a few new machines that we are going to unveil during the show." Despite being terribly busy, Nikolai Zanegin, deputy general manager at Aerosalon company, which runs MAKS, provided some details. "We have recently stopped taking requests for space, and I am praying that God will give us the strength to fulfill the orders we already have. Now we focus our major efforts on creating normal working conditions for foreign participants, reporters and visitors." According to Zanegin, more than 100 foreign companies will be represented at the show, including 80 large corporations. "Those companies represent the whole spectrum of world's aerospace industry that tries to enter Russian market." Zanegin said. The largest foreign participants are Boeing with its newest 737-700, Airbus Industrie with the A319, Bell Helicopters with several choppers and Gulfstream with a number of biz-jets. Zanegin said MAKS cannot attract all the companies participating in Paris because from 60 to 70 percent of those who work in the defense and space area. "Our country still manages to fulfil its needs in weapons and space systems, so there is no point to western defence and space companies to be exhibited at MAKS," he said. At the same time, the civil aviation sector will be represented by all key players, including Boeing, Airbus Industrie, Aerospatiale, Rolls-Royce, Daimler-Benz and others. Zanegin said that in the future, the show in Zhukovsky will grow significantly in foreign sub-manufacturers of civil aircraft. "Modern airliner is an international product in which companies from more than 30 counties take part," he said, adding that the share of foreign components in the Russian civil designs will be growing year after year. This year's show in Zhukovsky is also a celebration of two anniversaries.
Moscow's 850th and Zhukovsky's 50th anniversary. Those attending the site
on Saturday, Aug. 23 can also enjoy special performances devoted to those
celebrations. |
