Aeroplane – June 2018

BELOW:

Part of the crowded

static park at the

fi rst Farnborough

show. Inevitably,

the types illustrated

would experience

mixed fortunes.

Some, like the

Viscount and the

Meteor trainer,

would do very well;

others, such as

the Fairey Primer,

Portsmouth Aerocar

and Avro Athena

nearest the camera,

less so.

ALL PHOTOS AEROPLANE

54 http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com AEROPLANE JULY 2018

FARNBOROUGH AT 70

M

uch in British aviation

has changed, but

Farnborough, somehow,

is a constant. ‘Somehow’

seems apposite, because one might

think there are better venues at which

to stage Britain’s major aerospace

showcase — larger airfi elds, certainly,

with far less urban encroachment,

and thus the chance of hosting fl ying

displays of a more unrestricted nature

than are possible at the Hampshire

airport. But there has never been any

serious possibility of a move. Relative

proximity to London is important,

and now Farnborough International

Ltd has invested so much in providing

permanent exhibition facilities for

the event, its future seems secure.

And, even in the modern corporate

world, tradition plays a part. The

Farnborough ‘brand’ means more than

would the name of another location.

When the then Society of British

Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) decided

to move its 1948 exhibition and display

to Farnborough, the reasons were

obvious. It offered scope to expand the

show way beyond what was possible

at Radlett, its home from 1946-47.

Traffi c access was far superior and,

crucially, 1948 would see the holding

of public days for the fi rst time.

Remember, this was the ninth such

SBAC show, following on from those

at Radlett and, earlier, Hendon.

The event from 7-12 September

began with three trade days, each

featuring afternoon fl ying displays.

An industry technicians-only day

on Friday saw no fl ying, before full

public shows with the same fl ying

programme as the trade days took

place on Saturday and Sunday. Access

on Sunday morning was given over

to RAE personnel, families and

friends. Public admission cost 2s 6d

for pedestrians, £1 for a car and £4 per

coach, while shuttle buses were laid on

from Ash Vale, Farnborough North

and Farnborough railway stations.

Except for the fact that Aldershot is

now used instead of Ash Vale, that’s

still the case.

Fabulous

FARNBOROUGH

Forty-Eight

The fi rst SBAC display at Farnborough, 70 years ago this year,

set the tone for much that followed WORDS: BEN DUNNELL

This was a notably optimistic

time for the British aviation industry.

Many projects long in the making were

reaching fruition, whether military or

civil, and prospects appeared bright

despite burgeoning East-West tensions.

The atmosphere was buoyant

54-56,61-66_AM_Farnborough_July18_cc C.indd 54 04/06/2018 15:39