The ILA Berlin Air Show
Germany’s largest aerospace fair presents models for flying tomorrow – and yesterday.
One hundred and twenty-five years ago, Otto Lilienthal became the first human to fly in a heavier-than-air aircraft. In 1891, he succeeded in making gliding flights in an aircraft he had built himself. Lilienthal’s work formed the foundation for the first powered flight by the Wright brothers in the USA and for the later efforts of aviation pioneers like Hugo Junkers. For the first time, a faithful copy of the world’s first series production aircraft has been built and investigated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). This so-called “Normalsegelapparat” (normal soaring apparatus) is being presented to the public for the first time at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2016.
The ILA Berlin Air Show is Germany’s most important aerospace industry fair and is considered one of the largest fairs in this sector alongside the Paris Air Show in France and the Farnborough Airshow in the UK. At the 2016 event, roughly 200 planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles will be displayed on the ground and in the air. Covering a total area of 250,000 square metres, the Berlin ExpoCenter Airport provides 100,000 square metres of open-air exhibition space for the presentation of aircraft alone.
Less noise, less fuel, less pollution
The aviation industry, which employs roughly 100,000 people in Germany and generates sales of 32 billion euros a year, is currently focusing on ways of enabling aircraft to make less noise, consume less fuel and produce less air pollution. That is why the DLR is also presenting aircraft from its research fleet: the A320 ATRA, Airbus Helicopter BO 105 and Cessna 208B Grand Caravan demonstrate the latest state of research in aerodynamics, low-noise approaches and remote sensing.
ILA Berlin Air Show from 1 to 4 June 2016 in Berlin
