This year the show is much bigger and better organised with more than 800 exhibitors from 40 countries, with big names like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce and others. The 6-day Air Shows is Asia’s largest and one of the top three Air Shows in the World. was opened on the 2nd February with the first 4-day for Trade visitors and next 2-day weekends for the general public; it drew a large number of crowd approximate about 71,000 visitors. Despite the current world recession the Singapore Air Show continues to be a crowd puller with many foreign government and private sector drawn to it. The Show under it’s new name Singapore Air Show was inaugurated in 2008, replaces the Asian Aerospace Show and to be held bi-annually at this Changi new site.
My neighbour Ting and I, after breakfast at our Teban Garden took a bus about 8,00am to Jurong East Inter-change for Changi Airport Terminal 3 the designated pick-up point.. Upon arrival we changed to feeder bus service to get us to the site of the Air Show. As usual now a days especially after 9/11, we had to pass through the x’ray machine for security-checks before entering the the show proper.
Various National flags represent their participation
The flags fluttering proudly represent their respective countries participating in the Air Show, in static or aerial display of aircraft, engines, avionics, or other aeronautical products at their respective booths. Exhibiting their products and exercising their marketing skill and aggressiveness to capture approval and acceptance from potential buyers.
Our first attraction for the outdoor exhibit was a mock-up of the Lockheed Martin F35B ‘Lightning II’ a fifth generation fighter; a type ‘STOVL’ meaning Short Take-off, Vertical Landing; also having stealth material to evade or reduce being seen/track by radar. It is powered by a single American Pratt & Whitney F-135 engine that can vector and produce 41,000lbs vertical thrust; wow! that is a mighty lot of thrust. I remember the earlier first generation jets like the small ‘Vampire’ jet-fighter in the 1950’s about 30ft long x 9ft high with a 38ft wing-span; had only 3,000 plus/lbs thrust. In comparison with this awesome beast, Today advancement of technology has made the gap extremely wide apart. On it’s tail-fin bears the logo of Singapore Flag and just looking at it did us proud. I suppose we look forwards to our next (Gen.5) fighter. Placed beside the aircraft is a bulky engine, the F-135 resting in the cradle for public viewing.
The tail-fin showing ‘Singapore Flag logo’
A sleek front view of F-35 ‘Lightning II’
Rear view F-35 showing missile underneath
We walked to the Un-manned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) stand and saw a un-manned vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle called the MQ-8B ‘Fire Scout’, the Global Hawk RQ-4 making a return appearance.and a UAV built by Israel Aircraft Industry.
Vertical Take-off and landing aerial vehicle (UAV)
The USAF ‘Global Hawk’
Once again in the news, the ‘Global Hawk’ is back again, the bulky UAV on display, grossly out-size the Israeli model.
Display specification.
RSAF AH-64 ‘Apache’ long-bow attack helicopter
also RSAF twin-rotor CH-47 ‘Chinook’ heavy-lift on static display.
RSAF F-16D at static display.
Gulfstream G550 AEW on static display
US-made Modified long-range Gulfstream executive jet equipped with more powerful early warning radar and control system has assumed the role of ‘Eye in the sky’ replacing the 4 elderly (more than 20 years old)
twin propeller-driven Northrop Grumman E-2C ‘Hawkeye’ spy planes of No.111 Squadron of the RSAF. There is much improvements as the new jet-planes can fly faster, higher and see better. And powered by two Rolls Royce turbofan engines with maximum speed of 449 knots (924km/h) and operational altitude of 12,500m. The search radar range exceed 200 nautical miles and can fly for 9 hours. Delivery for the next 3 aircraft is expected to be completed by 2 years time.
USAF Hercules C-130J transport aircraft
Hercules specs
Hercules rear view of ramp
F-111 (Aarvark) from RAAF No.6 Squadron
Seen here is an aging Royal Australian Air Force, US-built twin-turbojet long-range F-111 strike aircraft with No.6 Squadron appearing in public for the last time outside of Australia. It is due for retirement in December but in the meantime it still can thrill the crowd for it’s spectacular display of ‘dump and burn’ tactic where fuel is dumped through a pipe nozzle and set alight; trailing a spectacular ball of fire behind. First manufactured in States in 1968 for use by USAF.
USAF two F-15’s on display
Two USAF F-15’s on static display, despite of it’s 20 years old design it is something to be reckoned with. Battle proven in two Gulf wars and served in several Air Forces of the world including Singapore with up-dated version F-15SG.with 24 in numbers. Meantime Singapore as a Joint Strike Fighter programmed participant is interested in the F-35 Lightning II the Short Take-off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) to fulfill the future air power requirements. Singapore wants to ensure that it maintains a cutting edge as the best regional air force with qualitative and quantity advantage over others.
USAF PC-6 ‘Orion’ Maritime patrol aircraft
Pilatus PC-21 Swiss-built trainer for RSAF pilot training
Twin-prop ‘King Air’
Cessna ‘Caravan’
I love this plane, this is the bigger brother of the Cessna 172 ‘Sky Hawk’ that I used to fly in my Flying Club days.
Piper Warrior II of Youth Flying Club
We were told that the Club would be retiring their ageing Piper ‘Warrior II’ soon to be replaced.
Alenia Aeronautica C.27J Spartan (Italy)
Fantail un-manned air system
The Fantail comprises of the Fantail 5000 air vehicles, a ground control station and a data-link system. It is suitable for urban or military battlefield application.
Venus un-manned Surface Vehicle(USV)
This 9m-long vessel in the main exhibition hall at the Singapore Technologies static display area. This un-manned Surface Vehicle (USV) can fulfill the requirements of naval or security missions. Can be adapted to play multiple role of maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare or mine counter measures.
‘Warthog’ an All Terrain Track Carrier (ATTC)
Made by Singapore Technologies Kinetics on static display in the main exhibition hall. The 19-tonne ‘Bronco’ armoured all-terrain track vehicle modified to operate as the ‘Warthog’ had been ordered by Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) for deployment by the British forces in Afghanistan numbering more than a 100 vehicles and costing a hefty S$340 million. Also on static display is the ‘Trailblazer’ an armoured mine-clearing vehicle developed by S.T.
A modern jet-engine
The modern jet engine, inspire of it’s small compact size generates more power, comparing with the first generation turbojets like the “Goblin’ used by the early ‘Vampires’ jetfighters in the 50’s which was bulky and produced much lesser power.
The highlight of the show is the aerial display which most of us want to watch. The skillfulness of the pilots as they take their aircraft into a series of maneuvers in loops, barrel rolls, 4-points turn, fast and spiral upwards vertically; vanishing into the clouds. The 'Star of the show' was the demonstrator ‘T-50 Golden Eagle, a supersonic trainer developed by Korea Aerospace Industries in co-operation with Lockheed Martin and put up an incredible and impressive display. Appearing for the second time, the first during the inaugural show two years back in 2008 and sporting the 'Red lion head' logo of the Republic of Singapore Air force. This indigenous supersonic aircraft is the only supersonic trainer in the world and currently in production for their own Air Force around 100 machines to replace older ones. The T-50 can fly at mach 1.4 and has an operational range of 1,000nm with service ceiling of 48,000ft. South Korea trying to market the T-50 to the regional countries especially Singapore but they have the opposition in the form of Italian ‘Aermacchi’ M-346 Trainer; quite competitive.
The huge USAF Boeing B-52 Stratofortress 4-jet engine, length 160ft heavy bomber with wingspan of 185ft and weighing about 229,088 kg.flew gracefully across the show area. A veteran of the Cold War had taken part bombing missions in Vietnam, Laos, Gulf War in 1991 and Afghanistan.
Next the USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II, nick-named ‘’Warthog’ a single-seat powered by twin-jet at 9,065 lbs static thrust each engine is a dedicated close-support aircraft/a tank-buster and making it’s first appearance at the Singapore Show. It has the ability to carry large numbers of ground attack stores on it’s pylons.
Our RSAF contribution in the air display by a high performance F-16 jet fighter with high-tech AH-64 ‘Apache’ long-bow attack helicopter; doing a series of synchronised maneuvers in integrated fly past, flash past and vertical spiral. Finally the ‘Apache’ hovering above the crowd of spectators took a bow by dipping it’s nose and made a graceful exit. However I was quite disappointed with this year show as all the aerial display being solo performances and total absence of aerobatic teams, local or foreign.
Ting and myself were really tired having been out since early morning and our legs are aching. Especially me owing to my leg injuries I am unable to walk or stand too long. Even with the support of a leg-brace, standing too long can be taxing. By the way the exhibition area, indoor and outdoor is so large that we were unable to run through all of them thus giving a miss for some; even for the home-grown Singapore Technologies sector. With our energy sapped away, we had to call it a day and left in the afternoon quite contented.
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