Moscow news
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21-Aug-2007
MAKS?2007 aerospace show to become biggest one since 1992
ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow region, August 21 (Itar-Tass) - International Aerospace Show MAKS?2007 that opens on the premises of the Flight Testing Institute in the town of Zhukovsky east off Moscow is destined to become the biggest one in the history of these shows that began 15 years ago.
Exhibitors will demonstrate about 250 new helicopters, jets, missiles, satellites and dirigibles on the huge airdrome of the institute.
Several dozens of the aircraft shown here will make demonstration flights.
Standing in one row with Russian fighters and airlift jets on the same runway of the airdrome are jets of the French Air Force, U.S. fighters and the B-52 flying fortress.
For the first time ever, the visitors will be able to see a new concept space vehicle that is expected to replace the Soyuz ships, the working horses of Russian manned space flights.
Boris Alyoshin, the director of Russia?s Federal Angency for Industries said MAKS?2007, the eighth since the beginning of the shows fifteen years ago will likely see a huge increase in the number of value of agreements to be signed as compared to MAKS?2005, the previous show.
The agreements and contracts signed then stood atop of a billion U.S. dollars.
This year?s highlight is the premiere presentation of activity of the United Aircraft Corporation that was set up last year and brought together the formerly disunited enterprises of the industry.
As never before, MAKS?2007 has an impressive number of entries in the segment of mini and micro-aviation.
?Russia is evidencing a real boom of purchases of small-size helicopters and jets now,? an organizer of the show told Itar-Tass. ?That? s why it?s not at all surprising that all the leading manufacturers of these technologies showed willingness to exhibit here.?
From Tuesday through Thursday, the aerospace show will be open for aviation industry specialists only, and the general public will be admitted as of Friday.
The visitors will be able to enjoy an expansive program of exhibition flights by Russian and foreign crews and a concert program.
Entrance and participation fees vary from 100 rubles /slightly less then 4 U.S. dollars/ for school students to 10,000 rubles for businessmen taking part the business part of the show.
A regular adult ticket costs 350 rubles. It includes a return trip on a suburban train and an entry of the Flight Testing Institute airdrome.
Itar Tass