Aero Friedrichshafen, Europe’s major air show, showed off new aircraft

Fairnamic GmbH

Nestled in a neat corner of Lake Constance, Friedrichshafen, Germany is a remote destination that takes several hours from all major cities. But it is also the location of Europe’s largest general aviation trade fair. With 680 exhibitors from 38 countries and 250 aircraft of all types, Aero is also the starting point for the leading innovations in the aerospace sector in Europe. The event ended its four-day run on Saturday, with 31,500 attendees – significantly more since the end of the pandemic.

Tobias Bretzel, director of the event, noted that the show did not just focus on new products, but that low and zero emissions were the focus. “Exhibitors showed several aircraft with alternative propulsion systems,” he said. In fact, a large portion of the show was devoted to electric and other forms of alternative propulsion.

Unlike the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisc., which draws more than 600,000 aviation enthusiasts over mostly open spaces, Aero is tightly organized, German-style, into 12 aircraft halls. That makes it easy for a newcomer to find the latest in high-tech, from the smallest gliders and ultralights to the sleek, matte black Gulfstream G500 long-range business jet that’s on the static display, along with other business jets from Bombardier, the HondaJet, Cirrus Vision Jet and turboprops such as the Beechcraft King Air and the new Piper M700 Fury, which was also launched in the US a week earlier during Sun ‘n Fun in Florida. Gulfstream decided to exhibit for the first time this year due to the increase in turnover in Central Europe.

Although Aero’s roots are in the lightest aircraft, corporate turboprop and jet charter companies have turned to the show to announce new aircraft, many of which are being presented on these shores for the first time.

This year’s show featured multiple announcements of new and improved aircraft. Tecnam presented its P2006T NG (New Generation) aircraft. The Italian manufacturer added more than 300 changes to the original P2006T, launched in 2007, and announced an executive Sport version, with a designer interior and a black leather dashboard. The JMB Phoenix, a motorized glider from the Czech/Belgian manufacturer JMB Aircraft, made its world debut. Cirrus Aircraft used the event as the European premiere for its SR Series G7.

Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus also showed the latest modifications of its popular PC-24 jet to a European audience for the first time. “Basically the engineers looked at every single part,” says Ursula Widmer, Pilatus communications director Robb Report. “They took more than 700 pieces – large and small – and tried to optimize everything, eliminating weight without compromising stability or safety.” The exercise resulted in a weight savings of more than 400 lbs., which in turn increases range by 200 miles or allows for an additional 500 lbs. of luggage or freight.

Among the new aircraft was a modern throwback: the Junkers A50 Heritage, exhibited the week before at Sun ‘N Fun in Florida, attracted an inordinate amount of attention at Aero, for its unique retro look and faithful replica of its original engine, but also because it was built in Germany by one of the most historic names in aviation.

One of the most interesting debuts came from Shark, an ultralight manufacturer from the Czech Republic, which introduced a turbulence suppression feature to make flying more comfortable in the smallest aircraft. The automatic flaplets work together with the wing design to reduce turbulence.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Aero also organized a small air show on the final day this year. Instead of the flashy military processions at Sun ‘n Fun or EAA in Florida, the German event consisted of a much quieter fly-by of electric planes. The VoltAero Cassio S hybrid-electric test aircraft was present at the exhibition, having logged more than 220 flights to prove that the hybrid Safran and Kawasaki powertrain – an electric motor and traditional combustion – is a viable solution. The Cassio S also came over from France and burned a special biodiesel fuel made from vineyard waste, proving a new layer of sustainability.

Other electric aircraft showed off offers at Aero, including the Bristell B23 Energic, the Diamond eDA40, China’s Ruien Aircraft and France’s Aura Aero, with its electric Integral E aerobatic trainer.