[QUOTE=Mat;1430867]I am appalled by the poor attendance of military hardware this year.

The organisers of Waddington need to be replaced or enhanced with someone who can entice other nations to visit here or it will die like so many other shows already have.

I read on this site that “we cannot force other nations to attend” and “we have written to them” etc…. well frankly it is not good enough—I want, no deserve, more from my armed forces—I would like to see where my tax pound is going without being ripped off by being forced to go to RIAT every year.

I can certainly appreciate your anger about the line up at Waddington Matt..I did’nt go because it was so poor..BUT honestly please read what you have written…the organisers at Waddington do the same all other air show organisers do…they contact the operators of the aircraft they want to attend and then it’s in the operator’s court if they decide to attend or not…further representations may be made to try and persuade them but if they decline they decline..the aircraft may be tasked elsewhere,they may have already accepted an invitation from a nearer European airshow,or they might not have the funding to attend (believe this was the reason the invited Polish Airforce aircraft did’nt attend the Northolt photoshoot)

….when you say… “I read on this site that “we cannot force other nations to attend” and “we have written to them” etc…. well frankly it is not good enough”…what exactly do you want the organisers to do?….get aircraft of that operator banned from UK airspace for declining an invitation ?..send in the marines ?

£8 to new york, i`l believe it when I see it.

I’m sure it will be £8…….plus £150 “ancillary charges”

And what exactly are his huge accomplishments as a Senator? . Palin has demonstrated a willingness to fight corruption. .

unless it originates within her family ?

Well done to the Daily Mail for giving an object lesson in how to manipulate the British public

So,if as Boeing are now saying they will pull out of the contest,presumably this would mean that with the A330 as the only entrant,the contest will be cancelled,a new one set up and with the delay in new proposals being submitted,examined etc,the USAF will have to wait an additional couple of years for new aircraft ?
Regardless of the pros and cons of the Airbus entry this is sounding more and more like “we’ll keep this going until we win it” by Boeing and to hell with when the customer actually needs the aircraft

Think I’m starting to feel a bit of deja vu here with BAE and Nimrods…AEW version anyone?

think if various vote seeking Congressmen get their way it’s one sure fire way to ensure no non US company would think it worth entering any US Forces contract competition in the future…after all what would be the point?..if you were to win with the best product chances are that the stink created would mean the competition would be rerun and awarded to the previously losing US company regardless if their product was totally unsuitable for the job

Airbus says that there has been 243 A340-200 and A340-300 produced – even fewer A340-300s when the -200s are excluded.

But the orderbook looks worse. 3 frames ordered in total. I think 2 are for Finnair and 1 for a private customer.

And that is all.

I think that Il-96 orderbook is bigger than 3…

but a total of 23 Ilyushin 96’s produced since 1988 is hardly a runaway cash bonanza is it?

my production listings for A340’s gives the following currently in production or about to go on the line

2 Etihad
1 Thai Intl
2 Iberia
3 Kingfisher
1 Algerian Gvmt
3 Lufthansa

and the total at end of 2007 was I believe 389 ordered 348 delivered of which A340-313 219 ordered 211 delivered