For guys like me High School can bring back some bad memories:

• Being stuffed in lockers
• Swirlies in the bathrooms
• Ignored by girls

But eventually we move past all that and became inspired engineers. Now, we have our chance to recreate the most hallowed (or horrifying) of high school events:

The school dance.

Across the pond, in Farnborough England, a massive international air show is taking place. Aerospace companies from across the globe eager to make a good impression are putting on their best dresses, doing their hair, and hoping that they don’t get stuck with a corsage needle by an over eager customer.

The Popular Girl
Remember the popular girl back in school? I’m talking about the one that seemed to do no wrong and was popular for no apparent reason. Sure she was pretty, but there was just something about her that got everyone’s attention. If this girl was to some how grow to several hundred feet long, sprout wings and jet engines, she would be Boeing’s new 787.

Forget for a moment that the aircraft is behind in its production schedule, People are still lining up outside of airports just to get a glimpse of the new plane. With the 787, the fasting selling plane ever, Boeing can seem to do no wrong.

The New Girl
The 787 may be on everyone’s radar, but there’s another girl that’s turning heads too. Airbus is showing off their new A400M at Farnborough, and they are hoping to make a big splash with it. I’m calling it the new girl, because while she is pretty enough to take the homecoming queen crown, no one really seems to know her and nobody wants to hang out with her except for her parents who drove her there or maybe one of the teachers chaperoning the dance.

Mix this together the with lack of A400M sales and Airbus lack of additional product and the A400M isn’t going anywhere.  Airbus needs to milk every last drop out the plane. Guess they better save the dress, they may be wearing it again next year.

The Weird One
Being an engineer today, there is a very good chance you were the weird one at the school dance. It’s ok, you’re among friends here, we were the weird ones too.

Of course a school dance / air show wouldn’t be complete with out the weird plane. In this case, I give you the Bluebird: A 1Kg UAV launched by a pneumatic air gun. It can fly for about an hour and carry a payload about the size of my ego on prom night.

So put on your tuxes gentlemen, and ladies break out the gowns, it’s going to be a great time. Drop a line in the comments below with your best/worst high school dance story and what you’re looking forward to hearing about at the show!

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