Polish representatives are capitalising on its nation's status as official ILA partner country to flag up its rich aerospace heritage - and are taking the opportunity to show off one or two surprises.
The most spectacular Polish presence comes from the Bialo-Czerwone Iskry aerobatic demonstration team, with its PZL TS-11 Iskra two-seat jet trainers trailing the colours of Poland's national flag, while ILA's display programme promises further airborne antics with the Grupa Zelazny and its single-engined Zlins.
The eastern end of Hall 2 has been turned red and white to highlight the capabilities of Poland's aerospace industry - notably the Aviation Valley cluster in the southeast, which features high-profile companies such as Rzeszów-based MTU Aero Engines Polska and its International Aero Engines V2500 repair plant.
"We're more than satisfied with our investment in Rzeszów," says the company, pointing out the benefits of availability of qualified personnel, infrastructure, attractive financing and good transport connections. Aviation Valley also counts PZL Rzeszów, PZL Świdnik and PZL Mielec among its major members.
Krosno-based Aero-Kros is prominently displaying a MP-02 Czajka high-wing light aircraft, while Mielec-headquartered Eurotech is showing off its Vermin unmanned air defence system, which includes the MJ-7 Szogun aerial vehicle.
The aircraft are complemented by the Warsaw Institute of Aviation's unmanned ILX-27 helicopter - designed to support military missions in difficult terrain - developed through a consortium which includes the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Lodz-based Military Aviation Works.
But perhaps the most unusual example of Polish technology on the dedicated "Polska" stand is the Magma2 robotic rover, which beat US and Canadian rivals to win the 2011 University Rover Challenge - the first European effort to do so. The competition is aimed at designing a next-generation vehicle to explore the surface of Mars.
Source: Flight Daily News
