Part of a strong Soviet showing at the 1936 Paris Salon, Tupolev ANT-35 prototype URSS N035, having first flown on August 20. Also known as the PS-35, it was a ten passenger airliner development of the SB bomber family. Behind is ANT-25 (or RD) URSS N025.

A highly-polished Blenheim I was displayed on the Bristol stand, the prototype having flown on June 25, 1936. Immediately behind is a Praga E.210; to its left a Benes-Mraz Be 550 Bibi and to its right at Letov S.528.

The prototype Loire-Nieuport 260C-1 (Loire 250 ???) single-seat fighter was first flown on September 27, 1935. Under its port wingtip is a Loire-Nieuport 46C-1 and beyond that the Liore et Olivier C.34 autogiro. Immediately behind the L-N 260C-1's rudder is Dewoitine 510 No.275 while to the left is PZL P.24 SP-BFL and behind that a Polikarpov ZKB-19 (I-17).

PZL P.24 SP-BFL and P.43 Karas SP-BFM behind. The latter carried eight bombs under the centre-section.

P.43 Karas SP-BFM carried eight bombs under the centre-section.

In the foreground is the ANF 200A-3 three-seat army co-operation parasol monoplane. ANF was a somewhat compact abbreviation for Les Ateliers de Constructions du Nord de la France et des Mureaux and also known as simply ‘Mureaux’. The 200 was a development of the 113R.2 and 115.R2 reconnaissance and light fighter parasols. To the right is the ANF 190C-1 prototype single-seat fighter. Immediately in the background is the Morane-Saulnier MS.430 and behind it the Breguet 462 Vultur. At top right is the nose of the huge four-engined Farman 224 No.11 in Air France colours and named 'Centaure II'.

Unflown at the time of being shown off in the Grand Palais, the prototype Fokker G.I represented an incredible format and concept. The nose cone was removed to reveal the concentrated firepower of its four 0.31in machine-guns (production examples had eight). This aircraft made its first flight on March 16, 1937. Perhaps as many as 60 G.I variants were completed, including those finished under the German occupation of the Netherlands.

Dominating the Caudron stand was the C.448-9 Goeland a more powerful, supercharged, version of the twin-engined transport. Only seven were built from scratch. The C.440 Goeland family was a considerable success story, 1,702 being produced in total. In the foreground is C.635 Simoun F-ANXI and to the right C.800 Rainier F-AYOW.

Developed from the troubled MB.130, the Bloch MB.131 twin-engined bomber entered production in 1937, by which time it was under the aegis of Societe Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques du Sud-Ouest (SNCASO) and around 140 units were completed. Displayed at Paris was the second RB.5 bomber-recce variant.

The Czechoslovakian Praga company developed some delightful-looking civilian light aircraft. The twin-engined four-seater E.210 appeared in 1935. It was powered by a pair of 95hp (71kW) Walter Minors arranged as pushers. Can readers give more details, eg how many were built?

As with any major aviation exhibition, part or present, models of projects and types-to-come are as much as interest as the real thing. Liore-et-Olivier's stand held this model, the LeO 46 - what can readers tell us of this design?

Also on the Liore-et-Olivier's stand was a model of the prototype H-246 flying-boat in Air France colours. This first flew on September 30, 1937.

The prototype Caudron C.500 Aiglon two-light tourer and trainer first flew in March 1935. In all, 178 C.600s were completed, mostly destined for French aero clubs, although some were exported, including 14 to Spain.

A Dutch design that was much-studied at the Salon was the radical Koolhoven FK-55 fighter prototype. A single-seater, it was powered by a 12-cylinder Lorraine Petrel of 860hp (641kW) mounted in the centre-section and driving the two-unit, counterrotating, propellers via an extension shaft. Production FK-55s were to have been powered by a Lorraine Sterna of 1,200hp (895kW) and been fitted with a 20mm cannon in the propeller boss and four machine-guns in the wings. The FK-55 flew for the first and only time on June 30, 1938, for just a couple of minutes. It was fitted with fixed undercarriage for this flight, although a fully retractable unit was to be fitted to production examples.

F-AODN, the first of seven Caudron C.640 Typhons two-seat, twin-engined mailplanes. The C.640-01 first flew in June 1935.

Designed in the classic Caudron racer format, the C.690 Rafale eventually saw limited production for the l'Armee de l'Air as the fighter-trainer C.690M from 1939. There were two C.690 prototypes, both completed early in 1936. The first prototype crashed on May 10, 1937, killing test-pilot Rene Paulhan. Two, possibly more, C.690s followed, one each for Japan and the Soviet Union.

Dramatically-posed prototype of the Morane-Saulnier MS.430 advanced trainer was a development of the MS.405 fighter first flew on March 3, 1937. It was followed by a handful of developments which led to a frustrated production order for the MS.435 version.