NEW EUROPEAN VENTURES IN VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AIRCRAFT ARE AMONG THE MOST EXCITING AVIATION PROSPECTS FOR THE 1970s CURRENTLY BEING PREVIEWED AT THE WEST GERMAN AVIATION SHOW IN HANOVER.

BRITAIN'S HAWKER SIDDELEY PROJECT FOR A JET VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AIRLINER -- USING THE KNOW-HOW GAINED ON THE FAMOUS HARRIER JET-FIGHTER -- WAS AMONG THE PROJECTS. ANOTHER WAS A TILT-WINGED FOUR-ENGINED TRANSPORT DESIGNED BY GERMAN COMPANIES.

THIS YEARS AIR SHOW AT HANOVER HAS CREATED UNPRECEDENTED INTEREST IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY. THE PRODUCTS OF 459 COMPANIES FORM 14 COUNTRIES ARE BEING DISPLAYED -- AS 50 PER CENT INCREASE ON THE LAST AVIATION SHOW.

AMONG THE NEW EXHIBITORS IS THE SOVIET UNION, WHICH IS DEMONSTRATING THE VERSATILE KA-26 HELICOPTER.

SPACE INDUSTRIES ARE REPRESENTED BY THE ORIGINALS OR MODELS OF LAUNCH SYSTEMS, SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES, INCLUDING THREE RESEARCH SATELLITES BUILT BY GERMAN COMPANIES.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT EXHIBIT AT THE SHOW IS THE FULL-SCALE ???OCK-UP OF THE A-300B AIRBUS, JOINTLY PRODUCED BY COMPANIES IN FRANCE, WEST GERMANY, BRITAIN AND THE NETHERLANDS.