The aft of the 26m-high Airlander 10 dominates Hangar One at Cardington, Bedfordshire
In Britain's largest aircraft hangar, near Cardington in Bedfordshire, a new type of hybrid is being designed -- the Airlander 50. "It's like an airship, in that it uses helium to generate buoyancy, but it also has a specifically engineered hull design to generate aerodynamic lift and thrust," says aeronautical engineer Nick Allman, programme director at Hybrid Air Vehicles.
The 119-metre long vehicle, which will make its maiden voyage in 2018, has a hovercraft undercarriage system so it can take off vertically and land on any flat surface, including water, marsh or snow. It will also be able to hover like a helicopter while carrying about 40 per cent of its full cargo, making it ideal for transporting goods to remote areas.
"If you need to build a mine in Africa or northern Canada, at the moment you have to build a road first and then transport materials," says Allman. Early next year, a 92-metre-long version known as the Airlander 10 (pictured), which can climb to 6,000 metres for up to three weeks at a time, will be demonstrated as a stable platform for communications, geological survey or filming.
Left: Airlander 10's flight deck is positioned directly below the helium-filled envelope. Right: One of four propulsors. Two are fitted to the sides, and two at the aft.
"Our plan is to set up an aerial mobile-phone mast and fly out over areas with no coverage, and also use it during the Rio 2016 Olympics as a satellite and telecommunications platform," says Allman.
Source: wired.co.uk
Full steam ahead!
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