And inside, the airships, built in Doncaster, offer total luxury with spectacular views.
The Airlander is a hybrid aircraft which derives its lift from a combination of aerodynamic lift (like an aeroplane), lifting gases (like an airship) and vectored thrust (similar to a helicopter). Airlander generates up to 40% of its lift from aerodynamics by the passage of air over the hull and the remainder from buoyant lift from the helium.
At lower speed and closer to the ground, vectoring engine power is used to provide additional lift and manoeuvrability for take-off, landing and ground handling.
Airlander 10 has a top speed of 130kph and can stay airborne for up to five days. Although this is not as fast as the fixed-wing airplanes we are used to, speed is not the most important feature for potential customers.
Hybrid Air Vehicle, the British company building the airships states on its website: “the idea is to have the best of all worlds. The lifting gas offsets the weight of the aircraft meaning that less energy is required to keep it aloft. Like an airship, this means that it can carry a lot of payload, burn very little fuel and fly for a long time.
The use of aerodynamic lift means that Airlander can generate more or less lift as required. This means that, unlike an airship, it is heavier-than-air. It can therefore stay in place on the ground while it is loaded, unloaded, fuelled and maintained, meaning that it requires little or no expensive, fixed infrastructure.
In this way, Airlander combines the efficiency, capability and environmental friendliness of an airship with the practicality of a normal aircraft. Airlander minimises the need for expensive ground infrastructure to operate the aircraft in remote places, while enabling safe, quiet, efficient and capable flight. Its low cost, low environmental impact and unique flight capabilities enable us to Rethink the Skies.”
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Not for Me.