# World's largest aircraft gets ready for take-off



## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 9, 2016)

Three years since work began on the Airlander 10, engineers are putting the final touches on the giant aircraft described as 'part plane, part helicopter.'
The 300ft-long (93 metres) Airlander was originally developed as part of a US Army project but was scrapped by military bosses. It is now being converted to provide business and leisure flights in a hangar in Cardington, Bedfordshire. 
The vessel was filled with 1.3million cubic feet of helium - enough to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools -in a test run last October and now the engines and fins are being fitted ahead of next month's flight.








It produces 60 per cent of its lift aerostatically, by being lighter-than-air, and 40 per cent aerodynamically, by being wing-shaped, as well as having the ability to rotate its engines to provide an additional 25 per cent of thrust up or down. 
This means the Airlander can hover as well as land on almost any surface, including ice, desert and water.
It will be able to stay in the air for two weeks at a time, cruising at more than 90mph (144km/h), and travel at heights of up to 20,000ft (6,100 metres) with a 10-tonne cargo.







The craft did carry out a test flight in 2012 in New Jersey (pictured) but next month's take-off will be the first under the hybrid aircraft's latest specifications. Some have hailed the Airlander as the future of air travel because, unlike conventional aeroplanes, it emits little pollution and is not noisy enough to disturb people on the ground


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## Ferrum Master (Feb 9, 2016)

Iron Maiden FTW


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## Frick (Feb 9, 2016)

Boooohhh was hoping for an Antonov successor.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 9, 2016)

Frick said:


> Boooohhh was hoping for an Antonov successor.




sorry.......i will keep my eyes peeled for something bigger.



The Airlander's power comes from four 350hp, four-litre V8 diesel engines - two mounted at the front and two at the back.
With a length of 302ft (93 metres), a width of 143ft (44 metres) and a height of 85ft (26 metres), it is officially the world's largest aircraft - the biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, is only 240ft (73 metres) long.

Forgot this in the OP
http://www.hybridairvehicles.com/aircraft/airlander-10


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## silentbogo (Feb 9, 2016)

I remember this monster being featured in Popular Mechanics once (before USAF dropped it). 
5 times cheaper than 787, half the carrying capacity. Not too bad. 
Even though it is almost 8 times slower than an airliner, it might be the future of cheap and entertaining air travel!
It'll take me ~2 days to get to Wales if it flies non-stop at advertised speed, which means I need to get a backpack full of sandwiches and at least 3 bottles of cognac just to get through.


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## Sasqui (Feb 9, 2016)

Wow, 90mph with 10 ton cargo?!?  At 20,000 ft, it must also have a pressurized cabin...


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## RealNeil (Feb 9, 2016)

I can see it outfitted as a luxury liner making slow trips while pampering wealthy people.


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## Sasqui (Feb 9, 2016)

RealNeil said:


> I can see it outfitted as a luxury liner making slow trips while pampering wealthy people.



It also kind looks like a vagina from the front


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 9, 2016)

Sasqui said:


> It also kind looks like a vagina from the front



you poor thing......you married the wrong "type" of woman.



RealNeil said:


> I can see it outfitted as a luxury liner making slow trips while pampering wealthy people.




Oh yeah......... The Serengeti, Grand Canyon or the  Brecon Beacons National Park in comfort and style.


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 9, 2016)

10 tons of cargo isn't much and 90mph is really slow.  Like the blimps before it, I see it being a novelty, not a thing of the future.  Oh, can't forget that they can't operate in strong winds nor storms any more than a light drizzle.

By comparison, Boeing 787-8 can carry 124 tons at over 500 MPH.


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## NdMk2o1o (Feb 9, 2016)

"Part plane, part helicopter" ..... er no all blimp...... slow, expensive for what it is, unsafe (helium) would get blown away by a strong fart and take you a week to get across the atlantic, where do I sign?


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 9, 2016)

For those who didnt read the link.

Helium is an inert gas and is safe. NASA use helium to purge the fuel tanks in their rockets for example.

*Helium* is a chemical element with symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, *inert*, monatomic gas that heads the *noble* gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling and melting points are the lowest among all the elements.


A Jumbo jet may be bigger and faster but this aircraft is for completely different applications.....try landing a Jumbo on a football pitch.

The largest aircraft currently flying uses innovative technology to combine the best characteristics of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters with lighter-than-air technology to create a new breed of hyper-efficient aircraft. It can stay airborne for up to five days at a time if manned, and for over 2 weeks unmanned. It will fulfil a wide range of communication, cargo carrying and survey roles in both the military and commercial sectors all with a significantly lower carbon footprint than other forms of air transport.


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 10, 2016)

Boeing CH-47 Chinook:
14 ton payload
149 mph cruise speed

Only advantage this has is endurance.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 10, 2016)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane:
> 10 ton payload
> 126 mph
> 
> Only advantage this has is endurance.




I think you are missing the point.


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 10, 2016)

I think the US Army cut off funding because there _is no point_.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 10, 2016)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I think the US Army cut off funding because there _is no point_.



Thankyou for your valuable contribution....

I am glad the US taxpayer invested money in the project. On the face of it it looks useless for military applications, perhaps the Administration should have thought it through before they invested your money and then pulled out.


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 12, 2016)

$40 million...isn't bad...considering how the Pentagon throws money around...you know...


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## silentbogo (Feb 12, 2016)

BTW, the official site has a datasheet available for the upcoming Airlander-50.
It will be even bigger (30m length), with a 50T carrying capacity.
Four 350HP V8 engines will be replaced with four 2350 hp gas turbines, which will bump its cruise speed to 195km/h.

http://www.hybridairvehicles.com/downloads/Airlander-77.pdf


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 12, 2016)

Still slow but at least the cargo capacity is admirable.  At the same time, I bet a lot of that is coming from those turbines running at pretty high throttle which greatly lessens their fuel-economy/good-for-environment argument.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 26, 2016)

" Flying Bum" gets a tail feather.





The first giant fin has now been attached to the ship, which is officially called the 'Airlander', according to Hybrid Air Vehicles who is constructing the aircraft. Two fins could comfortably cover the playing area of a tennis court.










The fin, measuring 9 x 11 metre, was secured to the hull using a series of cables and clamps.


In a *blog post*, Hybrid Air Vehicles explained: 'Already this month there have been a number of major attachments under the hull in preparation for the forthcoming First Flight of Airlander, beginning with the fuel module at the rear of the aircraft, followed by the payload beam, (which will support bulky external cargo) and finally, the cockpit and payload bay (which we term the Mission Module) were attached this week.'


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## Caring1 (Feb 26, 2016)

It reminds me of the Skinner's butt episode of the Simpsons.


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## RejZoR (Feb 26, 2016)

Eh. Flying Boomer. Or a Flying Bloat if you're a fan of Killing Floor. I was also hoping to see another Antonov just to be disappointed by this. :/


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 26, 2016)

RejZoR said:


> Eh. Flying Boomer. Or a Flying Bloat if you're a fan of Killing Floor. I was also hoping to see another Antonov just to be disappointed by this. :/



Dictionary definition of Aircraft

any machine supported for flight in the air by buoyancy or by the dynamic action of air on its surfaces, especially powered airplanes, gliders and helicopters.


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## P4-630 (Feb 26, 2016)

Caring1 said:


> It reminds me of the Skinner's butt episode of the Simpsons.



Lol, I had to look that up...


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## RejZoR (Feb 26, 2016)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> Dictionary definition of Aircraft
> 
> any machine supported for flight in the air by buoyancy or by the dynamic action of air on its surfaces, especially powered airplanes, gliders and helicopters.



They should replace helium with hydrogen. It'll be more spectacular


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## rtwjunkie (Feb 26, 2016)

NdMk2o1o said:


> unsafe (helium)



I believe you are thinking of Hydrogen, which is what the old dirigibles like the zeppelins used.


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 27, 2016)

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/24/africa/superblimp-africa/?iid=ob_homepage_tech_pool&iref=obinsite

They're trying to sell it to African mining operations as a means to transport goods without building expensive rails.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Mar 10, 2016)

Lockheed Martin joins race to make long-haul airships






*THE LMH-1 HYBRID AIRSHIP *

The LMH-1, filled mostly with helium, will carry 20 tons of cargo, but can scaled to roughly the size of a football field with 500 tons of capacity.
It will have a fuel capacity of 5,000 gallon with a range of 1,400 nautical miles.
Its four hovercraft-like landing pads would allow it to set down on flat land without being required to be moored on large towers like traditional airships. 
Current estimates suggests the price of the hybrid airship will be between £25 million to £30 million, or approximately $40 million. 
The hybrid airship will have room for a crew of two, and up to 19 passengers.




























*Los Angeles Times*


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## FordGT90Concept (Mar 10, 2016)

They put the Skunkworks logo on the tail fin noooooooooooooooo!11!11

On the plus side: if fusion power takes off there will be no shortage of helium.  And that one doesn't look like an ass.


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## Norton (Mar 10, 2016)

FordGT90Concept said:


> They put the Skunkworks logo on the tail fin noooooooooooooooo!11!11



That means it's a Lockheed piñata..... the surprise is _inside_ that big puffy shell! 

Would not be surprised at all if that's just a transport vehicle for something they don't want anyone to see.


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## FordGT90Concept (Mar 10, 2016)

If Lockheed is not selling it, maybe.  They do have facilities all over the country.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Mar 21, 2016)

Fins and engines are fitted.














The *craft *has already been tested with a successful hover test, with the hull being filled with helium and floated outside the aircraft hanger in November, but this will be the first test once the engines are successfully attached. 
The date of the test flight has not been announced but the craft will be restricted to a 70-mile (112km) radius. If successful, an aircraft based on this prototype will go into production.


During last year's 'floating' test, the craft was attached to four fork-lift trucks, each with a two-tonne block of cement to stop it being carried away, and driven the entire length of the hangar.
In its new position nearer the doors of the hangar, the £80 million ($1.1 billion) aircraft is now being fitted with its engine, fins and 'mission module' ahead of its first proper flight.


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## ShiBDiB (Mar 22, 2016)

Future of air travel? More like moving backwards in the progression of air travel... There's a reason even the US DOD stopped funding this, and they'll fund anything.


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## Peter1986C (Mar 22, 2016)

Yeah, with Hyperloop and so on on our doorstep (next 30 years) this may be struggling to get and remain relevant.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jul 6, 2016)

Hybrid Air Vehicles, the company behind the aircraft, has revealed details of the routes and manoeuvres that will be used to put the giant hybrid airship through its paces.






It will fly over the Cardington area of Bedfordshire, England, just to the east of the M1 corridor and west of the A1.

The trials will include tests of the controls, electrical systems, airspeed calibration and to examine how it performs in real life conditions.

A second phase of tests, which will need to be approved by regulators, will see the Airlander 10 travel up to 86 miles and up to altitudes of 10,000 feet at speeds of 69 mph (60 knots).

David Burns, chief test pilot at Hybrid Air Vehicles, said: 'Although we have flown many hours in our ground simulator to look at all of these areas, we need good flight data to confirm the predicted performance and behaviour of the aircraft.

'During all the flying, the ground team will be receiving data from over 1000 different sensors sampled many times per second on board the aircraft.

'These are then received in the specially converted trial's bus, for real-time display and monitoring of the Airlander's performance and behaviour.

'After all the data from these first flights has been analysed and reports written and submitted to our regulators, we move on to the second phase of trials, which will see Airlander travel much further afield.'




























Spoiler


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 6, 2016)

Still not seeing the point.  Yeah, it can carry a bit more because of the airfoil design but a blimp is a blimp.  They are novelties.  A helicopter drone can do everything a blimp can do for a fraction of the cost.


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## dont whant to set it"' (Jul 6, 2016)

The point of it beining what "?" that it can float in athmosphere, "been there, done that",


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 18, 2016)

The world's largest aircraft branded 'the flying bum' has taken to the skies in a successful maiden voyage - the first since a revamp in Britain.

The 302ft-long Airlander 10 - part plane, part helicopter, part airship - loomed overhead at Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire as the sun started to set on this evening.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 24, 2016)

OOOOOPS


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## Nosada (Aug 24, 2016)

I'd love it if it had TCAS on board, imagine having to listen to 15 minutes of "PULL UP, PULL UP, PULL UP" before you crash


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## qubit (Aug 24, 2016)

It looks so incredibly fat! Waiting for the new slimline version lol.

Or, they can have a stronger shell. That way they can make it smaller and sleeker and pump in more gas for a higher internal pressure for more lift to make up for the smaller size.

First person to point out what's wrong with the above statement gets a brownie point.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 24, 2016)

qubit said:


> First person to point out what's wrong with the above statement gets a brownie point.




Volume not pressure.


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## Ferrum Master (Aug 24, 2016)

qubit said:


> It looks so incredibly fat! Waiting for the new slimline version lol.
> 
> Or, they can have a stronger shell. That way they can make it smaller and sleeker and pump in more gas for a higher internal pressure for more lift to make up for the smaller size.
> 
> First person to point out what's wrong with the above statement gets a brownie point.



More pressure means more atoms, means more weight lol.


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## qubit (Aug 24, 2016)

Indeed, quite. And caps gets qubit's official brownie point - please take a bow! 

Ideally, you'd want a vacuum in there, but then it would get crushed like tinfoil with the air pressure outside.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 24, 2016)




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## Solaris17 (Aug 24, 2016)

Nosada said:


> I'd love it if it had TCAS on board, imagine having to listen to 15 minutes of "PULL UP, PULL UP, PULL UP" before you crash



ROLL RIGHT ROLL RIGHT

I have this new image of battle ready blimps now.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 24, 2016)

Its not a proper "flying bum" till it's got a crack and a hole in it.


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## qubit (Aug 24, 2016)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> Its not a proper "flying bum" till it's got a crack and a hole in it.


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## dorsetknob (Aug 24, 2016)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> Its not a proper "flying bum" till it's got a crack and a hole in it.



And Do not forget the Methane gas Rocket Propulsion


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## FordGT90Concept (Aug 24, 2016)

Solaris17 said:


> ROLL RIGHT ROLL RIGHT
> 
> I have this new image of battle ready blimps now.


https://owlcation.com/humanities/World-War-2-History-The-Goodyear-Blimp-Goes-to-War

They weren't very good. XD


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## Solaris17 (Aug 24, 2016)

FordGT90Concept said:


> https://owlcation.com/humanities/World-War-2-History-The-Goodyear-Blimp-Goes-to-War
> 
> They weren't very good. XD


lololol


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 24, 2016)

News from Lockheed Martin



The firm has developed a 'spider drone' to scour the ship's surface and look for tears.








'One of the biggest problems facing the airship industry is locating the tiny pinholes in the airship's envelope,' said Lockheed's Bill Boys, who led the project.

'At the moment, this requires a crew of workers using a bright light.

'Spider can scan the envelope, find pinholes and patch them.'

Short for Self-Propelled Instrument for Damage Evaluation and Repair, the bots are in two parts -one on the inside and one on the outside, connected through the airship's skin by magnets.

They work together by using a bright light and a camera to scan the the whole surface of the inflated craft for pinholes.

When they find a hole, they use a built-in patching system to fix them up - and even take a picture of their finished work for operators.

The company is testing the system on a prototype of its LMH-1 heavy lift airship at its secretive Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.

The 120ft-long (37 metre) experimental vessel, called the P-791, is designed to be a hybrid that combines lighter-than-air technology with wings other aerodynamic features more commonly seen in aeroplanes.


Its tri-shaped hull, which towers 21ft-tall (6 metres), is filled with helium, producing around 80 per cent of its lift, while the wings and motor provide the rest.


Four hover-craft style landing pads underneath give it the ability to set down on flat land without needing to be moored.

The P-791 airship uses a vector thrust system to power it, similar to the engines fitted to the F22 Raptor, which gives it far greater maneuverability.

It flies by wire using both traditional rotor pedals and a control stick.

Dr Bob Boyd, program manager for the P-791 Hybrid Air Vehicle, added: 'The air cushion landing system allows us to take off and land from remote areas including sand, snow, dirt or even water.

'These environments don't require any infrastructure for take-off and landing operations.







The prototype is just one third of the size of Lockheed's full sized heavy-lift airship LMH-1, which will eventually be 300ft long and 78ft tall (91 metres by 24 metres).

It will be capable of carrying truck sized loads – up to 23 tons – on top of the airships 21 tons in weight along with 19 passengers.


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## RealNeil (Aug 24, 2016)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> Its not a proper "flying bum" till it's got a crack and a hole in it.



Oh god! I sneezed soda through my nose when I read that!

Now to clean the keyboard.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 25, 2016)

It must have left a giant "skid mark"


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## RealNeil (Aug 25, 2016)

Crap like this is why they do so many testing flights. They'll fix it and it will be better too.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Aug 25, 2016)

A rope attached to the world's largest aircraft hit a power line before it crashed, its manufacturer has said.


The cockpit was damaged by the impact but the pilots escaped injury.

UK Power Networks, the firm responsible for maintaining power lines in the area, said five of its residential and commercial customers lost power at around 12.45pm when the aircraft came into contact with high voltage cables.

Power was restored at 2pm.

Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) issued a statement on Thursday which read: 'Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd can confirm a mooring line attached to the Airlander did contact a power line outside the airfield.

'No damage was caused to the aircraft and this did not contribute to the heavy landing. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused to anyone.'

Repairs were being carried out on Wednesday with engineers spotted working on the huge 92-metre long aircraft.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is set to investigate the crash.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 4, 2017)

The flight deck is now back in place after major repairs and testing has begun inside a hangar at the airfield.

Engineers will then be able to restart their flight test programme.


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## hat (Feb 4, 2017)

Insert <Your shipment of fail has arrived> here


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Apr 19, 2017)

The world's longest aircraft nosedived into a field today after breaking free from some of its moorings.

The £25 million Airlander 10, which is part plane and part airship, fell forward in the field in Bedfordshire after the ropes tying the back of the aircraft to the ground came loose.


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## dorsetknob (Apr 19, 2017)

Crew Survived with no casualties


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## Ferrum Master (Apr 19, 2017)

So the largest bum project has failed?


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## INSTG8R (Apr 19, 2017)

That thing sure likes nose diving into the ground doesn't it?


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (May 11, 2017)

The world’s largest aircraft, Airlander 10 has taken off on its first flight since crashing last summer. Manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) said the regulatory requirements of the flight mean the £25million aircraft will travel within 15 miles of its base and at an altitude of no more than 4,000 feet.












Around 20 to 30 flights are expected to be carried out this summer as the aircraft conducts a high-profile tour to boost public awareness.


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## WiseMe (May 11, 2017)

Just WOW!


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Oct 31, 2017)

The 20-tonne Airlander 10 is set to be tested by luxury travel firm Henry Cookson Adventures next year.

It says it hopes to take the craft wherever clients want to go, promising passengers will 'experience landscapes that vary as diversely as the North Pole, Bolivian Salt Pans and Namib Desert'.





The Airlander over Glastonbury


The ability to stay aloft for days at a time, in virtual silence, with floor-to-ceiling windows and fresh air make Airlander perfect for cruising in exceptional locations, Hybrid Air Vehicles, the firm behind it says.

'I have flown Airlander a number of times now, and am really excited about the possibility of taking the first passengers on board. 

'I can imagine the awe and excitement of seeing the world in luxury, with amazing views, quietly and whilst respecting the environment,' said Dave Burns, Airlander Chief Test Pilot. 

In 2018, Henry Cookson Adventures (HCA) will become the first private excursion company to trial Airlander 10, anticipating her arrival to revolutionise ultra-high-end travel. 

The craft is set to get a luxiry interior as part of the plan, and Hybrid Air Vehicles and Design Q have been awarded a £60,000 grant for an  'Airlander Luxury Tourism Design Development Project'. 

Design Q is one of the leading independent design consultancies with automotive and aviation clients throughout the world, including BAE Systems, Bombardier and Virgin Atlantic.


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## RealNeil (Oct 31, 2017)

This is fantastic! (It's both a blast from the past _and_ the wave of the future)


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Nov 18, 2017)

Airlander 10 took a step closer to commercial flying  with its most impressive test yet. 

The flight, in Cardington, Bedfordshire was carried out as night fell, and Airlander was guided into the sky by Chief Test Pilot Dave Burns on her sixth test flight.

The latest test flights will push Airlander to fly higher (up to 7000 feet), faster (up to 50 knots) and further away from its airfield (up to 75 nautical miles away).









It is soon set to be tested by luxury travel firm Henry Cookson Adventures next year.

It says it hopes to take the craft wherever clients want to go, promising passengers will 'experience landscapes that vary as diversely as the North Pole, Bolivian Salt Pans and Namib Desert'. 

The ability to stay aloft for days at a time, in virtual silence, with floor-to-ceiling windows and fresh air make Airlander perfect for cruising in exceptional locations, Hybrid Air Vehicles, the firm behind it says.

In 2018, Henry Cookson Adventures (HCA) will become the first private excursion company to trial Airlander 10, anticipating her arrival to revolutionise ultra-high-end travel. 

The craft is set to get a luxury interior as part of the plan, and Hybrid Air Vehicles and Design Q have been awarded a £60,000 grant for an  'Airlander Luxury Tourism Design Development Project'.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Nov 18, 2017)

BREAKING NEWS








Pictures have emerged of the 20-tonne Airlander 10's canopy completely collapsed after the prototype plummeted to the ground.

Its manufacturers Hybrid Air Vehicles had carried out test flights on Friday before police were called to a site close to its hangars in Cardington, Beds, today. First reports say "seriously damaged on Saturday after it slipped its moorings and crashed into a field."


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## hat (Nov 18, 2017)

Police? Foul play involved? That's a shame though, they've had a lot of problems with this aircraft...


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Nov 18, 2017)




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## P4-630 (Nov 18, 2017)

How much money did they waste in this?


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Nov 18, 2017)

The US army built it then sold it when they realized how shit it is.


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## jboydgolfer (Nov 18, 2017)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> Flying Bum


 It reminds me of that alien woman from total recall who had 3 boobs


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## FordGT90Concept (Nov 18, 2017)

Why am I not surprised?  That said, Lockheed Martin's LMH-1 is still going forward.  Apparently they're going to start selling them next year.


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