The world’s largest aircraft is all set for a return to flight in 2016 with Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) announcing its Airlander 10 will have it engines, fins and mission module attached this January.
The 92 meter airship has recently had its aft (rear stern) carbon composite battens added, which will provide structural support to the rear engines. Other components attached in the final weeks of 2015 include the port tailcone, as well as the first engine pylon.
In addition, Airlander’s flight simulator has also been made operational, and its engine testing which began in February is ongoing, reports The Engineer.
Airlander’s four 325hp, 4l V8 direct injection, turbocharged diesel engines will enable the aircraft to fly for five days non-stop. Two engines will be mounted forward on the hull and two on the stern for cruise operation. All four are configured in ducts with blown vanes to allow vectored thrust for take-off and landing.
The ability to land on almost any surface without the need for airport infrastructure, on top of the aircraft’s cargo-carrying capacity, means Airlander has significant potential to disrupt the air-freight market. According to HAV, the market for Airlander has been independently validated at more than $5 0billion over the next 20 years, and could create over 1,800 high-tech jobs in the UK.
In November, HAV reached an important milestone when Airlander received its first helium fill and was floated to the front of the 248 meter hangar in Cardington, Bedfordshire, where it is housed.
Ground tests on the aircraft are due to take place over the coming weeks, with the maiden test flight scheduled for the first quarter of 2016, reports The Engineer.
Excerpts and image from The Engineer
