World's largest aircraft: The
Airlander 10 airship is unveiled for the first time since being fully
assembled at a hanger in Bedfordshire
All of which rather overlooks the fact this represents a major step forward for the UK aerospace industry.
For
this bulbous behemoth has been designed and built in Bedfordshire by a
British company which leads the world in this technology. And once the
Airlander 10 is in production — priced around £25 million each — the
plan is to build something even bigger.
'Flying bottom': Within just a couple
of years, we might all be able to hop aboard one of these things for the
ultimate sightseeing adventure
You
are never going to get lost looking for the headquarters of Hybrid Air
Vehicles at what used to be RAF Cardington on the outskirts of Bedford.
At 157ft high, this hangar is taller than Nelson’s Column, long enough
to house the Titanic — and there’s an identical building next door.Known as Cardington Shed Number One, it was built 100 years ago at the height of World War I to produce the mighty airships of another age. To this day, it is still painted in the same British Army green.
But
even a building this size does not prepare you for the scale of what is
sitting — or floating — within. For the Airlander is quite unlike the
cigar-shaped design of conventional airships.
I was expecting something like the Goodyear blimp you sometimes see loitering over major sporting events. But this is more like two of them strapped together. The shape is not so much reminiscent of a Zeppelin — or even of Ms Kardashian. Instead, it reminds me of Thunderbird 2.
Bulbous behemoth: Some have had great fun comparing it with the well-upholstered posterior of reality TV star, Kim Kardashian
Revolutionary: The Airlander 10 -
pictured at Cardington hanger in Bedfordshire - is part airship, part
plane, part helicopter, part hovercraft
For
many people contemplating a journey by airship, their first concern
might be going up in flames. Even now, nearly 80 years on, we think of
that ghastly newsreel footage of the Hindenburg disaster in 1937.
But
that is not going to happen in an aircraft full of helium since it is
not inflammable (indeed it is used as a fire retardant).
And
what makes the Airlander unique is that it is designed with the
characteristics of all sorts of aircraft. So, while it has many of the
advantages of a lighter-than-air design, it will be slightly heavier
than air when in flying mode.
Its four engines and its wings give it lift, just as they would on a regular fixed-wing plane, but it also means it can land on any surface without needing teams of ground crew to tether it to the ground and stop it blowing away.
The
engines and wings also give it lift when it’s time to take off — again,
just like a regular plane. And a hovercraft-style air cushion will
enable take-off from any terrain.
But
once airborne, it can also behave just like a helicopter, hovering over
the same spot and even travelling backwards. At the same time, it can
carry a similar payload to that great workhorse of the skies — the
Chinook.
Unlike any helicopter, though, it can stay in one place for five days at a time – and for a fraction of the price.
Little wonder several governments, including our own, are already in discussion with the company.
It
all started when its British designers were commissioned by the U.S.
Defence department to come up with a new breed of unmanned surveillance
aircraft. But a trial run coincided with a budget crisis which paralysed
U.S. public spending in 2013. With almost no notice, the Americans
pulled the plug on the project just as it had got off the ground,
despite having spent the best part of £70 million.
Chief test pilot: David Burns is
pictured next to the Airlander 10, which represents a major step forward
for the UK aerospace industry
Controls: It is operated from a single
joy stick on the right-hand side of the pilot’s seat while the
throttles for the engines are on the left
‘It
was very disappointing. But that’s when we got the deal of the
century,’ says technical director Mike Durham. The British designers
bought back their design from the U.S. military for a mere £200,000 and
shipped the whole thing to Bedford.
There,
they have spent the past three years redesigning it as a manned
aircraft with a variety of uses — both domestic and military. And
yesterday was the first unveiling of the finished product.
It is a hell of a sight as it floats 20ft off the ground in its shed. But it only does so because it has no cargo on board. Once the staff have winched it down to ground level, it sits on two huge inflatable skids and we are allowed on board.
In
the cockpit, chief test pilot David Burns shows me around his controls.
The whole thing is operated from a single joy stick on the right-hand
side of the pilot’s seat while the throttles for the engines are on the
left.
Overhead
is a huge panel of switches and dials which monitor the state of the
‘envelope’ — 1.34 million cubic feet of helium and air. The skin
consists of three layers of super-strong material which owes its origins
to America’s Cup yacht design.
Even
if this thing came under enemy fire, it would be remarkably stable as
the air is kept at just 0.15 pounds per square inch (compared to 30psi
in the average car tyre).
Flight deck: Overhead is a panel of
switches and dials which monitor the state of the ‘envelope’ - 1.34
million cubic feet of helium and air
Rear view: The British designers
bought back their design from the U.S. military for £200,000 and shipped
the whole thing to Bedford
In
other words, any punctures would be very slow indeed. During the
research phase, the U.S. military calculated that if this thing received
direct hits from 180 rounds of standard 50-calibre ammunition, it could
carry on flying for half an hour.
As
it is, its upper altitude of 20,000ft would put it safely out of reach
from most guns and missiles in the terrorists’ arsenal anyway (with a
top speed of 100mph, it is also pretty nimble).
Behind the cockpit is the passenger space. For the military, this could house banks of computers and communications equipment.
Simon
Evans, head of business for defence and security, points out that the
Airlander would have been perfect for masterminding a search and rescue
operation such as the 2014 hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight
MH370. ‘You could cover a huge area for days on end without
refuelling.’
For
domestic use, this would be a seating area, designed like a train or a
ferry with seats facing fore and aft either side of a table.
‘In
the early stages, we’re probably looking at high-end sightseeing
trips,’ says Andy Barton, business development director. He is confident
that, by 2018, the public will be enjoying trips over cities and major
landmarks for around £200 an hour.
‘Every
year, you have 600,000 people flying over the Grand Canyon by
helicopter. This would be a much nicer experience. It’s much quieter,
the view is better and you can even open the window.’
Production: Once the Airlander 10 is in production — priced around £25 million each — the plan is to build something even bigger
In
time, some users might be able to use it like a hotel, with cabins and
showers. ‘Look, the cruise market is worth $12 billion (£8.3 billion) a
year. We don’t need very much of that to make this work.’
Mike
Durham admits that, however brilliant the design, no one is going to
sign up for a £25 million aircraft until they have seen it fly.
That
is why all eyes will be on the maiden voyage of the new design some
time in the next few weeks. Up until now, the 120-strong workforce has
been funded by private backers — including plane-mad Iron Maiden rock
singer Bruce Dickinson
— and even a crowd-funding scheme.
— and even a crowd-funding scheme.
But once a handful of orders have been placed, then the company can go into full
production and expand the workforce to 300. After that, the plan is to go bigger still — much bigger.
‘It’s
called the Airlander 10 because it can lift ten tons. We’re looking to
step up to the Airlander 50 (50 tons) because the bigger you go, the
easier they are to handle and the cheaper they are to operate.’
In
the long run, he doesn’t rule out designing something capable of
carrying up to 1,000 tons, which could start competing with the maritime
freight industry.
What sort of size might that be? ‘Well, we’d certainly need a bigger hangar,’ he laughs.
When it comes to the launch, I dare say the publicity hungry Ms Kardashian would be only too happy to oblige.
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