Airlander 10 has had an inauspicious end to its second test flight with a ‘heavy landing’ at its base in Cardington in Bedfordshire.
The prototype aircraft had flown for 100 minutes on and completed all its scheduled tasks before returning to Cardington to land.
Hybrid Air Vehicles, the company responsible for Airlander 10, said the prototype ‘experienced a heavy landing and the front of the flight deck has sustained some damage, which is currently being assessed.’
Both pilots and the ground crew are said to be safe and well and the aircraft is secured and stable at its normal mooring location.
Media reports had suggested that the crash landing had been caused after Airlander struck a power line outside the airfield. Hybrid Air Vehicles confirmed in a statement today that a mooring line attached to Airlander did come into contact a power line outside the airfield, but that the event did not contribute to the heavy landing.
“Airlander sustained damage on landing during today’s flight. No damage was sustained mid-air or as a result of a telegraph pole as reported,” the company said via Twitter.
Hybrid Air Vehicles said it runs a robust set of procedures for flight test activities and investigation of issues.
“We will be running through these in the days ahead as we continue the development of the Airlander aircraft,” the company said.
Last week Airlander 10 successfully completed its first test flight, having undertaken a brief journey around Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire on Wednesday August 17.
Since the Airlander at low speed is essentially a dirigible gas bag with a single(?) compartment, it is difficult to understand how it could have taken up the nose-down attitude shown in videos of this event.
A cable hanging from the nose getting caught in the airfield fence, or a malfunction of the controls of the positioning propeller pods seem to be possible explanations.
Possibly, but it is a heavier than air craft so could have nosed down if there wasn’t enough forward airflow over the body to generate lift and the forward engines were not rotated sufficiently to generate upward thrust
This is remarkable in that it demonstrates how safe this aircraft is. A conventional aircraft landing is this way would have been a smoking hole in the ground by comparison. The amazing video of it slowly nose diving, and the apparently minor nature of the damage, including to the airport infrastructure, are testament to the resilience of the concept and it’s inherent safety. Remarkable. I look forward to an early return to flight.
Maybe it was the downwash from that tiny drone shown flying above it. Surely a balloon the size of the Cardington hanger is going to get buffeted about by any slight breeze around let alone a stiff wind.