Funding boost for British cargo-carrying airship

The funds are part of a £4m public and private sector project to develop specific engineering aspects of Hybrid Air Vehicles’ (HAV) current airship design in order for it to carry commercial loads and passengers.

HAV’s HAV304  - a 92m long airship capable of remaining airborne for five days manned at an altitude of up to 20,000 feet - flew in 2012 as part of a US Army/Northrop Grumman demonstration programme and will fly again this year as the company accelerates its plans to manufacture airships in Britain.

The current helium filled airship is powered by four 350hp, four litre V8 direct injection, turbocharged diesel engines and test flights this year will inform the design of Airlander 50, a cargo-carrying airship that will be built at the start of 2016 with first flights scheduled for 2018.

Stephen McGlennan, CEO of HAV, said the ability to take off and land vertically - and land on surfaces including water, desert, ice and fields - makes his company’s technology attractive to a number of customers requiring a point-to-point logistics solutions.