Hybrid Air Vehicles has started the Airlander 10 engine program, a series of full engine tests designed to bring the world’s largest aircraft into commercial operation.
The 92m long Airlander can take-off and land from a range of surfaces, including water, and carry passengers. Four 325hp, 4l V8 direct injection, turbocharged diesel engines help Airlander to fly for five days non-stop.
In flight, two engines are mounted forward on the hull and two on the stern of the hull for cruise operation. All four are configured in ducts with blown vanes to allow vectored thrust for take-off/landing/ground handling operation.
The current engine tests are focused on identifying future improvements to Airlander propulsion systems prior to a series of trials and demonstrations with a range of civil and military customers during 2016.
The latest milestone in Airlander’s development has been made possible with assistance from Innovate UK and a £3.4m Regional Growth Fund Grant.
According to HAV, Innovate UK’s LOCATE (Low Carbon Aircraft Technology Experimentation) programme has supported key work in aerodynamics, automation and manufacturing technologies, and has underpinned the company’s ability to hire new staff in 2014.
In a statement Tom Grundy, HAV’s operations director said, ‘Airlander is an aircraft that can carry very large loads long distances and/or remain airborne for weeks at a time. We are showing customers worldwide that this can be a game-changer in many different airborne applications. [This] run of our highly efficient engine system is a big step towards the next flight of Airlander, and towards flight demonstrations of the aircraft’s capability in 2016.’
According to HAV, the market for Airlander aircraft has been independently validated at over $50bn over the next 20 years, representing an opportunity to create over 1,800 high-tech jobs in the UK.
Given LTA craft are weight sensitive small Gas Turbine engines would perhaps be suitable and readily available from units developed for helicopters.
It was the head-line that most caught my attention!
During summer vacations from Uni I worked (well just a bit!) at Bristol Siddeley. 001 Concorde was being assembled ‘next-door’ in the Brab hanger, and the precision foundry (using the lost-wax process, which I gathered had its roots in the jewelry trade) where I was, were making the various ‘blades’ for the early Olympus engines. These had glass rods incorporated into the titanium pour (for cooling air to pass through the blade, particularly at its leading edge) which were then etched ‘out’ with hyrdoflorous acid. (one of the nastiest types of chemistry going). I do recall that the scrap rate was remarkable: well over 50%.
There was a Victor bomber used as the test-bed for the Olympus on trial. It had a single engine mounted below, near what had been the bomb-bay. It took off with its usual engines and then the ‘test-engine’ was ‘lit-up’. I gather that this alone was enough to keep the thing flying. I got to brush-on the temperature sensitive paint on the rear of the fuselage of the Victor: there to measure the heat load upon the structure. Hey Ho
Mike Blarney,
The Concord engines were test flown on XA903, a Vulcan, not a Victor, more information here: http://www.vulcantothesky.org/history/articles-of-interest/birth-of-the-jet-age/jet-age—pt-6.html
Dear Phil,
many thanks for this correction:
I believe it is said (and I confirm it!) when we get old, three things happen
1, you start to lose your memory
2 -I cannot remember the other two!
I do recall that on one occasion we students/apprentices were gathered at the end of the runway and the chase plane did its circuit and then the V-bomber started its take-off: a flimsy hut, which for some reason was in the part of the jet exhaust was literally blown to pieces!
Best wishes and thanks again for your correction
Mike B
Wasn’t that the petrol station that was positioned on the A38, sat at the end of the runway? The owner had not been successfully persuaded to move beforehand….
Tim
Tim Perry, I am sure you are right and that it was a garage! (see above about memory) I just have this recollection of ‘stuff’/bits of wood flying all over the place!
When there were huge floods last year in Uttarakhand in India as many as 5000 to 10000 people had to be evacuated and even helicopters could not be used in rainy, bad weather. I was looking for helium filled airships and this could be the answer. May be this can be operate even in desert (sand – is slippery, does not give grip and highly dusty and abrasive)
In bad weather these would have a problem landing as well When Wx cleared, they could deliver a lot of aid and equipment to site. In sandy, dusty deserts, the engines would be badly affected by dust generated by downdraft, as were many helicopters in Afghanistan. The benefit here would be to have one in the regions most affected by floods. That way transit time reduced and good aid effectively delivered by air.