[joe-fbs]

Hoping to meet one or two of you at this tonight.

Friday 16th November, The Shared Space, Alan Baxter & Coombs, 75 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL.

The provisional plan is that starting at 1800, I will speak about Airlander for half an hour. There will then be two other half hour lectures covering: LTA Drones; and the Navigate the Line Competition.

Finally, retire to The Three Compasses pub at about 2100.

This is an Airship Association event but non-members, especially new joiners, are most welcome.

[velostar]

The world's longest aircraft has been permanently grounded as developers prepare to start work on a new model.
The £32m Airlander 10 - a combination of plane and airship - had completed six test flights before it collapsed to the ground in November 2017.
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), based in Bedford, said it had received Civil Aviation Authority backing to start work on a new craft.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-46810151

[joe-fbs]

The BBC article was quickly corrected so my criticisms below no longer apply.

Old news indeed. We made this decision months ago and have been working on the production aircraft for some time. Spotters will have noticed that the registration of aircraft 001 (G-PHRG) was cancelled sometime in the summer IIRC.

The new news is that in the autmun we received our EASA Design Organisation Approval (which I think that report has conflated with approval of the next design which, as anyone who understands these things will already see, is a long way off) and on the last day before Christmas we received from UK CAA our EASA Production Organisation Approval. Details about both of these very substantial achievements via this page:

https://www.hybridairvehicles.com/news-and-media/news

PS any moderator reading this might like to move it to the main Airlander thread.

PPS I am still available to give technical talks on the AIrlander flight test programme. Nothing in the diary at the moment.

[TheKentishFledgling]

PS any moderator reading this might like to move it to the main Airlander thread.

Your wish...

[Dave W]

... in the autmun we received our EASA Design Organisation Approval ... and on the last day before Christmas we received from UK CAA our EASA Production Organisation Approval.

As somebody who has been involved in development of the first of these, and exploration of the second, I can confirm that neither are even close to trivial achievements - so very many congratulations to you and the team. That's very good news.

[Pete L]

Significant business value in the approvals alone. Didn't fancy knocking up a few light aircraft in the inevitable production gaps while the glue dries on the air-bags?

[Bobcro]

I think that the mods should lock the old thread with the old news and start with an Airlander 2019 and on.

Let's be positive about what they have achieved in obtaining design and manufacturing approval and wish them well in securing early orders and funding.

Forever upwards and onwards.

[gaznav]

Significant business value in the approvals alone. Didn't fancy knocking up a few light aircraft in the inevitable production gaps while the glue dries on the air-bags?

I wholeheartedly agree. I also suggest that there is more of a global market for a nice EASA-certified 2-seat aerobatic light aircraft at a reasonable price than for a giant bottom-shaped gas bag. This light aircraft could even experiment in the use the latest electric/fossil fuel tech so the ‘hybrid’ label would be spot on and no need change the company name.

You could even call it “Aerolander” - you can have that idea royalty free...

[Pete L]

joe-fbs has form for both two-seaters and aircraft

[Dave W]

And a market for one doesn't preclude a market for the other.

[CloudHound]

Didn't the US military try inflatable a/c once?

[patowalker]

Yes.

The Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV 304/Airlander 10 is a hybrid airship designed and built by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV). Comprising a helium airship with auxiliary wing and tail surfaces, it flies using both aerostatic and aerodynamic lift and is powered by four diesel engine-driven ducted propellers.

The HAV 304 was originally built for the United States Army's Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) programme. It its maiden flight took place in 2012 at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in the US. In 2013, the LEMV project was cancelled by the US Army.

[Dave W]

Also: Goodyear Inflatoplane.

[patowalker]

Looked it up and had to smile at

... its sponsor, the United States Army, ultimately cancelled the project when it could not find a "valid military use for an aircraft that could be brought down by a well-aimed bow and arrow"

[Dave W]

It's a fun line, but it's hardly true!