Airship Industries Skyship 500
| Skyship 500 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| A 1983 Photo of the Skyship 500 at the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) | |
| Role | Airship |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Airship Industries |
| First flight | 28 September 1981 |
| Produced | 1980-1990 |
| Number built | 6 (including 1x AD500) |
The Skyship 500 is a non-rigid airship designed and built in the United Kingdom during the 1980s.
The Skyship 500 was developed from the Aerospace Developments AD500, the sole example of which was effectively the prototype / technology demonstrator for the production Skyship 500.
Aerospace Developments began the design of a new non-rigid airship in the 1970s, intended to carry out civil and paramilitary roles, such as aerial advertising, promotional and pleasure flying, surveillance and maritime patrol duties.
The AD500 introduced new materials and technology to airship manufacture and operations. Materials used in the ship included thin single-ply polyester, coated with titanium dioxide-doped polyurethane, for the envelope;Kevlar for the cables suspending the gondola from the top of the envelope; a Kevlar nose-cone moulded in the same manner as glass-reinforced plastic; and a gondola moulded by Vickers–Slingsby from Kevlar-reinforced plastic. Other innovations featured in the AD500 included simplified controls and thrust vectoring ducted fans driven by inboard-mounted Porsche engines.
Assembly of the prototype AD500 began at No.1 Hangar Cardington in March 1978 but it was not flown until 3 February 1979, due to various problems with certification and the power-plant. On 8 March 1979, whilst moored outside the hangar, a storm blew up unexpectedly, preventing the airship from being moved into the hangar. The nose cone was damaged and the envelope was deflated using the emergency rip cord.
Although regarded as a success, Aerovision, the major investor in Aerospace Developments, pulled the plug and the company went into liquidation on 8 June 1979. Development of the AD500 continued with a new company, Airship Developments, until it was acquired by Thermo-Skyships Ltd to form Airship Industries to bring the concept to production as the Skyship 500.
With the formation of Airship Industries production of the Skyship 500 could commence and five further airships were produced.-
The Skyship 500 consists of a polyester fabric envelope, retaining helium gas, and carrying a gondola for the control cabin, passenger cabin, propulsion systems and ballast (fixed and jettison-able). The envelope is of a traditional streamlined shape with cruciform tail surfaces which carry rudder and elevator control surfaces for yaw and pitch. The undercarriage consists of a castoring twin-wheeled oleo-pneumatic strut at the rear of the gondola, with ground handling ropes for ground crew to manoeuvre the airship on the ground. The nose-cone of the envelope also carries the mooring point which can connect to a mobile mooring mast.
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