Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10
| HAV 304 / Airlander 10 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| The Airlander 10 in Cardington Hangar on 21 March 2016 | |
| Role | Hybrid airship |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Hybrid Air Vehicles |
| First flight | 7 August 2012 (as HAV 304) |
| Status | Prototype |
| Number built | 1 |
| Unit cost |
£25m
|
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 Airlander 10 is the largest aircraft flying today.
The HAV 304 was originally built for the United States Army's Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) programme. In 2012, the HAV 304 conducted its maiden flight at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in the United States. In 2013, the LEMV project was cancelled by the US Army.
HAV reacquired the airship and brought it back to RAF Cardington in England. It was reassembled and modified for civilian use, and in this form was redesignated as the Airlander 10. In 2016, the airship returned to the skies.
During the 1990s, the UK based company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) formed a partnership with US aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman to collaborate and promote the type to various military operators, particularly those of the US. Following the successful demonstration of the HAV-3 small-scale demonstrator, and with Northrop Grumman as the prime bidder, the hybrid airship concept was accepted for the US Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) project, in preference to the Lockheed Martin P-791 that had also been submitted.
The LEMV programme was intended to demonstrate a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle capable of providing Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) support for ground troops.
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