Massive Airship Unveiled In The U.K. Friday

A massive airship that is the world's longest aircraft was unveiled in the U.K. on Friday. At 302 feet long, the HAV304 Airlander takes over the top spot for aircraft length from the Antonov AN-225 by nearly 30 feet.

The aircraft has been built by Hybrid Air Vehicles. According to a report in the U.K. newspaper The Telegraph, the aircraft is part helicopter, part airplane, and part airship. It is designed to stay aloft for as long as three and a half weeks, and reach speeds up to about 100 miles per hour. It was first flown in the U.S., and the company has just received a grant worth the equivalent of $4.8 million from the U.K. government, according to the report.

The HAV304's unique shape allows it to generate lift like an airplane wing, as much as 40 percent of what is necessary to get the airship airborne. That allowed engineers to design a heavier-than-air aircraft that does not need to be tethered to the ground when it is not flying.

The company says there may be a market for as many as 1,000 of the aircraft, which is an amalgam of the best feature of a cargo airplane, a helicopter, and an airship. Its missions could include delivery of humanitarian aid, surveillance, and communications in a much more environmentally friendly way than conventional aircraft.

(Image provided by Hybrid Air Vehicles)

FMI: www.hybridairvehicles.com