World’s Largest Aircraft Completes Its First Flight in UK
Local Editor
The maiden flight of the aircraft created by a British company was finally accomplished on Wednesday, after a previous attempt was dropped at the last moment.
Earlier, the flight was scheduled on August 14 but was delayed because of a "technical issue," British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles [HAV], creator of the Airlander, wrote on its official Twitter account.
Part plane, part helicopter and part airship, the huge aircraft stretches as long as a soccer field and is as high as a nine-story apartment building - it measures 92 meters in length, which is about 15 meters longer than the biggest passenger jets.
The Airlander 10 will be able to develop 148 km/h cruising speed and stay airborne for around five days during manned flights. HAV claims it could be used for a variety of purposes such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.
By 2021, the company hopes to be building 10 Airlanders a year.
Originally, the hybrid airship was designed for long-range surveillance for the US military surveillance. However, in February 2013, the US Army grounded the project because of its high cost.
HAV repurchased airship in September 2013 for US $301,000.
In 2014, the aircraft was given the name of the "Airlander" and was placed on the base of the Royal Air Force Cardington in Bedfordshire.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
Comments
- Related News
