‘Airlander 10:’ Amazing Facts Behind World’s Largest Aircraft
The Airlander 10 is set to make its debut as the world’s largest aircraft in 2016, receiving new funding from the EU for green transport initiatives and others. The ship takes the best parts of a blimp, hovercraft, helicopter, and airplane and puts them all into one interesting-looking aircraft (as some commentators have pointed out, it looks like a butt).
It’s difficult to classify the Airlander 10. The aircraft uses helium for about 40 percent of its lift. Then four propellers, two in front and two in back, provide the additional boost to get off of the ground. Bloomberg reports the vessel then leverages its aerodynamic design to stay afloat.
According to Fox News, the Airlander is 302 feet long, roughly 50 feet longer than a Boeing 747. It may not win any contests for being fast, with a top speed of 100 miles per hour, but it can land virtually anywhere: ice, sand, snow, even water.
It can also carry 50 tonnes of cargo up to 1,600 miles.
The aircraft has the ability to hover in the same spot for about five days while humans are onboard. Without people, it can stay in the same place for weeks.
The vessel has collected a diverse group of fans and investors over the years. Most recently, the EU announced it will give the company making the Airlander, Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), a €2.5 million ($2.7 million) grant from a fund designed for low-carbon air transport. According to the Verge, that amount comes in addition to another £3.4 million ($5 million) grant from the United Kingdom.
The company is looking for even more investors on Crowdcube.
Likewise, Bruce Dickinson from the heavy metal band Iron Maiden invested $450,000 in the project. He hopes to one day fly the world’s largest aircraft non-stop around the world.
HAV hopes to use the money to make 40 Airlanders in the next four years, with the first making its debut in 2016. However, the project didn’t start out as a commercial venture. Originally, the U.S. army funded the project, hoping to get a decent long-term surveillance aircraft.
The funding from the military ran out, though, and HAV bought the project for about $300,000. Now, it’s set to become the world’s largest aircraft, and maybe one of the most versatile.
Despite its future reign as the largest aircraft on the planet, it still pales in comparison to some of history’s more hazardous designs. The famous Hindenburg was a little over 800 feet long, almost three times the length of the Airlander.
Of course, the Airlander doesn’t suffer from the same design flaws. The helium balloon is made from a polymer composite of Kevlar, Mylar, and Vectran that can withstand small fires.
If the new aircraft does have a design flaw, it is risqué visuals. According to commentators on Twitter, it looks like a butt.
This massive airship is getting a $2.7 million grant to revolutionize transport http://t.co/aysQ7N02Mr pic.twitter.com/K5L5sTHyKs
— The Verge (@verge) April 8, 2015
The aircraft might also go down in history as the largest recreation of a rear-end, as well.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
