News

2016-04-03

Hybrid Airships all set to Revolutionise Transportation

The Airships will make it possible to affordably deliver heavy cargo and personnel to remote locations

The aviation market has been seeking two innovations: the ability to stay airborne for days and weeks at a time in order to achieve surveillance, search and survey tasks; and the ability to transport heavy goods point-to-point, without the need for expensive airport infrastructure. The aerospace company that solves either of these problems with a safe, robust and reliable aircraft will dominate these markets. Hybrid Airships offer large cargo capacities with significant reductions in fuel consumption compared to other air vehicles while remaining faster than land and sea transportation systems.

Airships are aerospace vehicles that get most of their lifting capability from ‘static’ lift using gases which are lighter than air (LTA), unlike aircraft that fly using the principles of dynamic lift i.e. wings (fixed or rotary). In essence, much of the energy expended by a conventional aircraft is used to keep it in the air, while most of the energy used by an airship is to propel it forward. Airships were widely used in the first half of the 20th century, for a variety of purposes, but the speed, power and glamour of conventional aircraft eclipsed the benefits of LTA vehicles for many years. However, widespread concerns about climate change, the effects of economic and political turmoil on the price of petroleum and the need for security organisations to maintain persistent surveillance in a cost-effective manner, are causing a fundamental reassessment of the utility of Airships.

A number of organisations are beginning to explore the use of LTA vehicles for different roles in today’s society. As well as traditional airship types, the last few years have seen some interest in exploring new concepts which combine static lift with an increased use of dynamic lift, using either airfoil or rotorcraft technology to increase their lifting capabilities. These hybrid systems are generating much interest in the civil and military arena. More than two-thirds of the world’s land area and more than half the world’s population have no direct access to paved roads. As you move farther away from infrastructure, cost, time and the safety of transport becomes more of a challenge.

Hybrid Airships enable affordable and safe delivery of heavy cargo and personnel to virtually anywhere, water or land, in normal flying weather conditions, with little to no infrastructure. The technologies required for Hybrid Airships are mature and have been demonstrated in-flight. In 2006, the half scale prototype vehicle, P-791, flew in Palmdale, California and successfully completed all flight test objectives. The two-man proof-of concept featured fully functional digital flight controls and an air cushion landing system (ACLS).

With unlimited access to isolated locations around the globe, Hybrid Airships safely and sustainably support a wide range of activities in areas with little to no infrastructure. The airship offers the simplicity of a pickup truck by carrying cargo loads and personnel in and out of remote areas daily, not just certain seasons or only after major road, rail or airport infrastructure is developed.

On-going Development

Lockheed Martin were the first organisation to fly a manned proof of concept vehicle with their P791, which first flew in January 2006. Although video of the first flight shows, what appears to be, alarming instability, Lockheed Martin stated in late 2011 that they have resolved any stability issues using avionics software.

Hybrid Air Vehicles were sub-contracted by Northrop Grumman to build a vehicle for the US Army under very tight time constraints. The Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle made its maiden flight on 7 August 2012. Plans to develop a heavy lift transport variant, now rebranded the Airlander, are on-going.

The Boeing Skyhook project apparently progressed to design freeze, but there were insufficient backers to take the project to the prototype stage, and it was subsequently shelved.

In addition to aerodynamic lift, there is also the potential, initially proposed by Jean-Francois de Roziere, of heating the lifting gas to increase available lift. The principle has been used in the Ballooning world for several world records, but has not yet been successfully applied to a Helium airship. There is currently a renewed interest in the Hybrid concept, both for heavy lift and for surveillance purposes from the US Military.

Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airships

Lockheed Martin is using Hybrid Enterprises as its exclusive, authorised, worldwide reseller of Hybrid Airships and related aftermarket value-added services. The company has invested more than 20 years to develop the Hybrid Airship’s technology, prove its performance and ensure there are compelling economics for various markets that would benefit from using this platform. Almost eight years ago, the team built and flew the technology demonstrator known as the P-791, which successfully demonstrated all the technologies needed to make this real. Since then, the team has completed all required FAA certification planning steps for a new class of aircraft and they are ready to begin construction of the first commercial model and the completion of the FAA Type certification process.

In 2015 June, Hybrid Enterprises LLC, acting on behalf of Lockheed Martin, announced that they will be taking orders for Hybrid Airships with deliveries planned as early as 2018.

“Lockheed Martin’s Hybrid Airships will significantly reduce the cost and environmental impact of remote operations, making it possible to reach locations previously thought inaccessible,” said Rob Binns, Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Enterprises. “Customers will feel confident that with more than a century of proven experience, Lockheed Martin has repeatedly solved seemingly impossible challenges through its products and technologies.”

The technologies required for Hybrid Airships are already mature and have been demonstrated in-flight by Lockheed Martin’s P-791. Work is currently underway on the 20 tonne variant at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility in Palmdale, California.

Airlander 10

Currently working on developing the Airlander 10, Hybrid Air Vehicles uses innovative technology to combine the best characteristics of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters with lighter-than-air technology to create a new breed of hyper-efficient aircraft. It can stay airborne for up to five days at a time if manned, and for over two weeks unmanned. It will fulfil a wide range of communication, cargo carrying and survey roles in both the military and commercial sectors all with a significantly lower carbon footprint than other forms of air transport.

More recently, the team at Hybrid Air Vehicles has re-examined the basic principles behind lighter-than-air science and applied modern technology and materials to create new capabilities and efficiencies.

At 302ft (92 metres), the Airlander 10 is the world’s longest aircraft. The part plane and part airship was first designed in 2010, but a series of budget cuts left it sitting in hanger in Bedfordshire. The £3.4 million (US$5.25 million) grant from the UK government is set to get the giant aircraft off ground.

While the US Army originally designed the aircraft for surveillance and reconnaissance, the UK government is hoping to use it to transport cargo cheaply, according to reports. The ship, previously named HAV304, is capable of carrying around 20,000 pounds (nine tonnes) of cargo for up to five days at a time without landing. It is also 10 to 20 per cent cheaper than a helicopter to operate. The giant aircraft is currently being held at Cardington, UK, which has the only hangar big enough to accommodate the 113ft (34m) wide and 85ft (26m) high aircraft.

The UK government’s innovation agency has also enabled Hybrid Air Vehicles to start a full engine test programme, enabling it to double its staff in 2014.

While it looks like giant airship, it has a unique aerodynamic shape that means it can also create lift just like an aeroplane wing. The cambered shape provides up to 40 per cent of the vehicle’s lift. This allowed engineers to make the machine heavier than air, removing the need for crew to hang onto ropes to hold it down. A number of ballonets fore and aft in each of the hulls provide pressure control. The aircraft is powered by four 350 hp, four litre V8 direct injection, turbocharged diesel engines. Two engines mounted forward on the hull and two on the stern of the hull for cruise operation.

Airlander 10 will eventually lead to the development of the Airlander 50, which would be able to transport 50 tonnes of freight. The huge aircraft combines the best of aeroplane, airship and helicopter design. Hybrid Air Vehicles believes there could be a world market for between 600 and 1,000 of these aircraft. For the time being, the company plans to produce around 10 a year for the next four or five years. This is expected to lead to the creation of 1,800 jobs in the Bedfordshire area.

This year will be a momentous one for the future of aviation with the Airlander 10 taking to the British skies for the first time; Hybrid Air Vehicles’s pioneering team of experts continues to make ground-breaking progress on a daily basis – most recently attaching the Mission Module to the iconic hull.

Unlike traditional airships, the Airlander has no internal structure but it becomes rigid through being filled with helium, at just above atmospheric pressure. The super-strong hull material has been designed by Warwick Mills and assembled by ILC Dover, the company who make NASA spacesuits. Its innovative composition includes a woven fabric for strength on the inside, and a Tedlar layer for protection on the outside, sandwiching a mylar film to retain the helium.

An Airlander produces 60 per cent of its lift aerostatically (by being lighter-than-air) and 40 per cent aerodynamically (by being wing-shaped) as well as having the ability to rotate its engines to provide an additional 25 per cent of thrust up or down; this means the Airlander can hover as well as land on almost any surface, including ice, desert and even water. It produces less noise, less pollution, has a lower carbon footprint than conventional aircraft, and has longer endurance and better cargo-carrying capacity than any other flying vehicle.

Why Hybrid Airships?

More than two-thirds of the world’s land area and more than half the world’s population have no direct access to paved roads. As you move farther away from infrastructure, cost, time and the safety of transport becomes more of a challenge. Hybrid Airships will enable affordable and safe delivery of heavy cargo and personnel to virtually anywhere – water or land, in normal flying weather conditions – with little to no infrastructure. Hybrid Airships also burn much less fuel than conventional aircraft. For many projects, the combination of these capabilities makes Hybrid Airships the best economic choice and an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional modes of transportation.

Reference Text/Photo:

www.lockheedmartin.com

www.telegraph.co.uk, www. wikipedia.org

www.hybridairvehicles.com, www.cnn.com

www.northropgrumman.com

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