Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10
| Airlander 10 | |
|---|---|
| The Airlander 10 moored at Cardington Airfield on 6 August 2017 | |
| General information | |
| Other name(s) | The Flying Bum The Flying Buttocks |
| Type | Hybrid airship |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Hybrid Air Vehicles |
| Status | Prototype |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 7 August 2012 (as HAV 304) 17 August 2016 (as Airlander 10) |
| Developed from | HAV 304 |
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The Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10 (originally developed as the HAV 304; nicknamed "The Flying Bum") 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 HAV 304 was originally built for the United States Army's Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) programme. Its maiden flight took place in 2012 at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in the US. In 2013, the LEMV project was cancelled by the US Army.
HAV reacquired the airship and brought it back to Cardington Airfield in England. It was reassembled and modified for civilian use, and in this form was redesignated the Airlander 10. The modified aircraft completed design certification testing before being written off when it came loose from its moorings in a high wind on 18 November 2017 at Cardington Airfield.
Production of the Airlander 10 has been pushed back multiple times, and deliveries are currently mooted for 2028.