While it might seem like pie in the sky, Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) have already begun the UK approval process for the Airlander 10 airship, aka The Flying Bum.
Certification for the hybrid airship will also be sought from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
It would be the first approval for a large aircraft from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) since 1979.
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The hybrid airship uses aerostatic and aerodynamic lift.
This would make it the ‘world’s most efficient large aircraft’.
“Airlander makes new, sustainable aviation services possible at scale – it’s a large aircraft designed to deliver services from large global fleets,” HAV CEO, Tom Grundy, explained.
“Alongside our production program, applying for Type Certification is a key milestone in our journey towards this goal.”
The aircraft was originally developed with the US Army.
The first Airlander 10 prototype took flight in 2012, as the HAV 304.
However, the project was put on hold the following year with HAV bringing the airship to the UK for commercial development.
Per the BBC, it underwent numerous tests after reassembly before the resulting prototype aircraft was retired in 2019 after crashes and deflations.
The same length as a football pitch and the height of six double-decker buses, it will fly tourists to the Arctic.
Those behind the 100-passenger aircraft have already announced the decision to move production to South Yorkshire, UK.
Pre-orders have already surpassed $1.26 billion and signed deals with Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Management (AECOM) and the Royal International Air Tattoo Airshow.
HAV will begin a range of planned tests and needs to acquire ‘extensive documentation for the CAA.
From there it’s hoped the first Airlander will be constructed in 2026.
HAV has plans to develop a zero-emission version of The Flying Bum by 2030.
Electric motors will replace diesel engines to power the four propellers in the existing designs.
This would result in a 75-90 percent reduction in emissions compared to similar aircraft.
And The Flying Bum isn’t the only innovative aircraft on the horizon with the Jetson ONE ‘jet pack’ shown taking flight in this incredible footage.
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