Technicians Inspect the Hull on Airlander – Maintaining the World’s Largest Aircraft
The first full inspection of Airlander’s hull was completed this week by HAV’s team of aerospace technicians as part of ongoing analysis during the Flight Test Progamme.
This was the first annual yearly check of the hull surface as a part of its flight test programme. Simple but spectacular access techniques are now proven and Airlander passed its inspection with flying colours.
Airlander is ready to demonstrate its airborne capability to its customers as its flight programme continues.
Airlander is in a class of its own in the most useful capability of payload x endurance – which is vital to patrol, search, surveillance and communications roles.
Technicians recently completed a full hull inspection of Airlander using simple, safe and spectacular rope access techniques developed to make maintaining our unique aircraft routine. As expected, no major problems were found and Airlander got the thumbs up to continue its flight test programme. This was the first time this access process has been used outside on the hull following development inside our hangar. This technique is key to enabling Airlander to demonstrate its ability to be maintained outside, without need for a permanent hangar.
We now benefit from remarkably easy access to all the upper surfaces and systems of the Airlander, using the same ascender system as the technician team uses for routine engine maintenance and inspection.
Airlander is 26m tall (around the same height as four stacked double decker buses) which means that great care and thought has been put into maintenance techniques. Safety ropes are permanently attached to the hull and our technicians undertook rigorous training to ensure the highest safety standards. Access is gained to the hull via power ascenders supplied by ActSafe, the world leaders in this kind of equipment. Safety is the priority for Airlander and we always ensure the highest standards are adhered to.
“Being up on the hull is a fantastic experience – I didn’t want to come down! It was a privilege to be part of the small team that performed the scheduled safety checks. We were pleased to find no major issues, further proving Airlander’s resilience.” – Ivor Pope, Maintenance, Modification and Ground Operations Manager
About Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd
Founded in 2007, Hybrid Air Vehicles is the company behind the innovative Airlander range of hybrid aircraft. They utilise new aerospace technology that combines the best of the characteristics of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters with lighter-than-air technology to create a new breed of hyper-efficient aircraft, with a significantly lower carbon footprint and operating cost than other forms of air transport.
Airlanders are low noise, low pollution, and are environmentally-friendly. They have ultra-long endurance, and a point-to-point cargo-carrying capacity. They can take off and land in a short distance from unprepared sites in desert, ice, water, or open field environments. Hybrid Air Vehicles has been awarded both UK and European grant funding to support the Airlander project. In addition the company has carried out two ‘crowdfunding’ rounds and is proud to have more than 2000 shareholders without whom return to flight would not have been possible. Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd was recently accepted onto London Stock Exchange’s ELITE programme for high growth companies looking to seek a listing on the Stock Market.
The Airlander project was selected for funding through a dedicated SME Instrument of Horizon 2020, which the European Commission uses to invest in and support high growth and highly innovative small businesses. The technology is also fully in line with activities under the Smart, Green and Integrated Transport Societal Challenge of Horizon 2020, which aims to boost the competitiveness of the European transport industries and achieve a European transport system that is resource-efficient, climate-and-environmentally-friendly, safe and seamless for the benefit of all citizens, the economy and society.
Airlander 10 is designed to stay airborne for up to five days at a time to fulfil a wide range of communication and survey roles, as well as cargo carrying and tourist passenger flights.
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