Hybrid Air Vehicles is pleased to announce the structural damage sustained by Airlander’s heavy landing this summer has now been repaired, and over the Christmas period the new cockpit will be painted prior to the windscreens being fitted. The early part of 2017 will consist of a series of rigorous tests before Airlander continues its Flight Test Programme.
2016 was a momentous year, with Airlander’s First Flight breaking new ground in aviation history. Airlander claimed the title of the world’s largest flying aircraft. The two flights represented the only hybrid flight in 2016 and Airlander is the only full-sized aircraft ever to fly in this entirely new way, merging wing-shape lift with buoyant lift.
2016 in Numbers:
- 128 people have worked on Airlander this year
- 100 million online views of Airlander related articles
- Twice #1 story on the BBC website
- 600,000 views of our first flight video on our YouTube channel
- 26,000 UK students engaged with Airlander through direct or partner STEM activities
Unveiling & Naming - The Airlander was finally completed and unveiled to an excited ensemble of global press within the hangar. Following this, in April, HRH The Duke of Kent visited and officially named the Airlander as ‘Martha Gwyn’ in tribute to Chairman Philip Gwyn’s wife.
Crowdfunding & Regulatory Flight Approval - We successfully raised over £1 million funding on Crowdcube in April after raising £500,000 in just half a day! This helped fund us through to First Flight. We were also cleared for Take-off having been issued with the 2 key documents from EASA and CAA which were needed for First Flight.
“This clearly demonstrates the regulators' confidence in Airlander,” confirmed the Airlander’s Airworthiness and Certification Manager, Carl Thomas.
Hangar Exit & Final Tests - By August we had completed our robust indoor tests and in the early hours of August 6 the Airlander glided majestically from the hangar and was guided to her new outdoor base on the Airfield. A final series of tests were then carried out in the following days.
First Flight – After building global attention the day finally came for First Flight and just before 8pm on 17th August, 2016, Airlander took to the sky for the first time in front of assembled crowds and media – we literally stopped traffic!
“It was a beautiful day to be out on the field and it was a real pleasure to see the "Martha Gwyn" take off. It was a short flight, but a good one, and we captured headlines round the world.” –Stephen McGlennan, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles.
Second Flight & Hard Landing – On a sunny day on 24th August the Airlander undertook a second successful flight that lasted for over an hour and a half. As she came in to land a technical issue led to a heavy landing that resulted in a damaged cockpit but without injury. Following this the Airlander was brought into the hangar where she has been undergoing repairs, which are nearing completion.
Awards - We have won and been shortlisted for a number of Awards, including the EEF’s "Future Manufacturing Award for 2016", "Cleantech Innovate" and were delighted to be asked to showcase at the finals of WIRED magazine’s “Moonshot” awards.
STEM - Over 26,000 UK students have been engaged with Airlander through direct, or partner STEM activities. Our School’s programme has presented at over 20 schools and has run programmes lasting a full term. We once again supported the School’s Aerospace Challenge and invited the 40 finalists to the Hangar during the summer camp at Cranfield University.
VIP Visits - We have hosted visits to senior military personnel from over a dozen countries and have been visited by two Ministers, half a dozen MPs and a similar number of Peers. We have presented regularly to Aerosocieties, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Engineering & Technology, Rotary Clubs and other organisations. For the first time, we exhibited at the Farnborough Airshow and have also presented at the Royal United Services Institute Air Power conference, the EU Horizon 2020 conference in Brussels and at the UK Government’s Department for International Development in Whitehall.
Potential Customers - Although we tend to mainly host visitors in Cardington, we have also been to meet potential customers and investors in the USA, Canada, China, Brazil, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar the UAE and throughout Europe.