Flying High: UK’s Modern-Day Green Airship Takes Shape

AFP/APP

Bedford: Britain’s innovative Airlander 10 airship could soon take to the skies to offer leisure passengers panoramic views and far less pollution than traditional aircraft, according to its manufacturer.

On the outskirts of the town of Bedford, north of London, the UK company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) says its plans are well underway for greener but slower commercial air travel.

The Airlander, which is 300 feet (91 metres) long, is lifted by its gigantic helium-filled hull, which is then steered through the air by engine propellers powered by conventional fuel.

The dirigible is “unlike any other aircraft cabin you’ve sat in,” HAV chief executive Tom Grundy told AFP on a visit to the Bedford facility.

“It’s big, it’s long, it’s spacious, and it’s very quiet to sit on board.

“There are floor-to-ceiling windows, and the aircraft’s unpressurized, so you can even open a window and look at the outside world as you’re going over it.”

Cutting Emissions

The airship, initially developed for the US army, is longer than the Airbus A380 jumbo yet pumps out up to 75 percent less emissions than aircraft, according to HAV.

The group plans to start production later this year, while electric- and hydrogen-powered versions are planned in order to further slash emissions.

HAV has already manufactured a prototype, part of which is now on display in Bedford after completing test flights.

The tech hub also features a life-size model of the future airship that allows visitors to step on board and view its “luxury” configuration, including a bar, passenger cabins, and an observation lounge.

However, experts concede that airships will be hindered as a form of transport owing to their slow speeds compared to other airborne modes.

Professor Andreas Schaefer, director of the Air Transportation Systems Laboratory at University College London, cautioned that it would be a “niche” market.

“On a commercial basis, as a vehicle for long-distance transport, I can’t see any future because the speed is simply too slow,” he noted.

HAV is one of the few companies that want to relaunch the airship with inert gas helium.

Almost 90 years ago, the Hindenburg Zeppelin, filled with highly flammable hydrogen, exploded in the United States in 1937, killing 36 people and ending the widespread use of airships.

Airship Revival

Yet the potential of airships to provide an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative to helicopters and passenger jets for transportation has now sparked renewed interest.