The Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV 304 / Airlander 10 is a hybrid airship designed and manufactured by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV). Comprising an 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 Airlander 10 has the distinction of being the largest aircraft flying today.
In its original form as the HAV 304, it was built for the United States Army's Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) programme. The requirement was for a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle able to provide Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) support for ground troops.[2][3][4] In 2012, the HAV 304 conducted its maiden flight at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in the United States. In 2013, the LEMV project, and thus development of the HAV 304, was cancelled by the US Army.[5]
Following the termination of the LEMV programme, HAV reacquired the airship and brought it back to RAF Cardington in England. It was reassembled and modified for civilian use, and in this form was redesignated as the Airlander 10. In August 2016, the reassembled airship returned to the skies.[6][7] On 24 August, near the end of its second test flight, the Airlander 10 made a hard landing at Cardington Airfield after listing forward, damaging its cockpit. After 4 months of repairs, the airship was relaunched in December that year.
The Airlander was outside today so I just had to stop to take some photographs. I was not the only one who stopped to get photos and many were using their phones. It makes a change from kingfishers and it is still something that flies!
Thanks for all your kind comments and Favs - it is always much appreciated.
An interesting reminder of my induction into the RAF at nearby Henlow in 1950, seeing the abandoned airship hangars at Cardington on the skyline. These are presumably not the same hangars but it is good to know that the dream of dirigibles lives despite the tragedies of that time.
Really interesting shot and history. I used to love going past Cardington. @wordpixman We had two tours at RAF Henlow in the 1980s and Henlow was our last posting before we came to Australia in 1989.
