At 92 meters long and 6.6 times wider than the cabin of a Boeing 747, the Airlander 10 sets a new record for the largest aircraft ever built.
Airlander 10 is a hybrid between a balloon and an airplane. It was built for military purposes under a contract between the US military and the British company HAV. Photo: Flickr/Lisa |
It was originally called HAV 304 and was used to carry sensors for the US missile defense system. In 2013, the US military announced the cancellation of the project due to technical and funding problems. Photo: US Army |
Manufacturer HAV continued to improve HAV 304 for civilian use and changed its name to Airlander 10. Photo: Flickr/Lisa |
Airlander 10 is similar in structure to a hot air balloon with 38,000 cubic meters of helium, which accounts for 40% of its thrust from the ground. Photo: CND |
Four propeller engines, two mounted in the tail and two at the front, provide additional lift and thrust for the aircraft to operate. Photo: Gizmodo |
Airlander 10 can reach a maximum speed of about 145 km / h, a ceiling of 6 km. It can carry about 48 passengers or 10 tons of cargo. Photo: Independent |
In terms of size, Airlander 10 is superior to the world’s two largest aircraft in the field of transport and passenger, An-225 and A-330. Graphics: Scoopnest |
Airlander 10 can operate continuously for 5 days. Its advantage is the ability to take off and land on many different terrains regardless of the runway. Photo: Metro |
It has a cabin under the belly for 2 pilots to control. This aircraft can also operate in unmanned mode. Photo: News.com.au |
Airlander has a length of 92 m, a width of 43.5 m, a height of 26 m, a weight of 20 tons, a cargo capacity of 10 tons. It is equipped with 4 turbocharged diesel engines with a capacity of 325 horsepower each. Photo: Flickr/Lisa . |
Airlander 10 will be very useful in disaster relief operations, transporting goods and necessities to remote areas where conventional aircraft cannot operate. Graphic image: HAV |
However, the Airlander 10 is only really the largest in the world in terms of size, and the ability to transport goods, passengers or operating range, and speed is far behind other machines. Photo: NBC News |