News Airlander 10

[boogabooga]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/aviat...est-aircraft0610PMVODtopVideo&linkId=22609961

 

[TachyonDriver]

That's an impressive flying arse!

 

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/37112292


Bit of history there:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R101

R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airships completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Ministry-appointed team and was effectively in competition with the government-funded but privately designed and built R100. When built it was the world's largest flying craft[3] at 731 ft (223 m) in length, and it was not surpassed by another hydrogen-filled rigid airship until the Hindenburg flew seven years later.

 

[boogabooga]

Wow. What was it about the golden age airships that made them flying death traps? Even the helium ones.

 

[Fabri91]

A public perception of danger and them being slow compared to airplanes.

 

[Notebook]

Even today airships are a niche market. I think their difficult ground handling, sheer size, and slow speed make them a hard product to market.

Would be nice to see several of these at the gates at a modern airport. Not so nice to be in a modern thunderstorm in one!

N.

 

[Notebook]

Back in the news, but not good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-37174417

The world's largest aircraft - the Airlander 10 - has been damaged when it took a nosedive during its second test flight.

The 302ft (92m) long aircraft - which is part plane and part airship - was damaged during the flight from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire.

The £25m craft is understood to have sustained damage to its cockpit when it hit the ground at about 11:00 BST.

HAV, the developer, said all the crew were "safe and well".

A spokesman said: "The flight went really well and the only issue was when it landed."

 

[Ravenous]

Heh you only said last week that immortal phrase "difficult ground handling"!

Pity. Luckily it was only damage around the front of the cockpit area, apparently. Maybe they got out of trim and biffed the nose while approaching.

The BBC's "Live" page on this incident mentions the AAIB will be investigating, but they won't be sending a team to the site for such a minor crash so I guess there'll be a correspondence investigation. (That means statements will be published in one of the monthly bulletins at least.) So whatever happened, we're sure to hear more in due course.

 

[Notebook]

Not sure what the ground handling is for that craft. I don't see a ground crew on any pics, and I don't think it uses a mast?

N.

 

[Ravenous]

See what you mean - there are a few people holding onto ropes, inspecting the damage etc.

Is this thing a ground tractor of some sort? I've no idea what this wheeled vehicle is in this picture (taken after the bump):

 

[Notebook]

No idea either.
That damage looks worse than they were saying. Unless its been made worse after the first contact.
Surprised no-one was injured.

N.

 

[n122vu]

"The flight went really well and the only issue was when it landed."

That accurately describes several of my early flight lessons...

On a serious note, glad everyone is ok. The video on the article linked would not play, but based on the pics below it, just looks like she did a faceplant in the grass.

** Edit** Yep.

.

 

[Ravenous]

Quite a lot of revving sounds on that video, after the "gentle" bump. Maybe they were trying to control attitude with the props at that point. Oh well...

 

[Ravenous]

By the way the accident report is out. Brief summary (full report is linked to this):
https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation-to-hav-airlander-10-g-phrg

For interest these monthly reports on general aircraft incidents in the UK come out here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/air-accident-monthly-bulletins

There's a lot about management of mooring lines etc, but the summary also says about the descent itself:

"The high approach led to a situation that was considered outside the aircraft’s normal operating regime, in that it required a controlled vertical landing in very light wind conditions. The static heaviness of the aircraft had probably reduced as a result of additional environmental heating occurring between the first and second approaches."

(You probably already know this isn't a conventional airship - it's considerably heavier than air and the envelope shape contributes to overall lift in forward flight.)

 

[Notebook]

Airlander 10 'breaks in two' and collapses at Cardington

Still having probs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42037832