Hybrid Air Vehicles
{{short description|British manufacturer of hybrid airships}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{For|the "Hybrid Air" vehicle engine|PSA Group#Hybrid Air}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Hybrid Air Vehicles
| logo = Hybrid Air Vehicles logo.jpg
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Limited
| predecessor = SkyCat Group Ltd
| successor =
| founder = Roger Munk
| defunct =
| fate =
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Sam Macleod (Chairman)
Tom Grundy (Chief Executive)
| industry = Aviation
| genre =
| products = Airlander 10
| services =
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| homepage = {{URL|https://www.hybridairvehicles.com}}
| footnotes =
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| caption =
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2007}}
| location_city = Ampthill Road, Bedford
| location_country = United Kingdom
| locations =
}}
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) Limited is a British limited company and a British manufacturer of hybrid airships, though none have been built since the crash of its last demonstrator in [https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2017-11-20/british-hybrid-airship-suffers-second-serious-accident Nov 2017]. These aircraft use both aerodynamics and lighter-than-air (LTA) technology to generate lift, potentially allowing the vehicle to stay aloft for several weeks.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12110386 The new vehicle set to revolutionise the skies], BBC, 4 January 2011
The company developed the HAV 3 technology demonstrator. This won it the US Army LEMV contract, in association with Northrop Grumman as the prime contractor, and led to the HAV 304. Following termination of the LEMV project, the HAV 304 was rebuilt as the Airlander 10. It was the largest aircraft flying at the time. The Airlander 10 was damaged in one event in 2016 and then written off after another event at the mast in 2017. The company has stated that it will not be rebuilt.
History
=Origins=
{{main|Airship Industries}}
HAV is the latest in a line of companies to acquire and develop airship technologies in the UK. Aerospace Developments was formed in 1971 and since then its assets have passed through successive companies Airship Developments, Airship Industries, Westinghouse Airships, Airship Technologies, Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) and, immediately preceding HAV, the SkyCat group which folded in 2007.
During this period a number of airships and hybrids were built.
=Multi-hull airships=
Hybrid Air Vehicles was formed in 2007 by Roger Munk (Jeffrey Roger Munk 1947–2010).{{cite web|title=Jeffrey Roger Munk 1947–2010|url=https://www.hybridairvehicles.com/rogermunk.aspx|work=Extract from a Royal Aeronautical Society post|publisher=Hybrid Air Vehicles|access-date=17 December 2011}} It acquired the assets of the SkyCat group and established itself at Cardington Airfield, Bedfordshire, UK.
The company developed the HAV 3 technology demonstrator. In partnership with Northrop Grumman (NGC) as prime contractor, in 2009 it won a US$500 million US Army contract to develop a Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), which was delivered between 2009 and early 2013. Hybrid Air Vehicles designed, developed and manufactured the HAV 304 aircraft for the LEMV project, with NGC acting as the prime contractor and sensor system integrator.{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/22/lemv_contract/|title=Huge new airships for US Army: designed in Blighty|website=The Register }} On 7 August 2012 a successful 90-minute test flight took place in Lakehurst, New Jersey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/85175/First_flight_test_successful_for_Army_s_Long_Endurance_Multi_Intelligence_Vehicle_air_vehicle/|title=First flight test successful for Army's Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle air vehicle {{!}} Article|last=Service|first=Army News|website=www.army.mil|access-date=2016-03-30}} The LEMV project was cancelled In February 2013.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gizmag.com/lemv-airship-canceled/26274/|title=US Army cancels LEMV airship project|website=www.gizmag.com|access-date=2016-03-30}}
Hybrid Air Vehicles took the opportunity to buy back the envelope and associated materials, which they returned to the UK for conversion to the civilian Airlander 10.{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-blimp-fire-sale-20131023-story.html|title=Army lets air out of battlefield spyship project|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2016-03-30}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26337673 |publisher=BBC |date=28 February 2014 |title=World's longest aircraft is unveiled in UK |first=Richard |last=Westcott }} In 2014 it was unveiled in Cardington. It was reported as the world's largest aircraft.{{cite news|last=Carter|first=Claire|title=World's largest aircraft unveiled and hailed 'game changer'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenertransport/10667081/Worlds-largest-aircraft-unveiled-and-hailed-game-changer.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228154855/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenertransport/10667081/Worlds-largest-aircraft-unveiled-and-hailed-game-changer.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 February 2014|access-date=1 March 2014|newspaper=Daily Telegraph|date=28 February 2014}}
One investor, heavy metal singer and commercial pilot Bruce Dickinson, announced plans to fly twice around the world nonstop.{{citation |url=http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/stories/lead-singer-for-iron-maiden-to-pilot-hybrid-airship-around-the |title=Lead singer for Iron Maiden to pilot hybrid airship around the world |first=Sami |last=Grover |date=20 March 2014 |work=Mother Nature Network}}
Aircraft
=HAV-3=
The HAV-3 craft was a {{convert|50|ft|m}} long remote-controlled scale demonstrator based on the SkyCat concept.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/7918762/Airships-a-second-age.html|title=Airships: a second age|first=Horatia|last=Harrod|date=4 August 2010|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}
Registered as G-OHAV (company serial HAV-3/001) it was built in 2008.{{citation |url=http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=reg&fullregmark=OHAV |access-date=18 April 2014 |date= 2014-04-17 |title=GINFO Registration History |publisher=Civil Aviation Authority }} Its first flight was in September 2008 at Cardington Airfield.Gabriel Alexander Khoury (editor) [https://books.google.com/books?id=SiaejBco6NUC&dq=HAV-3+airship&pg=PA471 Airship Technology], Cambridge University Press 2012, {{ISBN|978-1-107-01970-6}} (p. 471)
It was retired in 2010 following receipt of the LEMV contract.{{cite web |url = http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/06/14/343259/video-northrop-wins-race-to-revive-hybrid-airships-with-517-million-order.html |title = Northrop wins race to revive hybrid airships with $517 million order |publisher = Flight Global |date = 14 June 2010}}
=HAV-304 LEMV and Airlander 10=
{{Main|Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10}}
The HAV 304 was developed for the US military LEMV project.
Following cancellation of the LEMV project, HAV bought back the HAV 304, returned it to the UK and converted it for civilian use as the Airlander 10. Airlander 10 is {{convert|92|m|ft|0}} long, {{convert|44|m|ft|0}} wide, and {{convert|26|m|ft|0}} high. The Airlander 10 landed nose-down on 24 August 2016 during its second test flight on the Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire, causing damage to the cockpit.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/24/worlds-biggest-aircraft-crashes-bedfordshire-airlander-10|title=World's biggest aircraft crashes in Bedfordshire|first=Caroline|last=Davies|date=24 August 2016|website=The Guardian}} Repairs were completed by February the following year,{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airlander-repaired-and-almost-ready-to-fly-again-ha-434055/|title=Airlander repaired and almost ready to fly again: HAV|date=10 February 2017|publisher=www.flightglobal.com}} and the Airlander recommenced its flight test programme on 10 May 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/technology/world-s-biggest-aircraft-nails-critical-test-flight-n763706|title=World's biggest aircraft nails critical test flight|publisher=NBC News}} On 18 November 2017, the airship broke free from its moorings in a high wind and fell to the ground.{{cite web|last1=Busby|first1=Mattha|title=Giant airship comes loose in UK|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/18/worlds-longest-aircraft-airlander-10-collapses-in-uk|website=The Guardian|access-date=18 November 2017|date=18 November 2017}} The craft was written off after this incident.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42037832 |title=World's longest aircraft collapses |date=2017-11-18 |work=BBC News |access-date=2017-11-18 |language=en-GB}}
=Airlander 50=
The Airlander 50 is a proposed larger transport craft with a 50 tonne payload.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/greenertransport/10667081/Worlds-largest-aircraft-unveiled-and-hailed-game-changer.html|title=World's largest aircraft unveiled and hailed 'game changer' |last1=Carter |first1=Claire |date=28 February 2014 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited |access-date=27 February 2014}}{{citation |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-hav39s-hybrid-airship-takes-shape-at-cardington-396576/ |publisher=flightglobal |title=IN FOCUS HAV's hybrid airship takes shape at Cardington |date=4 Mar 2014 |last=Morrison |first=Murdo |work=Flight International |url-access=subscription }}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.hybridairvehicles.com/}}
- https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2017-11-20/british-hybrid-airship-suffers-second-serious-accident
- [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/124xx/doc12479/11-01-Airships.pdf US Congress Budget Office Report on Military Airship programmes outlining plans]{{deadlink|date=February 2023}}
{{Hybrid Air Vehicles}}
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom}}
Category:Aerospace companies of the United Kingdom
Category:Aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom
Category:Airship manufacturers
Category:Airships of the United Kingdom
Category:British companies established in 2007