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Materials innovation leads to ground-breaking aircraft

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  • Duration: 3 mins
  • Publication date: 20 Jan 2016
  • Part of series IET MIA Horizontal Innovation

Abstract

The Airlander uses the latest technology and carbon composite materials to create a revolutionary surveillance aircraft with ground-breaking capabilities.

The helium-filled Airlander is the creation of Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), a company that itself was born out of decades of British innovation and research in Lighter Than Air (LTA) craft.

Forward Composites were able to apply their race-bred composites expertise to the British SME-led development of the revolutionary Airlander, with HAV making the step from initial prototype to manufacture, with the aim to create a super-sized transportation and surveillance aircraft that has the capability of spending weeks in the air on a single mission.

To find out more on this Horizontal Innovation initiative please visit www.theiet.org/horizontal-innovation

Keywords:
  • Horizontal
  • MIA
  • Williams
  • aerospace
  • air vehicles
  • aircraft
  • cargo
  • environment
  • innovation
  • low carbon
  • technology

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