Airlander 10, which is the world’s largest air vehicle made by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) crashed during landing on its second test flight. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident, but the airship did suffer some damage to its flight deck underneath the massive hull.
Last week the world saw Airlander 10 successfully complete its maiden flight, and make a trip around Cardington Airfield in the UK. On the day of the accident, Airlander also took flight and stayed airborne for over 100 minutes without any problems.
The problem arose when the giant air vehicle was about to land. Instead of remaining flat with its rear it nose-dived into the ground and “… experienced a heavy landing” according to HAV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg-RPTiVa_Q
The two pilots flying the blimp along with the ground crew involved in the test are said to be safe, and the airship has been taken to its normal location for “a robust set of procedures for flight test activities and investigation of issues” over the coming days.
The massive Airlander 10 airship has dimensions of 92 x 43.5 x 26 m (302 x 143 x 85 ft). It is quite powerful as it is capable of carrying payloads up to 10,000 kg (22,050 lb). As it is constructed using helium-filled hull, it easily floats away and can be moved forward and manoeuvred using the four 325-hp (242-kW), turbocharged diesel engines.
The company says that after the tests and investigation they will come out with more details on the reasons for this crash, and the adjustments they are making looking to avoid this in the future.
Watch this space!