Assembly of the unique Airlander lighter-than-air transport vehicle is now complete, Hybrid Air Vehicles announced today. The ship was shown off to visitors, fully inflated and hovering, inside the hangar in Bedfordshire, U.K. The next step will be a ground-testing phase, then it will roll out of the hangar to start an extensive flight-test program. The company said it expects to log 200 hours of test flying by the end of the year, and then will complete a series of trials and demonstrations with prospective customers. Also on display was the vehicle's multi-use cabin, which can handle a variety of roles, including surveillance, cargo, and passenger flights for up to 48. The airship is 302 feet long.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/airlander-ready-for-launch