New photographs of the world’s longest aircraft have been
made public on Sunday ahead of its official unveiling and first UK test flight.
The Airlander 10, which is part plane, part airship and part
helicopter, is 92m long - around 15m longer than the biggest passenger jets.
The British firm Hybrid Air vehicles (HAV) have designed the craft to stay airborne for up to three weeks using helium and the vessel is able to travel at a speed of 92mph.
HAV will unveil the aircraft, standing at 26m high and 44m wide, in a First World War aircraft hangar in Bedfordshire tomorrow and it will undergo its first test flight in a few weeks’ time.
As it is heavier than air, the Airlander 10 is able to land without tethers on a variety of surfaces, including water and ice, Sky News reports.
It was first developed in 2009 for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft but its manufacture was hindered by defence cut-backs.
(With PTI inputs)