Hybrid Air Vehicles plans passenger transportation

British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. (HAV) has announced that it plans to have its Airlander 10 ready for passenger transportation in 2025. Billed as the “world’s largest aircraft,” the exterior looks like a very large airship, but the inside more closely resembles a first-class ferry, with spacious and comfortable seating for 100 passengers, all with panoramic views through its floor-to-ceiling windows. The hull of the airship is a skin made of a three-layered combination of composite materials. The skin keeps in the gas and provides rigidity, allowing the airship to keep its shape when inflated. Vectran™, Kevlar^®, Tedlar^®, polyurethane and Mylar^® are among the materials used. Although planes are faster, the Airlander operates with 10 percent of the emissions typical of a conventional aircraft. By 2030, HAV expects to have a fully electric Airlander, with the vision of zero-carbon aviation. Photo: Hybrid Air Vehicles.