I've just been to the HQ version of this. The Head of Partnerships and Communications Chris Daniels was there along with, I think the technical director but I didn't bring a pen and pad, stupidly, to write names down.
From what I can remember and in no order (please remember that I am not qualified in any way and if I have misheard something they said then I won't know I'm repeating rubbish):
- They smiled a bit because someone from Lockheed Martin was there (their competition for LEMV was the P-791).
- They discussed the path to certification - via CAA experimental prototype and then moving on to EASA. They say they have been allowed to read over certification that was done in the US for the FAA.
- The airships can do VTOL at the cost of extra fuel.
- They can hover - the rear engines can deflect their thrust vertically down and the front engines can turn.
- They had to get it reclassified as non-military to be able to get it back to the UK. Fortunately the State Department agreed that with all the Northrop Grumman stuff taken out, it was all UK developed IP and they were then free to take it back to the UK and also to talk about the data they had collected.
- The skin is made with several fabrics including one developed for sails in the Americas cup. This material keeps its shape well and that makes the aerodynamics work.
- They have a lot of patents on their way of fastening all the bits to the hull. There are no rigid components inside.
- There are places for sensors that mean that no sensors come into contact with the ground when it lands - whatever that means.
- The first prototype - the Airlander 10
- Has 2 roughly man-sized bits of ground handling equipment. It needs a mast. It also needs 2 ground crew because it doesn't have a suction skirt.
- Is overweight but they know exactly what to do to sort that out for #2.
- Has an unpressurised cabin as it was only the unmanned operation that was supposed to be high.
- #2 will have has a 5-6 day endurance with pilots and every thing need to keep them happy. 21 if remotely piloted.
- The Airlander-50:
- Has a hover skirt that can provide 10 tonnes of down force
- Can get another 10 from it's larger engines.
- hence it can stay on the ground without needing to move to face the wind in fairly high winds (note that I'm not saying what those are).
- carries 3x2 standard shipping containers.
- It can stay on the ground 40 tonnes light. if you want to unload then last 10 tonnes then you have to refuel it or put some new cargo in from the opposite side as you take it out. (unloading happens front and back).
- Can be built by 2019.
- will do 110 knots.
- The hangars at Cardington are by no means ideal - they're just the only choice at the moment.
- There are air currents and wind tunnel effects in the hangars but the airships can be moved in and out in a < 15mph wind because they are quite big.
- Solar panels can be stuck on top - not that they are spending too much time on this kind of thing at the beginning - but it would be a useful way to achieve lower emissions or increased range or let them have more power-hungry equipment onboard.
That's my brain dump for the moment. I'll edit if I remember any more.