I see the snake oil is being peddled:
My comments in
bold
What are the key capabilities of the Airlander?
The Airlander is a new and revolutionary form of hybrid aircraft characterised by:
• An environmentally friendly benchmark for air transport & logistics (between 20% and 40% of the fuel
consumption and operating costs of equivalent traditional aircraft) at 20-40% of the speed
• Rotary wing functionality with fixed wing range combined with reduced operating costs or rotary wing speed without fixed wing ease of operation
• The ability to operate from land or water, snow, ice, desert - no dedicated infrastructure needed apart from a socking great big hangar like the one at Cardington to protect it from the elements whilst you work on it
• Payload flexibility – containers, infrastructure, cargo, people and combinations just like any other transport aircraft then
• An ability to revolutionise cargo delivery and land in most places, wherever required as long as it's not too windy
• Direct end-to-end transport of cargo, without transfer delay, even to inaccessible areas as long as there are people on the ground in those inaccessible areas
• Best in class platform for persistent surveillance Airlander 10 quotes 5 days and Airlander 50 just 4 days - by the time you get there it will be time to come home!
• Ability to double up as a Search and Rescue platform in hostile seas oh brilliant, at 80kts into a 60kts gale I will bee waiting a long time in those hostile seas for help to arrive!
http://www.hybridairvehicles.com/dow...rlander-21.pdf
http://www.hybridairvehicles.com/dow...rlander-77.pdf
I hear that the great white elephant will fly next week as the conditions may be OK - what a great endorsement of its so called 'all weather' capability!
Then the real truth comes out:
What are the ground handling capabilities of the Airlander?
The Airlander has much better ground handling capabilities and requires far less ground crew than a traditional airship. It can land like a conventional aircraft when heavy and can power itself down onto the ground when light. In addition, each Airlander is fitted with integrated mooring mast attachment. After landing, this is connected to a mooring mast so that the Airlander is free to rotate and face the wind, similar to a weather vane. This allows the Airlander to withstand winds speeds of up to 80 knots at ground level.
Cargo can be loaded and unloaded by crane, winch, ramp or scissor lift, depending on the configuration and type of cargo. Minimal ground crew are required: two for an Airlander 10 and none for an Airlander 50.
So you need a large area for this thing to swivel around its mast (not included) and then a load of ground support equipment to load/unload it. Minimal groundcrew - my arse!
More gems contained in here:
http://www.hybridairvehicles.com/dow...&A%20Sheet.pdf
LJ
