Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has begun the type certification process for its Airlander 10 hybrid airship with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as it hopes to receive the first approval for a large aircraft from the regulator since 1979.
The aircraft is powered by both aerostatic and aerodynamic lift and would be the “world’s most efficient large aircraft” when it begins construction according to HAV, which is also planning to work on certification concurrently with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
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Tom Grundy, CEO of HAV, said: “Airlander makes new, sustainable aviation services possible at scale – it’s a large aircraft designed to deliver services from large global fleets. Alongside our production programme, applying for Type Certification is a key milestone in our journey towards this goal.”
The aircraft was originally developed with the US Army and the first Airlander 10 took flight in 2012, as the HAV 304, before the programme was cancelled the following year and HAV took possession of the vehicle and brought it to the UK to develop it for commercial use.
While the original prototype aircraft was retired in 2019 after a series of tests following its reassembly in 2016, some of which ended in notable crashes or deflations, HAV has continued working towards commercial production of the 100- passenger aircraft.
Since then, the company has announced plans for a new production line in South Yorkshire, UK, welcomed pre-orders totalling £1bn ($1.26bn), and signed deals with organisations including AECOM and the Royal International Air Tattoo airshow.
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By GlobalDataAs part of the certification process with the CAA, HAV will begin a range of planned tests and develop “extensive documentation” in preparation for the construction of the first Airlander, scheduled for 2026.
Additionally, HAV is hoping to develop a zero-emission version of the aircraft by 2030 with the addition of electric motors, replacing the diesel engines that powered the four propellers used in the original designs.
Current designs for the Airlander 10 mean it would provide a 75% to 90% reduction in emissions compared to comparable aircraft.
