Lockheed Martin's new LMH1 hybrid airship could be rolled out as early as 2018. The LMH1, prototypes of which have been in development for two decades, will have room for a crew of two, and up to 19 passengers. Lockheed says the airships can revolutionize the way oil and mining companies haul equipment to remote areas, such as the Arctic, without roads or infrastructure, enabling affordable delivery of heavy cargo and personnel. The airship's four hovercraft-like landing pads allow it to set down on flat land without being required to be moored on large towers like traditional airships. It has a fuel capacity of 5,000 gallons with a range of 1,400 nautical miles, and can cruise at a speed of 60 knots. The exact dimensions have not yet been given. The new LMH1 hybrid airship, filled mostly with helium, can carry 20 tons of cargo, but can easily be scaled to roughly the size of a football field with 500 tons of capacity. "The approval of the certification plan represents an important risk reduction milestone for our customers," program manager Robert Boyd said in a statement. Lockheed says its airships can transport heavy cargo to remote locations, burn significantly less fuel than conventional aircraft and land on any flat surface, including sand, snow and water. In November 2019 the Federal Aviation Administration gave Lockheed Martin the greenlight for the defense contractor’s hybrid airships, which it planned to roll out as early as 2018. To help make these Hybrid Airships available to the world, Lockheed Martin is using Hybrid Enterprises as its exclusive, authorized, worldwide reseller of our Hybrid Airships and related aftermarket value-added services. The team built and flew the technology demonstrator known as the P-791, which successfully demonstrated all the technologies needed to make this real. Lockheed Martin has invested more than 20 years to develop the Hybrid Airship’s technology, prove its performance and ensure there are compelling economics for various markets who would benefit from using this platform. The airship offers the simplicity of a pickup truck by carrying cargo loads and personnel in and out of remote areas daily, not just certain seasons or only after major road, rail or airport infrastructure is developed. With unlimited access to isolated locations around the globe, Hybrid Airships safely and sustainably support a wide range of activities in areas with little to no infrastructure. Burning less than one tenth the fuel of a helicopter per ton, the Hybrid Airship will redefine sustainability for the future. Hybrid Airships make it possible to affordably deliver heavy cargo and personnel to remote locations around the world. The contract follows a Letter of Intent signed by the two companies in May 2002.Hybrid Airships offer large cargo capacities with significant reductions in fuel consumption compared to other air vehicles while remaining faster than land and sea transportation systems.
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Wolfgang Schneider, CargoLifter AG chief executive officer, said, "The new restructured CargoLifter is pleased to be able to use its extensive knowledge of lighter-than-air platform development to assist Boeing in establishing a lead position in the stratospheric airship market - a market that is set to grow significantly over the next decade."īoeing and CargoLifter currently are taking the first steps to put together their team.
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Airships may be a suitable platform for such applications."ĭr. Several governments have research and development activities focused on stratospheric platforms to support communications and surveillance requirements. "CargoLifter has the capability and expertise for lighter-than-air platform development, and we are excited to work with them. "This is an important new business opportunity for Boeing," said Charlie Guthrie, director of rapid prototyping and advanced concepts for the Boeing Unmanned Systems organization. The contract, which provides for a detailed study of lighter-than-air stratospheric platforms, will enable Boeing and CargoLifter to coordinate efforts to bid as airship system suppliers for current and future programs. CargoLifter AG have signed a contract to jointly explore stratospheric airship concepts.