Airlander 10, commonly known as the Flying Bum, because of its perk and round back, crashed during its second test flight. The massive ship that is officially known as Martha Gwyn crashed as it landed at its base at Cardington Airfield. A spokesperson for the ship’s maker noted that they were debriefed following the second flight test and the crash and no crew was injured.
Airlander 10, is described to have run into problems as it was going to land when hit a telegraph pole and started running into problems. According to an eyewitness, A line that was hanging down from the plane hit a telegraph pole that was located about two fields away, then as it came into land, Airlander seemed to nose dive, landing on the cockpit smashing it up.
The 302-ffot long ship made its maiden journey last week. HAV, the ship manufacturer had launched a campaign to get the aircraft in the skies, with the ship starting its first test flight following a $33 million overhaul. The aircraft had initially been developed by the US government as a surveillance vehicle though it production was stopped due to government cutbacks. When the US government abandoned the idea, other investor took up the project with the aim of transporting cargo and larger goods.
Airlander is expected to be a greener alternative to air travel since it uses helium gas. The ship is supposed to be in a position of going the much greater distance without stopping because it does not use conventional fuel and does not need frequent refueling. An interesting fact about the aircraft is that it can take off and land vertically. This means that it does not need a tarmac runway. It can also operate from open fields, deserts, water or ice. The ship can carry ten tons payload and can stay in the air for up to five days.
The ship is currently on sale for £25 million. HAV hope that it could be used for a variety of purposes including communication, surveillance, and deliveries. The company expects to be building ten of them per year by 2021.
featured image credit:airships.net
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