With less than two weeks until its equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube comes to an end, UK’s Hybrid Air Vehicles has successfully raised nearly £1.5 million for its innovated aircraft, Airlander 10.
Airlander 10 is a wing-shaped aircraft that can fly for up to five days at a time if manned, and for over two weeks unmanned. The aircraft can also reach speeds of 100 mph, propelled by its wing-shaped design, four engines and the 38,000 m3 of helium in its hull.
The helium also gives it structure–it maintains its shape because of to the pressure stabilization of the helium inside the hull, and the smart and strong Vectran material that the aircraft is made of, according to Hybrid Air Vehicles, a private UK company with approximately 150 shareholders.
During a recent interview with CNBC, Chris Daniels, head of partnerships and communication at Hybrid Air Vehicles, shared details about the Airlander 10:
“We’re never going to compete with a [Boeing] 747 going across the Atlantic and we don’t want to. What we will do is do something different, where people are concerned about the environment and they want to prove that by going in a very low carbon aircraft and having a luxurious experience.”
Noting how the company has developed the aircraft, Daniels explained:
“We’ve done lots of testing, we’ve got four engines, we only need to fly on one, we can float on none…And we’re filled with inert helium which doesn’t burn…it’s not like the hydrogen of olden days.”
In regards to Airlander’s success, Daniels is hoping that it will appeal to passengers wanting to see the world from the skies, with offerings such as safaris and overnight trips:
“It will be a big, slow-moving luxurious way to travel around the world.”
Also looking to help its crowdfunding campaign attract more attention (and reach its initial £2 million dollar goal), Hybrid Air Vehicle recently hosted an Investor Presentation event, which was primarily designed for those who are thinking of investing but would like more information and the opportunity to meet the management team first. Although this event didn’t share details about the Airlander 10 design, it helped investors get a better feel of who is part of the aircraft’s team and what to expect from them as they finish the project.
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