Is It A Plane? Is It An Airship? It's Both!

Lol 😛 its the first thing that sprang to mind!!!

Never understood what all the rotating cylinders were for though :confused:

I was waiting for someone to post that.

I thought I’d end up doing so myself…… 😀

Skyship One ??!?!?!?!??

Flying unmanned 1,000ft hybrids, carrying freight around the world…….interesting:eek:

Jay,

Do you intend to make a posting that isn’t a Boeing media release any time soon?

😀

Here is a real example of where a Skycat would be just the ticket

Here is a real example of where a Skycat would be just the ticket.

See URL http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1574
or http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=105909

Getting the complete payload from a major airport in Pakistan (delivered from USA by Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER) would be ideal for a future Skycat which could get it right into the flood stricken area very quickly.

I remember the skycat concept and remember at the time, skycat was supposed to be ‘the next big thing’. I will wait to see if this one gets off the ground (:p) further than the skycat idea.

I do like the idea though, and it does make sense. If nothing else, perhaps a cleaner alternative to the large use of freighter ships, trains and lorries.

The skycat have been attempting to sell that concept for years . They should really have pitched it to airbus as a way to transport a380 parts not the usaf

Thanks for sharing this – I await the summer

Hi all,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12110386

Here is the official Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. URL – http://www.hybridairvehicles.net/index.html

Thanks PMN for sharing this – I await the summer and a full size prototype and then it’s in the lap of the business ‘Gods’.:)

Interesting if the traditionalists allow it to develop

Interesting and as someone has already said above there have been several attempts previously.

My initial reaction is that similar to the awareness and available R&D regarding electric and hybrid motor vehicles that has been around for several decades all over the globe including UK, yet development has never been supported by ‘Detroit’ and traditional internal combustion proponents and permitted to emerge to be cost effective for the consumer.
Why? It’s easy to churn out slightly new variants on the same old ‘stuff’.

From civilian PAX and transport of freight it has great potential especially where it will not be required to fly in very adverse weather at great altitudes. Will airlines, road haulage, rail, shipping and air freight agents allow it to swamp their business ?
What will Boeing, Airbus, RR, GE, PW do with the oodles of R&D and production already in the pipeline ?

From a military perspective I am less convinced of it’s effectiveness as in hostile environments it certainly isn’t stealth and can be taken out very easily. To move troops and heavy equipment within safe zones possibly or within e.g. in the UK you could see it being used to move large payloads from one military base to another.

From a humanitarian aid relief support vehicle it has great potential.

Like in 1955 the famous UK invention the Hovercraft (some of these concepts are supposedly used in this HAV) yet limited applications have emerged, since.

Helium being a ‘noble’ gas it is in principle inert which makes it a plus point.

Shall look forward to the summer when a full size prototype shows itself.

Interesting if this has won a US miltary contract as Lockheed Martin built a hybrid way back in 2006 which was a prototype they wanted the US militry to take on

Link here

Haven’t HAV been around for a good few years, having gone bankrupt at least once?

Methinks it’d be too slow for mainstream pax service.