Lokheed

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved Lockheed Martin’s certification plan for a hybrid airship.

This move will help Lockheed work on commercial deliveries of the airships, which can transport heavy cargo to remote locations.

The airship can transport 20t of cargo and can be inflated to carry 500t. It has a fuel capacity of 5,000 gallons and can travel 1,400 nautical miles at a speed of up to 60 knots.

It also expects to burn less fuel than typical aircraft and with the help of its unique shape and air cushion landing system, it can land on any flat surface such as sand, snow and water.

Since the FAA does not have specific regulations for hybrid airships, both Lockheed and the agency have embarked on creating new criteria for safe commercial operation of non-rigid hybrid airships.

They worked together for more than a decade to identify the criteria for commercial hybrid airships certification process.

"The approval of the certification plan represents an important risk reduction milestone for our customers."

In order to ensure safety, Transport Canada also helped the FAA while setting those criteria.

In 2013, the FAA approved the criteria and Lockheed has been developing a project specific certification plan, mentioning details on how to achieve the criteria.

Lockheed Martin programme manager Robert Boyd said: "The approval of the certification plan represents an important risk reduction milestone for our customers.

"Completing this step took dedication from both the Lockheed Martin system experts and the FAA, who worked meticulously through thousands of detailed items to achieve consistent and accurate verification statements covering the entire aircraft."

In June, Hybrid Enterprises, on behalf of Lockheed Martin, announced sales for the 20t variety of hybrid airship. They are planning to deliver the airships by 2018.

Hybrid Enterprises is the exclusive distributor of Lockheed’s hybrid airships.

Image: Orlando Carvalho (left) and Rob Binns (right) signed ceremonial certificates to symbolise the strategic alliance between Lockheed Martin and Hybrid Enterprises. Hybrid Enterprises was chosen to be the exclusive, authorised reseller of Lockheed Martin’s hybrid airships. Photo: courtesy of Lockheed Martin.