Hybrid Air Vehicles

HAV's hybrid air vehicle is an amalgam of the best of helicopters, aeroplanes and airships. This aircraft will revolutionise the air cargo transportation market, enabling, for the first time ever, a truly point-to-point 50 tonne cargo carrying capability, with the ability to operate with limited infrastructure and support.

HAV flew the world's largest aircraft in 2012, the Airlander 10 (the Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle project in the USA), and resumed flight trials of that aircraft last year as a prototype for a 50 tonne heavy-lift hybrid aircraft, the Airlander 50.

Two independent studies* have calculated the market for these types of aircraft to be between 600 and 1000 units. Ramping up production to 10 a year within five years is projected to lead to the creation of 1800 jobs in and around the Bedfordshire area (the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership region).