Lockheed Martin plans to offer a new 20-tonne-capacity hybrid airship to the international heavy-haulage market, company executives announced at the Paris Air Show on 16 June.
The Lockheed Martin Hybrid (LMH)-1 vehicle, which will be based on the Skunk Works-developed P-791 prototype that first flew in 2006, is the culmination of more than 20 years of the company's involvement in the field of hybrid airship technology, the head of Aeronautics division, Orlando Carvalho, told reporters at Le Bourget.
"This is now the transition from concept to reality," he said at the launch event.
As with all hybrid airships, the LMH-1 is actually a heavier-than-air vehicle, with 80% of its lift coming from the buoyancy of the helium enclosed within it, and the remaining 20% coming from the aerodynamics of the rigid outer shell. Being heavier-than-air, it does not require mooring masts or tie-down points to secure it to the ground. Instead, it uses the Air Cushion Landing System (ACLS) that serves as something like a hovercraft, enabling the vehicle to manoeuvre on the ground. It can also provide suction to better secure it when loading or unloading cargo.
Specifications released by Lockheed Martin give the LMH-1 a cruise speed of 60 kt; a range of 1,400 n miles; a payload of up to 21,000 kg-plus in the 3 x 3 x 18 m cargo bay; the capability to carry 19 passengers; a 730 m field requirement (or the ability to do a near-vertical take-off with a reduced payload within 150 m). It will be driven by four 300 hp diesel thrust-vectoring engines and is 'the size of a football field' (exact dimensions were not given).
The launch event also saw Lockheed Martin announce a partnering agreement with Hybrid Enterprises of Atlanta, Georgia, for marketing the vehicle. According to Carvalho, the target market is the commercial world of oil exploration and mining, although he noted that the company stands ready to support any military requirements, be they the sale or lease of the airship.
Carvalho said that all of the LMH-1's technology has been validated, and that certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration was the next major milestone. He noted though that, while Lockheed Martin is "committed" to the vehicle, it will only build a prototype once at least one customer has been signed up. Should that happen, first flight is expected in mid-2016.
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