Earlier this week, Crowdcube #FundedClub member, Hybrid Air Vehicles, announced its Airlander 10 had completed its first hangar exit. Last year, the London-based company launched its first equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube to raise £2 million for the Airlander. During the funding round, the company successfully raised 2.1 million and then returned to the crowdfunding platform nearly one year later and raised an additional £1.2 million.
The company describes the Airlander as 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.
Hybrid Air Vehicles previously stated:
“In 2013 Hybrid Air Vehicles had 15 employees. Our first crowdfunding in 2015 permitted us to rapidly grow our staff to over 100. Although we’ll contract our workforce slightly during the Flight Test Programme, we will ramp up again as we gear up for production in 2018, then we expect to have 400 direct employees and will support 1,800 new aerospace jobs.”
Sharing details about the hangar exit, technical director of Hybrid Air Vehicles, Mike Durham, shared:
“Last week we successfully completed our final in-hangar all engines, all generators, all systems testing. My thanks to the whole business for getting us here. The entire team is looking forward to the final series of tests outside before taking to the skies for the first time.”
Have a crowdfunding offering you'd like to share? Submit an offering for consideration using our Submit a Tip form and we may share it on our site!