HAV announces production site developments for Airlander 10
Work is underway to develop the Carcroft Common site in the U.K. that will support the production, testing and certification of up to 24 composite Airlander 10 aircraft each year.
A rendering of the future production site. Source | Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV)
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV, Bedford, U.K.) has begun survey and preparatory work for the Airlander 10 production site in South Yorkshire, U.K. This follows work in partnership with the City of Doncaster Council (CDC) to prepare for the release of the first installment of a £7 million loan from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).
Airlander 10, HAV’s first aircraft to market, will be capable of delivering 100-seat passenger mobility, a 10-tonne payload of freight transportation or a combination of the two. The bi-hulled aircraft CW reported on in 2021 is expected to make extensive use of composite materials for the envelope/hull and rigid structures (tail fins, payload module, rear propulsor ducts and front pylons).
HAV’s 50-hectare site at Carcroft Common, Doncaster, which was announced in partnership with CDC earlier in 2024, is planned to house flagship facilities for Airlander 10’s production, testing and certification operations, and have the capacity to produce up to 24 aircraft per year. It is also expected to establish new supply chains within the South Yorkshire Investment Zone and open up more than 1,200 new jobs in the region.
“Alongside the investment that we are bringing to this program, it [the loan] allows our team to progress the planning permission submission for the Airlander 10 production site at Carcroft Common, advancing several steps on our production site such as completing surveys and ground investigations, as well as engaging key design and planning suppliers,” says Nick Allman, COO of HAV. “This is a major step in creating a facility to assemble fleets of Airlander 10 aircraft, as well as establishing a hub for advanced manufacturing and sustainable aviation in Doncaster.”
The company has now opened an office at Cavendish Court in Doncaster to establish a presence in the city and provide a base for HAV employees while work gets underway at the Carcroft Common site. Its plans are aligned with the City of Doncaster’s Economic Strategy 2030, and with the South Yorkshire Investment Zone, which is focused on advanced manufacturing and aims to improve investment through planning, development and skills support.
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