Once operational, the U.S. military version of the Aeroscraft semi-rigid hull hybrid airship funded by DARPA will be the largest aircraft to take to the skies in the past eight decades.
The U.S. Air Force's battlefield cargo airship being built by Worldwide Aeros Corp. based in California will be 169 meters long and capable of carrying from 66 tons to 500 tons, depending on which model is used. The military Aeroscraft will have a range of some 3,000 miles and, more importantly, won't need a runway to land on.
Worldwide Aeros CEO Boris Pasternak aims to have a global military Aeroscraft fleet operational by 2023. He said Aeros is seeking $3 billion to fund the construction of 24 Aeroscraft airships, including two prototypes
Of the 22 planned airships, four (identified as ML866) will be able to lift 66 tons while 18 (ML868) will be 250 ton heavy lifters capable of hauling three M1 Abrams tanks and their crews. The first 66 ton aircraft is expected to take to the air in 2017. A proposed version, the ML86X, will be capable of lifting 500 tons.
In comparison, the Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy, the USAF's largest transport aircraft, can lift over 140 tons of cargo, including two M1 Abrams tanks.
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Reposted via Next Big Future
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