World’s Largest Aircraft Leaves Its Hangar For The First Time.

World’s Largest Aircraft Leaves Its Hangar For The First Time.

The world’s largest aircraft, known fondly as the ‘Flying Bum’, left its hangar for the first time today.

The Airlander 10, which cost £25million to build over 10 years, is 92 metres long and pumped with a million cubic feet of helium.

The part-plane, part-airship left its hangar in Cardington, Bedfordshire at 4am today to commence a brief series of ground systems tests before its first flight later this month.

It was a delicate operation as there was only a six metre clearance from the fin tip to the sides of the hangar doors.

It took around five minutes for the Airlander to clear the hangar and then a further 30 minutes to be towed to rest at the primary mast site.

The aircraft which, at 302ft long, is around 50ft larger than the biggest passenger jets, was first developed for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft but it fell foul of defence cutbacks.

Airlander has now formally been granted permission to conduct its first series of flight tests by both European Aviation Safety Agency and the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

The project’s technical director, Mike Durham, said: ‘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. Airlander 10: the world’s largest aircraft and set to turn head