'Flying Bum' Fitted With Airbags After Crash

The world's largest aircraft has been fitted with airbags following a crash.

Airlander 10, which is part-plane, part-airship and the length of a football pitch, was damaged when it nosedived during a test flight at Cardington Airfield, Bedfordshire, in August last year.

Manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has added a pair of airbags more than three metres long to enable the aircraft to land at a greater range of angles.

The system will be deployed on most landings in the flight test programme, which is expected to resume in the coming weeks.

A mobile mooring mast has also been developed to make it easier to control the aircraft when it is being moved around the airfield.

HAV chief executive Steve McGlennan said:

"Both of these enhancements are great engineering innovations, and show the creativity and ingenuity of the team working on Airlander to great effect. We look forward to using them for real very soon."

First developed for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft, HAV launched a campaign to return it to the sky after it fell foul of defence cutbacks.

Airlander 10, so named because it can carry 10 tonnes of cargo, is 302ft (92 metres) long, 143ft (44 metres) wide, 85ft (26 metres) high and can travel at 92mph.

It is about 50ft (15 metres) longer than the biggest passenger jets and uses helium to become airborne.

HAV believes it could be used for a variety of functions, such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.