World's biggest aircraft known as the 'Flying Bum' successfully completes maiden voyage

Crowds cheers as the 302ft-long Airlander 10 – part plane, part helicopter, part airship – loomed over Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire

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The Airlander 10 hybrid airship makes its maiden flight at Cardington Airfield — Image Credit : mirror.co.uk

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Airlander
The Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV 304 / Airlander 10 is a hybrid airship designed and manufactured by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV). Comprising an airship with auxiliary wing and tail surfaces, it flies using both aerostatic and aerodynamic lift and is powered by four diesel engine-driven ducted propellers. The Airlander 10 has the distinction of being the largest aircraft flying today.
In its original form as the HAV 304, it was built for the United States Army’s Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) programme. The requirement was for a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle able to provide Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) support for ground troops. In 2012, the HAV 304 conducted its maiden flight at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in the United States. In 2013, the LEMV project, and thus development of the HAV 304, was cancelled by the US Army.
Following the termination of the LEMV programme, HAV reacquired the airship and brought it back to RAF Cardington in England. It was reassembled and modified for civilian use, and in this form was redesignated as the Airlander 10. In August 2016, the reassembled airship returned to the skies. On 24 August, near the end of its second test flight, the Airlander 10 made a hard landing at Cardington Airfield after listing forward, damaging its cockpit. After 4 months of repairs, the airship was relaunched in December that year.
Source : wikipedia