Flying Whales selects generator for cargo airship

Cargo airship firm Flying Whales has selected Honeywell’s one-megawatt generator to power its in-development hybrid airship.

The LCA60T is a 200 m long vertical take-off and landing aircraft with a 60 tonne payload capacity.

The generator will create a hybrid propulsion system by being integrated with a gearbox and a turbine that uses jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

It will supply electrical power to the electric engines, thereby creating a more efficient and sustainable form of travel — similar to the way hybrid-electric automobiles function, Honeywell said.

Arnaud Thioulouse, chief executive of Flying Whales Quebec, said: “We are pleased and proud to welcome Honeywell, which joins us in developing the next generation of propulsion systems. This important collaboration completes and strengthens our Canadian consortium to develop and manufacture our high-power turbogenerator.

“Today, we are building in Canada the expertise and technological advancements for tomorrow’s aeronautics.”

The LCA60T offers a 96 m by 8 m by 7 m high cargo bay supported by 10 nonpressurized helium cells.

Flying Whales intends to fly the first LCA60T in 2025 and plans to manufacture 150 aircraft in the next 10 years.

“LCA60T’s unique stationary hovering design for loading and unloading is ideal for overcoming numerous logistical and technical problems in remote areas, and it has a remarkably low environmental footprint,” the company said.

The French-Canadian company started developing the airship specifically for the purpose of transporting renewable wood resources from remote locations.