London: The world’s longest and largest aircraft – Airlander 10 – has crashed during flight testing in Bedfordshire. The helium-filled vessel took a slow-motion nosedive into a nearby field.
The 92-metre-long (302ft) Airlander 10 was damaged during the flight from RAF Cardington airfield, Bedfordshire, with photographs showing it on the ground with its nose pointing towards the floor.
In a video of the crash taken by a spectator, it shows what could be the world’s slowest, least spectacular event as the blimp-like craft comes floating down to the ground like a four-day-old balloon. It wasn’t breathtaking but was enough to cause damage to the craft.
Airlander sustained damage on landing during today’s flight. No damage was sustained mid-air or as a result of a telegraph pole as reported.
— Hybrid Air Vehicles (@AirVehicles) August 24, 2016
Its manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) put out a statement confirming the crash and made clear there were no injuries to the crew in the accident. The Airlander 10, also nicknamed ‘The Flying Bum’ because of its unique design, did suffer damage to the cockpit it was revealed.”The flight went really well and the only issue was when it landed,” a spokesperson for HAV said.
Watch: AIRLANDER 10 CRASH. World’s largest aircraft crashes as it attempts to test flight.
The Airlander 10 made its maiden voyage only a week before this incident on 18 August, where it successfully managed to fly around a lap of the Cardington airfield during a half-hour flight.
The Airlanders, which will cost around £25m (€29.4m) each, are hoping to take to the skies full-time by 2021.