Exel Composites, a Finnish composites manufacturer, announced a collaboration with French airship designer and operator Flying Whales. The partnership aims to develop an airship capable of delivering up to sixty tons of cargo to remote and challenging-to-access destinations worldwide, while also reducing emissions compared to traditional land and air transportation methods.
During the initial phase of rigid structure prototyping, Exel Composites will provide research and development support, focusing on the development and production of approximately 80 kilometers of carbon fiber tubing required for the project.
Flying Whales designed the LCA60T, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) airship measuring 200 meters in length. Utilizing helium lifting technology, this airship is designed to serve as an airborne crane, facilitating the transportation of cargo directly to customers and alleviating congestion at shipping ports.
Other potential applications for the airship include transporting timber, wind turbine blades, and even entire portable hospitals to underserved regions, with the goal of improving access to healthcare in remote areas.
"With this airship being one of the largest ever developed, the frame needs to be able to distribute the structure’s entire load," explained Guillaume Klein, business development manager at Exel Composites. "We are working closely with Flying Whales to develop a unique tube that meets the technical requirements and specifications needed to make this project viable. Most aerospace standards don’t cover airships yet, instead focusing on planes and helicopters."
"We needed both a supplier of pull-wound carbon fiber tubes and an R&D partner with an understanding of aerospace standards and applications to help bring our vision to life. Exel provided us with both," said Vincent Guibout, CEO of Flying Whales.
The Finnish company was selected as the preferred partner due to its ability to meet the extensive demand for carbon fiber tubes required for the airship project, as well as its proficiency in pull-winding technology. Pull-winding enables the addition of extra reinforcements to the tubes, making it an ideal manufacturing technique for aerospace applications. Moreover, its continuous manufacturing process ensures the consistent production of high-quality tubes at scale.
The collaboration between Exel Composites and Flying Whales represents a major step forward in the development of sustainable and efficient cargo transportation solutions, with potential implications for various industries and remote communities worldwide.
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