Airship Industries Skyship 600

The Skyship 600 is a civilian blimp, which is mainly used for passenger cruises and aerial advertising. The airship was developed in the 1980s out of its predecessor, the SkyShip 500 and 1984 first flown.

History

1993, the Ministry of Defence had bought a Skyship 600 Westinghouse Airships, Inc.. It was given the name "Prince of Wales ". It should be used, among other things, for monitoring purposes on the Northern Ireland conflict. Plans called at that time, to purchase up to four Skyships.

On 6 August 1998, the airship N602SK presented on an official FAI world record for non-rigid airships of all sizes with 14 hours and 8 minutes of continuous flying time. He held until 15 September 2004 when he was outbid by Lightship A- 150. In September 1990, a controlled by David Burns Skyship 600 was unofficially for 52 hours in the air, however.

A Skyship 600 has since 2002 regularly for the company Skycruise Switzerland and for surveillance applications in use in Switzerland. During the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens two Skycruise - Skyships 600 were stationed there.

The Cargo Lifter AG had a Skyship 600B (N 602 CL, and D - LCLA ). It was bought in England and was worked up in the Cargolifterhalle in Berlin to then use it for pilot training and for some test flights. It was nicknamed "Charly" and was released after the insolvency of the Swiss Skycruise.

The last stand at present built Skyship 600B was baptized with the name "Santos -Dumont " ( N606SA ). It was made in Weeksville / USA, First flight was on 18 January 2002. Was built for a French client. The Porsche engines of the earlier models (300 hp) replaced by Textron Lycoming IO -540 engines, each with 220 kW, which is now directly behind the propeller ( not inside the cabin ) are located and are also pivoted. The FAA certification on December 23, 2002. The casing was of TCOM LP produced and has a volume of 6800 m³, The passenger capacity was increased up to 13. In September 2003, the ship was to go to a three -month trial operation for the U.S. Navy in Southern California, should be rehearsed in the mainly monitoring work ( LASH ) system.

Around the turn of the century until at least into 2003 worked the Airship Management Service or Global Skyship Industries on an enlarged successor, the SkyShip 1000th No further details on the progress of work is known for the construction of such a vessel it came so far ( Sept. 2005 ) does not. It is a civilian branch of the military Sentinel -1000 project from the 1990s with space for up to 24 passengers.

SkyShips 600

  • 600-01, First Flight: March 1984
  • 600-02, First Flight: September 1985
  • 600-03, First Flight: July 1985
  • 600-04, First Flight: June 1986
  • 600-05, First Flight: November 1986
  • 600-06, First flight: February 1987
  • 600-07, First Flight: August 1987

(Source: Airshipsonline )

Current Skyship 600 ( incomplete):

  • G- SKSG, in the late 1980s in England and the United States with various banners
  • G- SKSC, 1990 on England
  • N601SK Skycruise, is traveling in Europe, previously Cargo Lifter D- LCLA
  • N602SK than Fuji blimp stationed in the U.S. ( as of 2005)
  • N605SK, formerly registered as HB- QIZ for the Swiss Skycruise.
  • N606SA "Santos -Dumont " Skyship 600B, built in Weeksville / USA, first flight on 18 January 2002. In September 2003, the ship was to go to a three -month trial operation for the U.S. Navy in Southern California.
  • N610SK, end of January 2003 transferred from Miami to the Dominican Republic, do there Sightseeing Flights

Specifications Skyship 600

  • Length: 61 m
  • Height: 20.3 m
  • Width: 19.2 m
  • Volume: 7,200 m³ helium
  • Driving power: 375 kW
  • Payload: 1740 kg
  • Passengers: up to 13 captain and co-pilot
  • Cruising speed: approx 72 km / h
  • Maximum speed: approx 105 km / h
  • Travel Height: about 150 to 1,000 meters
  • Service ceiling: 2,575 m approximately
  • Range: about 740 km without additional tank
  • Range: about 1900 km including auxiliary tank
  • Propulsion: two Porsche 930/67/AI/3 Turbo engines with 188 kW (255 hp) / 5200rpm
  • Propeller: Hoffmann 5 sheets, HO
  • Fuel: 100 LL AvGas, MOGAS, 666 l fuel storage on board ( 490 lbs)
  • Case Material: polyester, Tedlar, Mylar, TCOM Proprietary,

Gondola:

  • Length: 11.83 m
  • Width: 2.56 m
  • Headroom: 1,92 m
  • Toilet available

Team

  • 20 people including pilots, mechanics, electricians, ground crew, etc.

Accidents

  • In September 2012, a Skyship 600 collided with a JLENS aerostats on the airship premises of TCOM in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The JLENS Aerostat was prepared and tested as the airship sparked by windy weather conditions of his airship mast and so collided with the balloon of TCOM for the U.S. Army on the premises. Both the air vessel and the balloon have been destroyed in the accident.
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