Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Commercial airship

Power Plant:

Two 168 kw (225 hp) Porsche 930/10 six-cylinder turbocharged air-cooled engines each with a ducted propulsor

Specifications:

History:

Airship Industries was set up in the early 1980s to build a series of airships in two models, the 500 and 600. More than a dozen were completed. In addition to operations in Australia, they have operated in the USA, Great Britain and Japan. At least seven Skyship 600s were built, and two Skyship 500s. These included: 500s: c/n 1214/04 and c/n 1214/06; 600s: c/n 1215/01, c/n 1215/02, c/n 1215/03 – N2017A, c/n 1215/05 – N560VL, c/n 1215/06, c/n 1215/07 – N602SK, c/n 1215/08 – N606SA, and c/n 1215/10.

The first model was the 500, known as the SKS-500 (G-BIHN), which made its first flight in March 1981. The first Skyship 600 initially flew on 6 March 1984, achieving full passenger certification on 8 January 1987, at that time sightseeing operations beginning over London, UK followed by San Francisco, USA and Sydney, AUS. Other roles suggested for the Skyships, other than sightseeing, included airborne early warning (Sentinel 7000); anti-submarine warfare; electronic warfare; coastal patrol; and fishery protection as well as search-and-rescue.

It was announced the Company was involved in a joint venture in the United States with the Westinghouse Corporation to market the military version of the craft to the US Navy and the US Coast Guard. At least two examples went to the United States, serials 03 and 04 being operated from the former US Navy airship base in Weeksville, North Carolina on the banks of the Pasquotank River, this having been the base of US Navy airships used on convoy-protection during World War II.

Two Porsche six-cylinder air-cooled engines powered the Skyship, these engines being developed from the unit used in the Porsche 911SC automotive vehicle. Electronically fuel-injected, the engines were fitted in titanium-lined compartments in the rear of the gondola and drove five-blade reversible Hoffman propellers mounted in Fiberlam-and-Tedlar-covered annular ducts located on pylons outboard of the engines. Vectored thrust enabled the Skyship to take-off and land in confined areas and, in a headwind, maintain a near hover.

Airship Industries recommended that operators have a 23 person support crew on hand for the first 200 hours of operation, this being able to be reduced to 18 with experience, and eventually technicians could assist rope handlers, reducing the staff to 11 persons plus pilots. The Skyship envelope was made in France for Airship Industries and consisted of an inner gas retention film, a layer of polyester, and an outer coating of titanium-oxide impregnated polyurethane.

In October 1985 advertisments in the Sydney press announced Swan Airships Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swan Television & Radio Broadcasters Limited, would be operating a series 600 Airship, a model larger than the 500, based in Sydney, which would initially service the eastern seaboard commencing in early 1986. In June 1986 a Skyship 600 VH-HAA (c/n 1215-02 – ex-G-SKSD) arrived in Australia and was registered to Airships Pacific Ltd, being painted in Swan Brewery colours. It made its first flight on 24 September 1985 in then United Kingdom.

It was followed by another Skyship 600 VH-HAN (c/n 1215-06), also registered to Airships Pacific Ltd. At the launch in 1986 it was announced that a joint venture was being set up between Ansett Transport Industries and Airship Industries to market the airship in this region, the new company to be known as Asian Pacific Airships.

A hangar to house one of the airships was built at Schofields, west of Sydney, this hangar being sponsored by the Coated Products Division of BHP Steel and winning the inaugural Metal Building News Award for Excellence. The ten-storey high hangar was a 2,240 m² (24,112 sq ft) clear span hangar 30 metres (98 ft) high which was completed in five weeks.

The two Skyship 600s delivered to Australia were used regularly as camera mounts during events such as the America’s Cup yacht races in Western Australia, being fitted out to have two pilots and eight passengers, and having a bar, toilet, galley and baggage compartment. It was said the Model 600 had an endurance of 24 hours and cruised at 56 km/h (35 mph).

The two machines continued in service in Australia for some years, VH-HAA being withdrawn from service on 19 February 1993, when it is believed to have been exported. VH-HAN was sold on 31 March 1988 to Nihon Hikosen, Jigyo, Japan, where it became JA-1004.