The development of a revolutionary helium gas-filled aircraft could be good news for the heavy industries sector, as Skyhook’s Jess Heavy Lifter (JHL) combines buoyancy with lifting power to transport heavy cargoes from one site to another.
Canadian firm Skyhook recently revealed it has signed an agreement to team-up with aerospace giant Boeing and co-develop the JHL-40, the first of a new breed of cargo-carrying aircraft that promises to open up a new range of construction opportunities for industries operating in remote areas.
Regarded by some as a ‘neutrally buoyant aircraft’, the JHL-40 is effectively comprised of an airship-style rigid envelope filled with helium gas. The gas is used to support the weight of the vehicle, its crew and fuel load without the payload, making the craft itself neutrally buoyant.
Four large rotors mounted at each corner of the ship provide enough vertical lift to carry 40 tonnes of cargo in an underslung load, and smaller rotating rotors provide directional thrust to move the aircraft on a horizontal plane.
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