Origins HAV is the latest in a line of companies to acquire and develop airship technologies in the UK. Aerospace Developments was formed in 1971 and since then its assets have passed through successive companies Airship Developments, Airship Industries, Westinghouse Airships, Airship Technologies, Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) and, immediately preceding HAV, the SkyCat group which folded in 2007. During this period a number of airships and hybrids were built.
Multi-hull airships Hybrid Air Vehicles was formed in 2007 by Roger Munk (Jeffrey Roger Munk 1947–2010). It acquired the assets of the SkyCat group and established itself at
Cardington Airfield,
Bedfordshire, UK. The company developed the HAV 3 technology demonstrator. In partnership with
Northrop Grumman (NGC) as prime contractor, in 2009 it won a US$500 million US Army contract to develop a
Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), which was delivered between 2009 and early 2013. Hybrid Air Vehicles designed, developed and manufactured the
HAV 304 aircraft for the LEMV project, with NGC acting as the prime contractor and sensor system integrator. On 7 August 2012 a successful 90-minute test flight took place in
Lakehurst,
New Jersey. The LEMV project was cancelled In February 2013. Hybrid Air Vehicles took the opportunity to buy back the envelope and associated materials, which they returned to the UK for conversion to the civilian
Airlander 10. In 2014 it was unveiled in Cardington. It was reported as the world's largest aircraft. One investor,
heavy metal singer and commercial pilot
Bruce Dickinson, announced plans to fly twice around the world nonstop. ==Aircraft==