Aircraft
Boeing gives green light to heavy-lift airship project
Boeing has teamed with a Canadian firm to develop a massive commercial airship capable of lifting an 80,000-pound load and carrying it up to 200 miles.

Boeing has teamed with a Canadian firm to develop a massive commercial airship capable of lifting an 80,000-pound load and carrying it up to 200 miles.

SkyHook International of Calgary, Alberta, patented the design for the hydrogen-filled, “neutrally buoyant” JHL-40 heavy-lift aircraft and approached Boeing about a development and production partnership. After reviewing the design and crunching the numbers, Boeing decided to jump at the chance to be a part of the program. “We conducted a feasibility study and decided this opportunity is a perfect fit for us,” said Pat Donnelly, director of Boeing’s Advanced Rotorcraft Systems division.