Know-How & Experience
CargoLifter has been designing, certifying, testing and operating balloons as well as airships, lifted by helium, hydrogen or hot air. Any kind of inflation processes, any type of lifting gases, any kind of flying and landbased towing - we have done them all, even in bad weather!
- Airships | We designed, built and operated airship "Joey" as proof of concept for the CL 160 ...
- ... as well as certified the airship Skyship 600 „Charly" to be operated for crew training. Our pilots were already steering the CL 160 in our simulator, confirming its behaviour to be comparable rather to an ocean vessel than an airplane.
- Balloons | Among different balloons of 4, 8, 13, 18, 22 and 61 m in diameter, we have operated the world's largest ...
- ... current available passenger-balloon, the Aerophile 30. In addition, we designed and operated the largest mono-gas-cell LTA vehicle ever, the CL-75 with a diameter of 61 m and 110,000 m³ of helium. This balloon lifted more than 75 tons – a world record!
- Design | CargoLifter AG had installed the world largest LTA design team for decades, creating a tremendous amount of know-how ...
- ... in LTA-Technology. Designing the CargoLifter CL-160 concept led to intensive studies about aerodynamics for large aerostatic vehicles, hull configuration, lightening protection, gas management, envelope material and manufacturing process.
- Operation | CargoLifter operated a Skyship 600 and two Aero30NG as well as a hot-air balloon on commercial bases...
- Furthermore, CargoLifter developed and tested the experimental airship "Joey" and other balloons as prototypes and proof-of-concepts.
- Procedures | Having great ideas, designing spectacular looking vehicles and even building a prototype is just one part. …
- Getting certification for them from the aviation authorities for commercial operation as well as getting insurance cover for something new is another story. Above all, these vehicles vehicles must be manageable and operated by a well-trained crew, following documented standards and procedures. Jointly with the German and Dutch Aviation Authorities, CargoLifter had even to create a regulation of how to design and build large airships. The “TLR Transport Airship Regulations” were the world’s first modern regulations for certification of large airships, even accepted by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) – a premiere for the aviation authorities. Ever since, large airships are technically called the "CargoLifter-Class".