Production of the Cargolifter ‘flying crane’ officially began on 27 September, but it will be two years before the first unit is completed.
The developers have also ‘proven’ the ballast exchange procedure on which the loading and unloading procedure depends.
Engineers working at the CargoLifter hangar in Briesen-Brand, Germany are working with specialist teams from suppliers and development partners to develop and manufacture both the 260m-long CargoLifter CL 160 transportation airship and the CL 75 AirCrane transportation balloon (61m diameter), paving the wave for serial production.
‘Here in Brand, over the last three years, we’ve built up a complete manufacturing location including all necessary infrastructure for our ‘Lighter-than-Air’ transportation aircraft as well as put together a team with world class know-how,’ said Dr Carl von Gablenz, chairman of the board of CargoLifter AG. ‘Innovation requires courage and broad support – which we’ve demonstrated to our employees and shareholders over the last few years.’ The start of production in Brand means the the concept begins to become a reality, von Gablenz says. ‘When it comes to the beginning of production, you shouldn’t imagine this means that there will be a finished airship in the hangar in a few weeks,’ he said. ‘First of all, external partner companies will manufacture many components of the CL 160, while engineers in Brand prepare production equipment and assembly facilities, as well as carry out the necessary tests for production.’ In the production of the CL 160, all parties will concentrate on their core strengths. ‘In our case, that means, before all else, the airship envelope. For this key area of ‘Lighter-than-Air’ technology, we’ve created all necessary conditions such as assembly facilities, helium logistics and gas management as well as refining our internationally one-of-a-kind expertise.’ On 5 October the CL 75 AirCrane balloon lifted a crane weighing 24t to a height of 7m to prove for the first time the ballast exchange procedure in practice. Glenn Beach, vice president of the US subsidiary CargoLifter Inc, said that the transport balloon behaved exactly as the computer simulations had indicated.
The ballast exchange procedure is the method of ensuring smooth loading and unloading. The floating helium-filled aircraft is anchored to the ground with cables; water-filled tanks provide the ballast. During loading, water is let out of the tanks; when the cargo is unloaded, the tanks are filled again to maintain the flight properties of the balloon.
Between now and the start of serial production of the CL 160 transportation airship in the 2004/2005 business year, CargoLifter will complete six phases of production: production planning; materials acquisition; assembly of individual components such as nose caps, keel, gondola, loading frame, envelope and tail units; group- and structural assembly of components including installment of systems; final assembly followed by tests on the ground and in the air. The first prototype of the CL 160 should be complete by the end of 2003. The first test flights are planned for 2004.
‘Preparations for the next step in raising capital are proceeding at full speed,’ said Karl Bangert, CargoLifter board member responsible for finance. ‘We’ve already received the first pledges from strategic investors that they will take part.’ He said that both equity capital and outside capital increases will be considered. Through private stakes, subsidies from the State of Brandenburg and the IPO in May 2000, the company raised Euro 270m in equity capital. Additional capital increases this and next year should bring in the Euro 320m needed before the start of serial production. The first CargoLifter product should be a further source of income. The prototype of the CL 75 AirCrane has been assembled in the hangar since January 2001 and should ready to be used for commercial use to transport loads up to 75t in the 2002/2003 business year – before the CL 160 is brought onto the market.
