A Comprehensive Look At Lockheed Martin’s Hybrid Airships

One of the bigger announcements that came out of the recently held Paris Air Show was the launch of Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE:LMT) hybrid airship LMH-1.The LMH-1 has created significant buzz about potentially revolutionizing the way the heavy-haulage industry operates. It will help transport heavy cargo at a fraction of the cost of doing the same using helicopters. It will also facilitate deliveries to remote areas that are not easily accessible by land. However, there are some notable limitations and concerns that emerge when its application in the real world is considered. These include the rising price of Helium, a key component of the hybrid airship, along with issues related to storing the airship that could be as large as the size of a football field. The success of this program will help Lockheed diversify its portfolio and help the company create a new niche for itself. It will also change the way the industry processes heavy goods and cargo transportation by facilitating point-to-point delivery at the fraction of the cost of helicopters used for the same purpose. In the future, it could eliminate the requirement of the combination of ships, trucks and ports to facilitate such deliveries otherwise. On the other hand, if LMH-1 fails to achieve the response that Lockheed is currently anticipating, it will nullify 20 years worth of research and development that has gone into developing the version of the hybrid airship as it stands today.

The LMH-1 has evolved out of Lockheed Martin’s advanced secret development programs Skunk Works. The airships are considered “hybrid” in nature because they apply both aerostatic (i.e., buoyant) and aerodynamic technologies to achieve lift, thereby exceeding dirigibles in speed and planes in economy. Lockheed’s Hybrid Airships as they exist today are a build up of the P-791 prototype developed by Skunk Works that witnessed first flight in 2006. P-791 was developed primarily for a military transport program, Project “Walrus”, that demanded a giant airship that could transport a battalion of over 500 troops along with their vehicles and heavy weapons in a single lift. However, the military soon contended that at an altitude of 10,000 feet, which was what the project was specced for in terms of technological feasibility, the airship would become an easy target even for shoulder-launched missiles. ^[1] The military consequently cancelled the project and Lockheed Martin rebranded the P-791 as SkyTug for civil cargo hauling and sold it to Canadian oil companies.

Since then, Lockheed Martin has been building upon the underlying technology and functionality of the SkyTug, resulting in the launch of the LMH-1 last week. LMH-1 was launched in partnership with Hybrid Enterprises and is now open for orders. Deliveries are expected to start 2018.

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Advantages: Convenient & More Efficient To Operate As Opposed To Other Heavy Load Transportation Modes

Lockheed Martin, who is the biggest supplier to the Pentagon, is using the LMH-1 to venture out into the commercial sector. In partnership with private reseller, Hybrid Enterprises, the LMH-1 was launched in a presentation aptly titled “The Road Not Needed.” ^[2] The presentation title encapsulates the biggest advantage that the LMH-1 is offering to the heavy haulage industry – its ability to transport to any location across the globe on its ability to land on all kinds of surfaces, including water. The aerial vehicles also don’t require runways to take off. To take off the LMH-1 will require 2,400 feet of clear space, which is a fifth of the length of a runway at Heathrow airport. The clear space does not need to be paved either and just needs to be clear obstacles that could hamper the airship’s process of taking off. ^[3] The airship is also equipped such that when not fully-loaded it can takeoff vertically.

Since the LMH-1, like other hybrid airships, is heavier than air it does not require being tied-down and secured to the ground during the loading and unloading processes. Instead, it relies on suction to better secure it during loading and unloading. The airship is also equipped with the Air Cushion Landing System (ACLS) that allows it to maneuver on the ground, acting like a hovercraft. ^[4]

One of the biggest advantages of the LMH-1 is cost efficiency it offers to customers. Helicopters are the only alternative that offers similar maneuverability as the hybrid airship. According to Lockheed, the LMH-1 will operate at a tenth of the fuel used by a helicopter per ton. At the cheaper operating cost, the LMH-1 also offers a longer range than traditional heavy-lift helicopters.

The LMH-1 could also compete with ships due to its ability to provide deliveries from point-to-point. ^[3] Factories could potentially act as in-house ports, allowing goods and cargo to be delivered directly through air to where they are needed, eliminating the need for ports, ships as well as trucks in such an arrangement. This would essentially streamline the process of delivery of heavy cargo which currently is an intensive process involving cranes, trucks and ships to finish a complete delivery cycle.

Limitations and Concerns: Storage Concerns, Increasing Helium Price & Still Awaiting Certification

The initial model of the LMH-1 is expected to have a  20-ton capacity; however, Lockheed concedes that the model can also be scaled up to a 500-ton capacity. ^[2] Though Lockheed has not disclosed exact dimensions of the LMH-1 yet, it has indicated that it will roughly be the size of a football field, making storing or parking it one of the first concerns for potential customers of the airship. The size will also make it difficult for the airship to operate in congested air spaces.

While the LMH-1 will offer customers distinct advantages like lower cost, longer range and higher capacity than heavy-lift helicopters, they have a distinct disadvantage in that they will take longer to deliver goods. The company also has yet to build a prototype, which will be built as soon as the company receives even a single order, and it can’t be conclusively determined if the aerial vehicle will operate as desired in environmental conditions such as high altitudes or polar regions. ^[3] It is also important to note that the airship is yet to be certified, and has just begun the process of receiving certification from Federal Authorities Authority in the U.S., which could potentially make it tougher for the company to secure orders right away.

Also, at a time when oil prices remain low, fewer people will be attracted to invest in the LMH-1. The cost of helium, which is a crucial component of in lifting the aerial vehicle, has been on the rise. So in the alternative that a cheap way to produce helium is discovered and oil prices rose sharply, people will be pushed to more seriously consider using the LMH-1 as an alternative.

The LMH-1 also comes at a big price tag. The industry currently estimates that the price of the hybrid airship will be between £25 million to £30 million, which at current exchange rate translates to over approximately $40 million, which is a sizable investment to make.

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1. Airship ‘Sky Tugs’ ordered from Lockheed for Canadian oilfields, The Register [↩]
2. Lockheed developed an amazing airship at its legendary Skunk Works, Business Insider [↩] [↩]
3. How hybrid airships could bring back a centuries-old idea to the skies, The Telegraph [↩] [↩] [↩]
4. Paris Air Show 2015: Lockheed Martin unveils new heavy-lift hybrid airship, IHS Jane’s 360 [↩]