HomeScience & EnvironmentMassive airship could shake...

Massive airship could shake up cargo transport

French startup Flying Whales is on a mission to transform cargo transport with its ambitious Large Capacity Airship 60 Tonne (LCA60T) project. This colossal helium-filled airship, measuring 656 feet in length, aims to connect population centers with remote, inaccessible areas by moving important goods and materials without touching the ground.

Stay protected & informed! Get security alerts & expert tech tips—sign up for Kurt’s The CyberGuy Report now.

Large Capacity Airship 60 Tonne (Flying Whales) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The airship’s technology by the numbers

The LCA60T features a cargo capacity of up to 132,000 pounds, surpassing an Airbus Beluga XL. The airship’s helium volume reaches 6.3 million cubic feet, enabling it to reach a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet. Propelled by 32 electric propeller drives with a combined 5,360 horsepower, the LCA60T can achieve a top speed of 63 mph. The LCA60T incorporates several cutting-edge design elements. Its skeletal frame features a composite beam lattice construction with metal joints. The airship contains 14 non-pressurized helium cells, equipped with advanced sensor systems. The 315-foot-long cargo hold is a structural compartment with dual sliding doors. A specially developed Diatex ultralight polyester textile serves as the outer skin.

Massive airship could shake up cargo transport

Large Capacity Airship 60 Tonne (Flying Whales) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

SOLAR-POWERED BLIMP COULD BRING HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO YOUR AREA

Powering the future

Initially, the LCA60T will use a combination of high-voltage lithium-ion batteries and turbine generators. However, Flying Whales plans to transition to hydrogen fuel cell power generation to reduce emissions and make it a more sustainable option.

Massive airship could shake up cargo transport

Large Capacity Airship 60 Tonne (Flying Whales) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

IS THIS 656-FOOT AIRYACHT THE LUXURY TRANSPORTATION OF THE FUTURE?

Partnerships and progress

Flying Whales has formed strategic partnerships to bring its vision to life. Evolito is supplying 32 D250 electric motors, each producing 308 horsepower, for propulsion. The company has already raised more than $300 million in public and private funding and began wind tunnel testing of its outer skin material in late January 2025.

Massive airship could shake up cargo transport

Large Capacity Airship 60 Tonne (Flying Whales) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

SOLAR-POWERED AIRCRAFT ACHIEVES GROUNDBREAKING 22-HOUR AUTONOMOUS FLIGHT

Potential applications

The LCA60T’s versatility opens up numerous possibilities. It can extract renewable wood from remote logging sites and supply materials for energy construction projects. The airship can also provide humanitarian aid, deliver cargo containers from land or ship and deploy temporary modular hospitals in underserved areas.

SUBSCRIBE TO KURT’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR QUICK VIDEO TIPS ON HOW TO WORK ALL OF YOUR TECH DEVICES

Massive airship could shake up cargo transport

Large Capacity Airship 60 Tonne (Flying Whales) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s key takeaways

Flying Whales’ LCA60T represents a bold vision for the future of cargo transport. While the project faces significant technical and economic challenges, its potential to revolutionize logistics and connect isolated regions is undeniable. As the company progresses towards its 2027 flight testing goal, the world will be watching to see if this modern airship can truly take flight and usher in a new era of sustainable, accessible transportation.

Do you believe governments and private companies should prioritize funding airship technology over other sustainable transportation solutions? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Follow Kurt on his social channels:

Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

New from Kurt:

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

Source link

Most Popular

More from Author

Read Now

Cameras, trackers to be installed in heavy vehicles

Safety guardrails will be installed along tires of HTVs.Recording from trackers will be accessible at DIG Traffic office.Fitness of all large vehicles to...

Bank Holiday Alert: Are Banks Open Today, April 19, 2025 After Good Friday? | Personal Finance News

New Delhi: The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter often brings confusion about whether banks will be open or closed. Today, on April 19, banks will remain open. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules, banks are closed only on the second and fourth Saturdays...

Could taking carbon out of the sea cool down the planet?

Jonah FisherBBC environment correspondentGetty Images'Some impact on environment'There's also the question of what a large quantity of low-carbon water would do to the sea and the things that live in it. In Weymouth it dribbles out of a pipe in such small quantities it is unlikely to...

Gensol sees 2 more independent directors exit

NEW DELHI: Two more Gensol Engineering independent directors, Harsh Singh and Kuljit Singh Popli, have tendered their resignations amid the company facing allegations of misuse of funds, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday. On Wednesday, Gensol Engineering's independent director, Arun Menon, resigned, saying there...

7 easy ways to protect your credit cards while traveling

As you rush through busy terminals, juggling bags and boarding passes, your credit cards may be at risk, not just from pickpockets, but from digital thieves using high-tech tools like RFID (radio-frequency identification) skimmers. While today’s chip-enabled cards are more secure than old magnetic stripes, it’s still...

Wink Martindale, host of game shows “Tic-Tac-Dough” and “High Rollers,” dies at 91

Game show host Wink Martindale, known for "Tic-Tac-Dough," "High Rollers" and "Gambit," has died, according to his official Facebook page. He was 91."Wink was amazing, funny and talented," the post on his Facebook page reads. "Truly a LEGEND!"The host, born Winston Martindale, had...

Sainsbury’s profit set to dip as price war looms

Sainsbury's has forecast that shop profits will flatline or fall in the coming year as the supermarket sector gears up for a price war.The retailer said it expects income to dip to £1bn as it continues to invest in lowering grocery prices. Last week, Tesco admitted...