Airlander 10, the 92-metre-long part plane – part helicopter, part airship – was damaged after reportedly hitting a telegraph pole at its base at Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire.
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As per photographs available, it can be seen that aircraft came on ground with its nose pointing doenwards.
Airships have a long history stretching back to the 19th century, although their popularity dipped in the face of competition from airplanes in the 20th century and high-profile accidents such as the Hindenburg disaster in 1937.
According to reports, Airlander 10 – nicknamed the “flying bum” because of its bulbous front end – has sustained damage to its cockpit when it hit the ground at about 11:00 BST.
“Airlander sustained damage on landing during today’s flight”, said Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV).
In a statement on Facebook it said all “crew are safe and well and there are no injuries”. Both flights will factor into its 200 hours of test flights in total.
According to a BBC report, the Airlander 10, christened as the Martha Gwyn, was first developed for the United States government as a surveillance aircraft.
“We will be running through these in the days ahead as we continue the development of the Airlander aircraft. Further updates will follow in due course”, the company added.
Thefirst test flight was carried out last Thursday, with crowds cheering as the airship performed a lap around the airfield. It claims it could be used for a variety of functions such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.
It will be able to stay airborne for five days during manned flights.
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It is also hoped an Airlander 50 will eventually be developed, which will be able to transport 50 tonnes of freight.
