Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV-3

Lore & Background

The HAV-3 was a 50 ft long remote-controlled scale demonstrator based on the SkyCat concept. It was built in 2008 and registered as G-OHAV with company serial HAV-3/001. Its first flight took place in September 2008 at Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire, UK. The aircraft was retired in 2010 following receipt of the US Army LEMV contract, which led to the development of the HAV 304. The HAV-3 was the first aircraft produced by Hybrid Air Vehicles, a company formed in 2007 by Roger Munk that acquired the assets of the SkyCat group.

Reader's Guide

The HAV-3 holds significance as the initial technology demonstrator for Hybrid Air Vehicles, proving the hybrid airship concept that combined aerodynamics and lighter-than-air lift. Its successful flights at Cardington Airfield in 2008 directly enabled the company to win the US Army's Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) contract in 2009, a $500 million program in partnership with Northrop Grumman. Although the HAV-3 itself was a small remote-controlled craft, it validated the SkyCat-derived design that would be scaled up into the HAV 304 and later the Airlander 10. The demonstrator's retirement in 2010 marked the transition from proof-of-concept to full-scale development. While the HAV-3 never entered production, its legacy lies in establishing the technical foundation for what became the largest aircraft flying at the time, the Airlander 10, and for Hybrid Air Vehicles' subsequent proposed designs such as the Airlander 50.

Did You Know?

• The HAV-3 was based on the SkyCat concept.
• It was retired in 2010 after Hybrid Air Vehicles won the US Army LEMV contract.
• The HAV-3 was 50 ft long and remote-controlled.
• Its first flight was in September 2008 at Cardington Airfield.