CargoLifter CL 160

Type (Muster)
Semi-rigid airship for super-heavy and outsize loads (Halbstarres Luftschiff für weltweite Schwerlasttransporte)

Country (Land)
Deutschland

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
CargoLifter AG
Kreuzberger Ring 21
65205 Wiesbaden
Germany

Phone: 0049-611/9748-188
Fax: 0049-611/9748-100

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 12 for long-endurance operations

Power plant (Antrieb): Two diesel engines with vectored thrust propellers on each side plus bow and stern thrusters for manoeuvering
Power (Leistung): 9330 kW total
Fuel consumption (Kraftstoffverbrauch): 4,5 l/km at 100 km/h

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 260
Body diameter (Durchmesser der Hülle): 65 m
Body volume (Hüllenvolumen): 550000 cu m of helium

Cargo bay length (Frachtraumlänge): 60 m
Cargo bay width (Frachtraumbreite): 8 m

Weights (Massen)
Useful load (Nutzlast): 160 tons
Max. take-off weigth (max. Startmasse): 450 tons

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Top speed (Höchstgeschwindigkeit): 135 km/h
Cruise speed (Reisegeschwindigkeit): 80 - 100 km/h
Cruise altitude (Reiseflughöhe): ca. 2000 m
Range (Reichweite): 10000 km

Costs (Kosten)
The CL 160 should cost around 110 million DM.
In January 1999, CargoLifter reported that total investment in the project will reach 412 million DM by the time the first CL 160 flies. This includes 198 million DM for development work and construction, 156 million DM for the hangar facilities and buildings at Brand near Berlin, 32 million DM general running costs and 20 million for equipment/tooling. CargoLifter hopes for credits and financial assistance from the Brandenburg local government. Also, loan guarantees from the German Government are available.

Customers (Kunden)
None yet. In January 1999, CargoLifter mentioned a need for 200 airships up to 2015.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
None.

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The CargoLifter AG was formed on 1. September 1996 to manage the further development of a large cargo airship that can fill a perceived gap between ships and aircraft (moving faster than on the sea and carrying much more than even the Antonov An-124). In spring 1998, it had over 2100 shareholders, among them ABB, Siemens and Thyssen (together 15 per cent) as well as twenty shipping companies (25 per cent). According to the company, phase one financing, covering everything up to the commencement of prototype construction, is in place.
A small test airship (length 32 m, body diameter 8 m), named "Joey", was completed in the spring of 1998. Parallel to the tests, it was planned to erect a large hangar (340 m long and 210 m wide, with a height of 100 m) at Brand near Berlin (an ex-USSR air force airfield). Ground-breaking ceremonies for this 156 million DM investment were held on May 2, 1998, but actual work (other than ground preparations) did not start until 1999. This was due to a lack of credits, as the banks deemed it to risky to proceed without an 80 per cent loan guarantee from the German Government. The hangar will be 340 m long, 200 m wide and 100 m high.
A so-called "Conceptual Design Freeze" was concluded on 5 November 1998, with the design being enlarged from 450000 to 550000 cu m volume. This was necessary to reduce the complexity of the airship and reduce the number of components. Also, it will allow better compliance with German LBA (certification authority) requirements.
It is now said that the first prototype CargoLifter CL 160 will be completed by 2001 (and not 2000 as previously expected). It would be available for first commercial missions in the second half of 2002. Series production with four airships per year would be under way by 2004.
As there exists no market yet for worldwide cargo carriage by airships, the company intends to offer the service itself with a fleet of ten airships. A CargoLifter Network company has been set up for this purpose as well as for general marketing activities. A typical mission, transporting a generator from Germany to South America will last 5 days (ten times faster than road/ship) and cost 450000 DM (roughly the same as road/ship), it was claimed in 1997.

Last updated January 25, 1999

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