First flight

Story highlights:

• Initial Assembly: The airship’s main structure and envelopes were assembled in about an hour by Serge and Kristian. Filling the envelopes proceeded cautiously but sped up after a safe first fill.
• Successful Lift-off: Despite encountering a leak in the port-side envelope, the airship successfully lifted off for the first time, with pre-installed weights and anchoring helping to stabilize it.
• CoreGas Support: CoreGas, led by Mr. Wodek Jakubik, provided 2kg of hydrogen for the test flight, delivered in four G-sized cylinders.
• Structural Reinforcement: The upper central tube of the gondola needed reinforcement, which was achieved with aluminum plates.
• Flight Achievement: After fully assembling the airship, including battery packs and control units, the team measured excess lifting power and achieved a brief flight despite gusts of wind reaching 26km/h.
• Key Learnings: The team identified areas for improvement but encountered no major blockers, marking the test a success.
• Acknowledgments: Special thanks to the CoreGas team and contributors Serge, Vilda, Kristian, Sebi, Richard, Luid, and Mirda.

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It might have seemed quiet lately, but things have been incredibly busy on our end. After completing the initial inflation test three weeks ago, the next step was to acquire the hydrogen and choose the right day for our first flight test. Word spread quickly, and CoreGas, led by Mr. Wodek Jakubik and his team, generously committed to providing us with 2kg of hydrogen.

After selecting a date with the most favorable weather, the hydrogen arrived in four G-sized cylinders at Vilem’s office. He personally handled the transport, and the sheer size and weight of the cylinders made the process quite daunting.

Everything kicked off early on Saturday 5th of October at 8 a.m., with Serge and Kristian arriving to assist. Having gone through the full assembly before, they were able to make several improvements, which allowed the main structure, with both envelopes installed, to be ready in about an hour. Then we started filling.

We initially proceeded with caution, concerned about the pressure regulator potentially freezing. It took about 25 minutes to empty the first cylinder, leaving the first envelope roughly 75% full. With the second envelope, we grew more confident, reducing the fill time to just 15 minutes. From that point on, we released the full pressure without issue, and everything felt safe.

Emptying both cylinders culminated in an immensely satisfying moment—the entire airship lifted for the first time. This is where the pre-installed weights (a total of 10kg) and anchoring system proved essential. Unfortunately, we soon noticed a significant leak in the port-side envelope, which meant it could only hold its shape for a few minutes before requiring a top-up. This is evident in several pictures and especially in the later video.

We also encountered an issue with the strength of the upper central tube of the gondola, but fortunately, reinforcing it with aluminum plates solved the problem for now.

The test continued with the installation of both battery packs (2.5kg each), the control unit, gimbals, intakes, vectors, and the suspension system. By this point, the airship was looking fantastic.

With everything assembled, except for connecting the power and signal cables, we measured the excess lifting power. It worked out almost perfectly, with 10kg of spare lifting capacity, which was exciting since we still need to add the hydrogen tank, fuel cell, and ballast, while leaving 1kg available for a “test payload.”

The distribution of forces worked well overall. The front appeared slightly lighter, but this was mainly due to the large battery packs located there.

… And then we took it for a brief flight!

As you can see, it’s not perfect, but after all these years, it was an incredible feeling to see it flying! The scary part was the wind, which picked up during the flight, with gusts reaching up to 26 km/h, making the handling of the envelope quite challenging.

Nevertheless, we made it, and all our goals were achieved! There’s already a list of improvements to be made, but thankfully, no serious obstacles remain. What a day!

A massive thanks to the entire support team—Serge, Vilda, Kristian, Sebi, Richard, Luid, Mirda—and the CoreGas team. This wouldn’t have been possible without you all. Thank you!

Next stage – powered flight!