FLYING WHALES SELECTS HEXCEL FOR THE SUPPLY OF COMPOSITES MATERIALS FOR ITS LCA60T AIRSHIP

In order to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, FLYING WHALES (FLWH) and HEXCEL are collaborating on an exciting project to develop the most adapted solutions for airship structures.

We are proud to collaborate with Hexcel, a global leader in advanced composite materials for aerospace applications. Hexcel's extensive experience and innovation in carbon fiber technology have made them a trusted partner in the industry.

For our airship project, we have chosen to utilize a large range of Hexcel’s products and especially Hexcel's HexTow^® IMA Carbon Fiber which has been selected for the pultruded tubes that compose the skeleton of the airship.

This material offers an excellent balance between cost-efficiency and superior mechanical properties, such as high tensile strength and modulus, making it ideal for our innovative structure. Their commitment to advance composite technologies ensures that we can achieve the performance and reliability standards necessary for our airship's success.

Quotes

« Together with Flying Whales, we are thrilled to be part of the visionary LCA60T airship project — a bold step forward that perfectly aligns with Hexcel’s purpose: “We propel the future of flight and transportation through excellence in advanced material solutions that create a better world for us all". 

Over the past two years, Flying Whales and Hexcel have made significant progress together to develop a comprehensive range of cutting-edge composite materials. To meet Flying Whales' requirements and technical constraints, Hexcel has developed materials such as prepregs, carbon fibers, fabrics, adhesives... Our composites are lighter and stronger than any other comparable material, enabling cleaner, more efficient and more sustainable air mobility. We are very proud to be working with Flying Whales to achieve excellence and customer satisfaction.»

- Thierry Merlot, President, Europe Middle East Africa Asia Pacific, Hexcel

« Working with HEXCEL Composites has been a great journey. Their expertise in composite raw materials, their ability to develop and qualify aerospace products and to provide the most adapted solution have been crucial in bringing the LCA60T airship to life. This airship represents a significant leap forward in developing sustainable cargo transport, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on improving logistics in remote areas. By leveraging strong and light-weight composite materials, we are committed to creating an airship with minimal environmental impact. »

- Vincent Guibout, CEO, FLYING WHALES

Picture above: FLYING WHALES and Hexcel team. 

 

About FLYING WHALES

 FLYING WHALES is a Franco-Canadian company developing an ambitious and unique program thanks to its innovations and the quality of its teams and industrial consortium: the LCA60T, a rigid airship for transporting heavy loads, with a carrying capacity of 60 tonnes. Originally designed to meet the needs of renewable wood resource exploitation in hard-to-reach areas, the LCA60T's unique hovering loading and unloading characteristics will provide solutions to numerous logistical and landlocked problems around the world, with a very low environmental footprint. This solution will make it possible, at lower cost, to overcome all terrestrial constraints for point-to-point transport of heavy or bulky loads. FLYING WHALES is also developing FLYING WHALES SERVICES, the operating company for the LCA60T. FLYING WHALES QUÉBEC is its Canadian subsidiary, in which Investissement Québec is a shareholder, to participate in the aeronautical program and, in the industrial phase, to be able to approach the American continent. 

For more information:   https://www.flying-whales.com/

About Hexcel

Hexcel Corporation is a global leader in advanced lightweight composites technology. We propel the future of flight and transportation through excellence in providing innovative high-performance material solutions that are lighter, stronger, and tougher, helping to create a better world for us all. Our broad and unrivaled product range includes carbon fiber, specialty reinforcements, prepregs and other fiber-reinforced matrix materials, honeycomb, resins, engineered core and composite structures for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial applications.

For more information: www.hexcel.com

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