Recent weeks have seen further progress on the Airlander 10 as manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) works towards the type's first flight this spring. The mission module, which includes the cockpit and the payload bay, has been attached to the Airlander's hull. That followed the installation of the payload beam, which will support bulky external cargo, and the fuel tank. A statement from HAV explained how these components are attached to the aircraft: "The mass of the aircraft is supported from strengthened features built into the hull during manufacture. Multiple attachment points on each part of the structure allow the load to be distributed evenly."
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