FLYING WHALES and Sonaca have just signed a new partnership agreement to build tomorrow's airship. The LCA60T will be the first rigid airship capable of transporting bulky loads of up to 60 tons over long distances.
Sonaca is confirmed as a major partner in the project. Our collaboration has been strengthened since January with the presence of a team of engineers from Sonaca's design office who joined FLYING WHALES in their offices to collaborate on the finalization of the preliminary design of the main structure. Sonaca's teams will be composed of 15 engineers. Sonaca's teams will also be responsible for the detailed design, testing and certification of many major parts of the airship's main structure for a budget that could exceed 5 million euros.
In the long term, the ambitions are to be able to extend this partnership to the manufacture of a first aircraft and also to consider future collaborations on Belgian soil for a total budget of 30 million euros.
We are proud to become a major partner of Flying Whales. The development of this airship is fully in line with Sonaca's ambitions to build a more sustainable aviation.