{{Short description|UK series of aerostat}} {{for|the website|Tmall}} {{refimprove|date=May 2011}} '''SkyCat''' (a [[portmanteau]] of "Sky [[Catamaran]]") is a class of proposed heavy-lift [[hybrid airship]]s which derive more than half of their lift by [[helium]] buoyancy and the balance via aerodynamic [[lift (force)|lift]] produced by aerodynamic shaping.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} The SkyCat design incorporates hover cushion technology in place of wheels, allowing craft to take off and land anywhere, including remote regions without need for airports or sophisticated forward based infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKAyJ3zKTus|title=- YouTube|website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
The SkyKitten,<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180221051847/http://www.worldskycat.com/skycat/skykitten.html Skykitten website]}} (archived link)</ref> a 1/6 linear scale model of a SkyCat design was built and flown by Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) (now-defunct successor to [[Airship Industries]]) in the [[United Kingdom]] at [[Cardington, Bedfordshire|Cardington]].<ref>[https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg16922723.000-big-buoyant-and-back-in-business.html ''New Scientist''] 2001-01-06</ref>
"SkyFreighter" is the name given by the [[Hybrid Air Vehicles]] to one of its implementations of the SkyCat design. These are proposed to carry heavy-lift and ultra-heavy-lift cargo payloads from 50 tons net payload to as heavy as 1000 tons which may be a mix of outsized and/or containerized objects.<ref> {{Cite news |date=2015-05-08 |title=Airship developers dare to return to the skies |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/63b4300c-e909-11e4-b7e8-00144feab7de |access-date=2023-04-06}}</ref>
The Skycat is almost impervious to light ordnance, such as automatic rifle or mortar fire, which will merely pass through the metallized [[PET film (biaxially oriented)|PET film]] envelope without causing critical helium loss.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldskycat.com/images/SkyCat.pdf|title=High Safety Level (page 5) and Structural Vulnerability Tests (page 7)|publisher=World Skycat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814175059/http://www.worldskycat.com/images/SkyCat.pdf|accessdate=2008-04-25|url-status=usurped|archive-date=2017-08-14}}</ref>
SkyCat air vehicle developments are being pursued by at least one major aerospace company. [[DARPA]] concluded their "[[Walrus HULA|WALRUS]]" contract with industry to explore technology options that might be employed in such vehicles as SkyCat in CY-2006.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}
ATG went into administration in 2005 having produced only one airship, the SkyCat. SkyCat Group was formed and bought ATG's operations. In turn Hybrid Air Vehicles of the UK was formed acquiring the assets of SkyCat Group in 2007 to continue development of the concept.<ref> Financial Times May 8, 2015 - Airship developers dare to return to the skies</ref>
==See also== *[[EosXi]] *[[P-791]] - a very similar aircraft from Lockheed-Martin
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20180221051847/http://www.worldskycat.com/skycat/skykitten.html}} (archived link) * [http://members.ozemail.com.au/~p0gwil/AIRSHIPS-CARDINGTON/Skycat-Skykitten.html Webpage] describing visit to site with original photos {{Hybrid Air Vehicles}} [[Category:Airship configurations]] [[Category:Cargo aircraft]]