# SkyCat

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UK series of aerostat

For the website, see [Tmall](/source/Tmall).

This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "SkyCat" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

**SkyCat** (a [portmanteau](/source/Portmanteau) of "Sky [Catamaran](/source/Catamaran)") is a class of proposed heavy-lift [hybrid airships](/source/Hybrid_airship) which derive more than half of their lift by [helium](/source/Helium) buoyancy and the balance via aerodynamic [lift](/source/Lift_(force)) produced by aerodynamic shaping.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] 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.[1]

The SkyKitten,[2] 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](/source/Airship_Industries)) in the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) at [Cardington](/source/Cardington%2C_Bedfordshire).[3]

"SkyFreighter" is the name given by the [Hybrid Air Vehicles](/source/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.[4]

The Skycat is almost impervious to light ordnance, such as automatic rifle or mortar fire, which will merely pass through the metallized [PET film](/source/PET_film_(biaxially_oriented)) envelope without causing critical helium loss.[5]

SkyCat air vehicle developments are being pursued by at least one major aerospace company. [DARPA](/source/DARPA) concluded their "[WALRUS](/source/Walrus_HULA)" contract with industry to explore technology options that might be employed in such vehicles as SkyCat in CY-2006.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

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.[6]

## See also

- [EosXi](/source/EosXi)

- [P-791](/source/P-791) - a very similar aircraft from Lockheed-Martin

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["- YouTube"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKAyJ3zKTus). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Skykitten website](https://web.archive.org/web/20180221051847/http://www.worldskycat.com/skycat/skykitten.html) (archived link)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [*New Scientist*](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg16922723.000-big-buoyant-and-back-in-business.html) 2001-01-06

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Airship developers dare to return to the skies"](https://www.ft.com/content/63b4300c-e909-11e4-b7e8-00144feab7de). *Financial Times*. 2015-05-08. Retrieved 2023-04-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["High Safety Level (page 5) and Structural Vulnerability Tests (page 7)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170814175059/http://www.worldskycat.com/images/SkyCat.pdf) (PDF). World Skycat. Archived from the original on 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2008-04-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Financial Times May 8, 2015 - Airship developers dare to return to the skies

## External links

- [Official website](https://web.archive.org/web/20180221051847/http://www.worldskycat.com/skycat/skykitten.html) (archived link)

- [Webpage](http://members.ozemail.com.au/~p0gwil/AIRSHIPS-CARDINGTON/Skycat-Skykitten.html) describing visit to site with original photos

v t e Hybrid Air Vehicles Products Airlander 10 Airship Industries Alan Bond Products Airship Industries Skyship 500 Airship Industries Skyship 600 Related Airship Management Services George Spyrou SkyCat

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SkyCat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyCat) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyCat?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.