Finnish-based Exel Composites has signed a contract with French-Canadian airship manufacturer Flying Whales to supply its airship with 75km of pull-wound carbon fibre tubes.

Launched in Paris in 2012, Flying Whales is an aeronautic start-up that aims to develop an airship capable of transporting heavy loads.

Its first large-capacity airship – LCA60T – will be able to carry 60 tonnes of cargo at a time. It’s specifically aimed at cargo that is challenging to transport by road or rail, such as wood logs, shipping containers and wind-turbine blades.

The 200-metre-long and 50-metre-high vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) airship will use helium technology to lift its weight and cargo. It will be powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system integrated with a generator supplied by Honeywell.

In July 2022, Flying Whales announced it had raised €122m to finalise the development of the LCA60T. Since then it has built partnerships with a number of suppliers, including Exel Composites, manufacturer...