Several governments have research and development activities focused on stratospheric platforms to support communications and surveillance requirements. "CargoLifter has the capability and expertise for lighter-than-air platform development, and we are excited to work with them. "This is an important new business opportunity for Boeing," said Charlie Guthrie, director of rapid prototyping and advanced concepts for the Boeing Unmanned Systems organization. The contract, which provides for a detailed study of lighter-than-air stratospheric platforms, will enable Boeing and CargoLifter to coordinate efforts to bid as airship system suppliers for current and future programs. The Skyship airship, which had been purchased by Cargolifter for training and research purposes, was sold to Swiss Skycruise and used in Athens for flights connected with the Olympic games held there.CargoLifter AG have signed a contract to jointly explore stratospheric airship concepts.The airship hangar was converted to a ‘tropical paradise’-themed indoor holiday resort called Tropical Islands, which opened in 2004. In June 2003, the company’s facilities were sold off for less than 20% of the construction costs.Due to technical issues within the logistic chain of the LTA technology (docking the airships in extreme situations), the development of the Cargolifter halted.The fate of parts of the 300 million euros in shareholder funds from over 70,000 investors is still unclear. On 7 June 2002 the company announced insolvency, and liquidation proceedings began the following month.The German company probably met insolvency before it could be done.
A test flight above Manaus was supposed to take place in 2002, as this article mentions.Another aircraft, the “CL 75 Aircrane” transportation balloon prototype, of similar size was built but destroyed in a storm in July 2002.A small scale experimental airship known as “Joey” was built and had its maiden flight in October 1999.1998: The construction of a large hangar for production and operation of the CL160 and engineering team facilities were built on the former Soviet Air Force base at Brand-Briesen Airfield.Cargolifter was more than a manufacturer of vehicles, it developed a structure whithin which all components necessary to design, develop manufacture and operate LTA logistics vehicles were present.Once in service, the vehicles would trigger a paradigm shift in oversized and heavy logistical solutions.To establish a global infrastructure system that could support the worldwide fleet of airships.To build up to 50 CL160-airships by 2015 and an additional 10 CL75’s.Of which 65% private individuals, 29% financial institutions and 6% industrial partners invested a total of 250 million euro
That is why CargoLifter has found its investors among many transport companies (such as Boeing) and industrial customers round the world. Expected cost of building one zeppelin was roughly half the cost of a Boeing 747.The facility was located approximately 60km.An abandoned old Soviet military airbase in Brand-Briesen was used to build the production and operation center.
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