Airlander 10, a giant airship prototype that used to be part of the U.S. Army’s now-canceled Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) program, crashed at the end of its second flight test Aug. 24 in the United Kingdom.
During the “heavy landing,” the front of the Airlander’s flight deck sustained “some damage, which is currently being assessed,” said Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the British firm that is developing the airship. “Both pilots and the ground crew are safe and well and the aircraft is secured and stable at its normal mooring location.” 
When the mishap occurred, the helium-filled, four-engine prototype, which is the length of an American football field, was trying to return to Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire, England, where HAV is based. The vehicle had flown for 100 minutes and had completed all of its planned tasks, the company said.
An investigation of the crash is under way. Airlander 10 completed its first flight, which lasted about 15 minutes, on Aug. 17.
According to HAV, Airlander 10 is the largest aircraft currently flying and combines technology from fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and lighter-than-air vehicles “to create a new breed of hyper-efficient aircraft.” The vehicle is designed to stay airborne for up to five days at a time if manned, and for over two weeks if unmanned.
Airlander 10 is intended to carry communications gear, perform surveillance and transport cargo for military and commercial users. A “big brother” variant, Airlander 50, is under development and is supposed to be able to ferry over 50 tons of cargo.
What is now called Airlander 10 was once the centerpiece of LEMV, a technology demonstration effort that the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command launched in 2010 to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Northrop Grumman [NOC] was the prime contractor.
But the Army program was short-lived. in 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that LEMV was about 12,000 pounds overweight and 10 months behind schedule. In 2013, the Army canceled LEMV and sold the airship back to HAV, which later rebuilt the vehicle.