LuffShips (LS) is the trading name of Luffships Limited (LSL), a business developing buoyant aircraft (BA – i.e. aerostats and airships) using lighter-than-air (LTA) principles. LSL’s plans lead to serious heavy-lift types as aerial-cranes for point-to-point transport and other duties, typically as illustrated left – a goal.
We know this is possible from the CL75 pictured below, built to test ideas – enabled by LSL engineers and their associates.
Maybe not what people expect an aircraft to be but who else recently vertically air-lifted and then safely flew with an outsized single 55 tonne load over a 2km course, which the CL75 was used for? Designed for air-tow methods with 75 tonne payloads, it was just something affordable 23 years ago to start with that could be scaled up and arranged for more serious purposes, which didn’t follow and hasn’t been surpassed by others since then.
LSL’s team leaders comprises aeronautical people from the industry who are engineers and specialists with experience in BA development & operation. See our Teams page for information.
Our motto is, “The impossible we do immediately (CL75 done), it’s only miracles that take a little longer!”
We aim to enable the BA industry worldwide, working to introduce useful sustainable types able for needed duties. However, turning ideas into reality needs investment. LSL has the knowhow for BA but is not an institution for them. We therefore plan to develop them in affordable stages with smaller types for suitable duties in ways that scale up to serve later goals able to validate technology for aerial-cranes and be used for operator network set-up and growth.
LS-L6T-1 Prototype 2023
Currently a small company, LSL’s business plans are well developed to become an SME and build the industry needed for BA. We are underway with small scale prototypes able to demonstrate the technology and for first customers who provide operator services. They then may gain the knowhow and ROI to set up the infrastructure for bigger types.
LSL also undertakes development of the infrastructure needed for our BA, enabling turnkey arrangements for operators (including necessary training) to get underway. This covers essential equipment, systems and facilities, which may include compatible light re-locatable structures such as fabric covered or inflated buildings (e.g., hangars or halls) plus support.
See: Projects for information about LSL’s proposals, overcoming past problems and making things affordable with needed solutions.
We are working to gain airworthiness authority aircraft Design Organisation Approval (DOA) status, taking responsibility for types developed. In the meantime, subject to arrangements agreed, we are prepared to work with aircraft DOA businesses interested to assist but who lack knowhow in BA development. We are not seeking Manufacturing Organisation (MOA) status for the time being, as there are numerous suppliers already established for BA parts and systems needed. Nonetheless, we do plan to take overall responsibility for our developments undertaking assembly, test, certification and so forth, necessary for design ‘type certificates’ and aircraft ‘certificates of airworthiness’ for commercial operating services.
See the Buoyant Aircraft page for further information about our designs and their origins.