"Go" for airship test flight

A new hydrogen-powered airship – designed and built in Newport - will have its first test flight on Sunday before invited guests.

Project leader Jan Bilek says “we’re now officially go” for the test at Kayo Stadium in Kippa-Ring, likely to be between 8-9am.

It will be the culmination of four years’ work for Jan, his son Sebastian and their team, on a hobby developing hydrogen-powered prototypes.

This demonstration aims to show the first successful lift-off, controlled flight and safe landing of the environmentally-friendly airship.

It will include taking off with a 1kg payload, flying for 50m at a height of five metres and landing using hydrogen as a “lifting and power source”.

Sunday’s outcome will help decide if the project moves on to larger-scale heavier payload flying and if, long-term, “commercialisation” may be a possibility.

“It depends how Sunday goes, then we'll see where it may go,” said Jan, “being realistic, success or failure, we’ll see what’s next.”

The project’s H2use website says the team's goal is to "learn quickly from each prototype and make the necessary adjustments to improve performance and safety".

It all started during the Covid lockdown when Jan, a civil engineer and his son Sebastian started “working on a few things”.

Jan had long been fascinated in the workings and history of airships and his interest in physics and science rubbed on onto Sebastian, now 17.

With hydrogen being the “only element that both lifts and powers” it is “perfect for airships”, says the H2use website.

“And with hydrogen production becoming greener and more available, it makes sense to build flight systems ready to use it. No fossil fuels, no noise, no runway — just clean lift.”

The website says the “airship offers a sustainable alternative that can help address acute environmental demands leading the way towards a more sustainable and greener future for aviation”.

“Think of it as filling the logistical sweet spot between drones and heavy aircraft — especially in remote, rough, or sensitive environments.”