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Press, 26 June 1984, Page 21

Development aid experts are enthusiastic about the “helitruck,” a model of which was on show at the recent Hanover air show. Surveys in the United States and West Germany indicate that it could well help to solve the transport problems faced by many developing countries. So its further development is to

be backed by the G.T.Z., the Bonn Government agency that handles technical co-operation with the Third World. It combines properties of an airship, a helicopter, and a conventional aircraft. It is a vertical take-off craft suitable for use in countries with limited infrastructure, It can take off and land on virtually any flat and open space.

The basic idea is borrowed from the classical airship. The helitruck’s unladen weight is supported by the uplift of helium gas, while four propellers keep craft and cargo on the move. It is planned with a cargo bay 30 metres long, 5.4 metres wide, and 3 metres tall. The helitruck is designed to ship payloads of between 10 and 75

tonnes up to 4000 km at a speed of 250 km/h. Plans have so far been drawn up by Helitrans, New York, and Zeppelin, Friedrichshafen. The helitruck is expected to cost about $8 million. Design engineers point out that it is environmentally triple-A, using much less fuel than either other aircraft or a corresponding number of lorries. West German Features.