What a Concept!

The Boeing Co. and SkyHook International Inc. have teamed up to develop the JHL-40 (Jess Heavy Lifter), a new commercial heavy-lift rotorcraft designed to address the limitations and expense of transporting equipment and materials in remote regions. Boeing has received the first increment of a multiyear contract from SkyHook to develop the new aircraft.

SkyHook secured the patent for this neutrally-buoyant aircraft and approached Boeing with the opportunity to develop and build the system. The neutrally-buoyant feature allows SkyHook to safely carry payloads unmatched by any rotorcraft in existence today. The helium-filled envelope is sized to support the weight of the vehicle and fuel without payload. With the empty weight of the aircraft supported by the envelope, the lift generated by four rotors is dedicated solely to lifting the payload, leaving the aircraft neutrally-buoyant.

The SkyHook JHL-40 aircraft will be capable of lifting a 40-ton sling load and transporting it up to 200 miles without refueling in harsh environments such as the Canadian Arctic and Alaska. Currently, conventional land and water transportation methods in these undeveloped regions are inadequate, unreliable and costly. With its lifting capacity and range, the SkyHook JHL-40 aircraft changes that for a variety of industries around the world.

Specifications/Features

• Capacity: 40 tons (80,000 lb / 36,250kg)
• Loaded Range: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
• Speed: 70kts
• Dimensions (LxWxH): 302ft x 217ft x 118ft
• The JHL-40 is the first of its kind and will revolutionize the VTOL world.
• Neutrally-buoyant aircraft utilizes a combination of aerostatic lift and rotorcraft technologies to transport heavy loads
• Capacity is about twice that of the world's current largest vertical lift (the MI-26 helicopter)
• Environmentally acceptable
• Helium-filled envelope

The JHL-40 is named for Pete Jess, SkyHook president and CEO. Companies have suggested that the new technology will enable them to modify their current operational strategy and begin working much sooner on projects that were thought to be 15 to 20 years away. The Boeing- SkyHook technology represents an environmentally acceptable solution for these companies' heavy-lift shorthaul challenges.

The JHL-40 is environmentally acceptable because it mitigates the impact of building new roadways in remote areas, and Skyhook is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of the industrial projects it supports.

Boeing is designing and will fabricate two production prototypes of the JHL-40 at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, PA. Skyhook will own, maintain, operate and service all JHL-40 aircraft for customers worldwide. The new aircraft will enter commercial service as soon as it is certified by Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.