A neutrally boyant aircraft — capable of transporting 40-ton loads up to 200 miles without refueling—is being developed by The Boeing Company of St. Louis and SkyHook International Inc. of Calgary, Canada.
The heavy lift, vertical take-off and landing rotorcraft is
specifically geared to “address the limitations and expense of transporting equipment and materials to remote regions,” according to a spokesman.
The SkyHook JHL-40 aircraft when operational will be capable of carrying payloads that are “unmatched by any rotorcraft in existence today,” he says.
A significant environmental advantage of this heavy lifter is that it should ease pressure to construct roads to facilities in remote areas and reduce the carbon footprint of industrial operations in these austere locations.