We are pleased to share the achievements of the New Generation Airships project and the results for January 2026.

NOVA-2

«AERONOVA» is demonstrating substantial progress across NOVA-2 production workstreams:
• the paint booth has been completed,
• the first part of the tail control surfaces has been manufactured and painted,
• assembly accuracy has been confirmed.

The amount of tangible hardware is now growing:
• preparing to manufacture the gondola,
• maturing technologies for large-scale aluminum assemblies.

AEROLЁT-01

The first successful flight tests have been conducted:
• vertical takeoff and landing executed confidently;
• tests for stable altitude hold, maneuvering, and on-the-spot turns carried out;
• high controllability in a quadcopter configuration has been confirmed.

Fine calibration of the motors and swivel mechanisms has been completed:
• backlash eliminated,
• calibration coefficients applied,
• stable operation of the control system achieved.

The key advantage of the aerolët has been confirmed:
• excellent handling,
• the ability to move under its own power in the hangar and on the pad.

Next step:
• transition to full horizontal flight,
• collecting data on hull aerodynamics.

Meeting of the Academy of Sciences section for aviation and aeronautics

A meeting was held, attended by:
• specialists from Bauman MSTU, MAI, and the Dolgoprudny Automation Design Bureau,
• the AERONOVA engineering team.

The meeting covered:
• the feasibility of establishing production of aerostat fabrics in Russia,
• the current market situation,
• import-related constraints on materials,
• the development of materials for aeronautics.

Key takeaway — without access to export markets and stable demand, production will not be able to recoup equipment costs within 1–2 years.

Test stands

«AERONOVA» expects the assembly of a stand for testing load-bearing elements of the airship envelope, such as grommets, tabs, and pockets. The tests will confirm compliance with the calculated loads.

A test stand has been prepared and is nearly complete, intended for:
• testing generators,
• checking power lines,
• moving on to propeller testing under real load.

In parallel, work is underway to set up production of airship envelopes.

Composite assemblies

The production chain has been launched. Site visits to contractors have been conducted and technical processes agreed.

In progress: creating key composite elements for NOVA-2, such as:
• propellers for the tail thruster,
• a composite leaf spring for the nose landing gear,
• ducted propulsors,
• gondola components.

Powerplants and microturbines

Reports have been received on the completion of bench tests of the microturbine’s electrical section.

Development of the electrical section has been completed. Generators and inverters are ready for shipment.

The turbine has moved into the production stage:
• all contractors identified,
• fabrication of key units assigned,
• preparation of the assembly and test area has begun.

The microturbine has been affirmed as a key technology for the large airships of the future.

Software and control systems development

A significant leap has been made in the software:
• transition from 2D maps to 3D volumetric flight visualization,
• the operator now sees the airship in 3D space, rather than as a “top-down dot.”

An active phase has begun:
• integration of external and internal software,
• moving toward fully unmanned control of NOVA-01.

The control architecture has been confirmed as ready to scale.

Stay with us — there is much more progress and discovery ahead.

*The translation is done with the help of artificial intelligence.

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