Boeing, Calgary-based SkyHook to build rotorcraft to carry freight to remote areas

By: THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY - Aircraft maker Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) is teaming up with private Calgary firm SkyHook International Inc. to build a new commercial heavy-lift rotorcraft. The aircraft, which combines elements of a helicopter and a blimp, can be used to transport materials and equipment in remote areas. The SkyHook JHL-400 aircraft will be able to lift a 40-tonne slung load and transport it 300 kilometres without refuelling, which is a big advantage in remote places like the arctic. The craft also has applications in Alberta's oilsands, where huge pieces of equipment have to be transported over muskeg and muddy ground. Skyhook says there's demand for the technology and the company already has a long list of customers waiting for the... [read full story]