# FLYING WHALES FLYING WHALES uses the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to plan and optimize their massive helium-electric airships and purpose-built factory. ![Flying Whales hero banner > Dassault Systèmes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-03/flying-whales-hero.png) [ Watch the video 3 minutes ](https://youtu.be/Xy4hPialPt4) The Giant Hybrid Airship Solving Heavy Cargo Logistics Many remote areas remain out of reach for very heavy or oversized cargo. Roads are often nonexistent or impractical, and smaller aircraft can only carry limited payloads. The Franco-Canadian company FLYING WHALES offers an alternative: its enormous aircraft can transport the likes of timber, wind turbine blades, electric pylons, building materials and mobile hospitals, and load and unload cargo without ever touching the ground. “Our airship functions like a floating crane,” said Tanguy Lestienne, CEO of FLYING WHALES Services. “Filled with helium, it hovers effortlessly and doesn’t need any ground infrastructure to pick up or set down cargo. And compared to planes and helicopters, its distributed electric propulsion cuts emissions by around 70%, with future models expected to reach 90%. That’s especially valuable for timber extraction, renewable energy, or new power line projects where moving and positioning heavy pylons is complex. In this line of work, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost a factor of ten.” The LCA60T is a hybrid helium-electric airship stretching 200 meters from nose to tail and standing as tall as a 15-story building. Designed to carry up to 60 tons of heavy cargo, this unique air mobility concept is now ready to move from prototype to production. On the outskirts of Bordeaux in southwestern France, construction will soon begin on the production facility where FLYING WHALES’ hybrid airship will come to life. Spanning nearly seven hectares with ceilings reaching 60 meters high, the factory is enormous in scale yet designed with the same care for the environment as the airship itself. Inspired by [biomimicry principles](/sustainability/business-biodiversity/biomimicry-drives-circular-innovation "How Biomimicry Drives Circular Innovation"), it will blend into the surrounding landscape, collect rainwater for natural re-infiltration and integrate ecological compensation areas across the site. The facility’s optimized structural design will also use around 50% less steel than conventional hangars. “The most striking characteristic of the production site is its scale and that means we have to think and work in three dimensions at all times” said Simon Debeugny, head of manufacturing engineering at FLYING WHALES. “We’ll need to know who’s working at which level, where and on what. The scale, the structure, the way the airship is assembled, everything is new.” Managing this complexity, from designing the airship to planning how it will be built in the factory, is done entirely in Dassault Systèmes’ [**3D**EXPERIENCE platform on the cloud](/cloud "3DEXPERIENCE Platform on the Cloud"). “All aircraft development is handled on the platform, so it was only natural to use it to define our manufacturing methods and design all the tooling,” Lestienne said. (Flying Whales reference video EN) flying_whales_-_hybrid_airship_|_dassault_systèmes 3 minutes 1 Pop-up window Click for the FLYING WHALES video transcript *00:00 – 00:30* **Tanguy Lestienne, General Manager, FLYING WHALES SERVICES:** FLYING WHALES is a Franco-Quebec company that designs and develops a large cargo airship with hybrid-electric propulsion. That will be scalable to run on completely decarbonized fuels. Its mission is to decarbonize air transport and open up access to isolated areas. *00:31 – 00:46* **Simon Debeugny, Head of Manufacturing Engineering, FLYING WHALES:** The biggest challenges are actually related to the size and design of our airship. We are building an airship of 200 meters long and 50 meters high. One of the key issues is to ensure that people work in safe conditions and minimize tasks at height, which requires developing specific methods. *00:47 – 01:03* **Tanguy Lestienne:** The entire airship design is created with the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, which allows us to perform comprehensive analyses across the entire lifecycle. A consortium of 50 companies is working with us on the various systems and equipment of the airship. *01:04 – 01:19* **Paul Creusvaux, Systems Integration Engineer, FLYING WHALES:** We use the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to work on systems integration between the partner and FLYING WHALES. It enables us to ensure optimal coordination between the teams on the cloud, which provides us with a common base across the different departments for communication. *01:20 – 01:35* **Simon Debeugny:** It’s a question of traceability. We must guarantee that we know where every part, every bolt comes from, who worked on it, how it was designed, and be able to prove all of this on a daily basis. For FLYING WHALES, the value of Dassault Systèmes' solutions lies in data integrity and digital continuity. *01:36 – 01:49* **Tanguy Lestienne:** Since the entire 3D model of the airship is on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, it was natural to use this platform to define the production methods, but also the tooling design that will be used to produce the airship in its factory. *01:50 – 02:24* **Simon Debeugny:** Obviously, the first virtual twin is the airship itself. For us, it's extremely important to be able to simulate things, validate hypotheses, congestion, spaces between different systems that could damage each other. We're able to work on the airship’s virtual twin within the virtual twin of the factory. So, we can really project ourselves into the future of FLYING WHALES, its production, as well as the machine maintenance, and all physical operations. When you're in front of a screen, it's very difficult to grasp the scale. The virtual twin also allows us to put on a virtual reality headset and see what the product looks like at full scale. *02:25 – 03:00* **Tanguy Lestienne:** The **3D**EXPERIENCE platform encompasses not only the airship itself, but also the factory, the tooling, and tomorrow, it will be configuration management, airworthiness monitoring, and ensuring we remain constantly compliant with the certified specifications. Today, Dassault Systèmes' platform remains at the core of our company's development. Virtual Twin of the Purpose-Built Assembly Facility Before construction begins, FLYING WHALES has developed [a complete virtual twin](/virtual-twin "Virtual Twin Experiences") of the assembly site using [DELMIA](/products/delmia/3dexperience "3DEXPERIENCE DELMIA") on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform. This navigable 3D model mirrors everything down to the workstations, cranes and assembly zones. “Because of the scale we’re working at, we need to allocate resources with great precision so that every operation happens in the right place at the right moment,” Debeugny said. “Given that we have an aircraft that’s 50 meters high, a key challenge is keeping our personnel safe and minimizing work at height. With the virtual twin, we can take these safety requirements into account as we plan all production steps and resources.” Working with its technology partner Keonys, the FLYING WHALES team used Dassault Systèmes’ Value Engagement methodology to map every capability from concept to production. This process helped to identify existing strengths, pinpoint gaps and build the skills required to operate the factory at full scale. “The fundamental objective is digital continuity,” Debeugny said. “It allows us to link the airship designed in [CATIA](/products/catia/3dexperience-catia "3DEXPERIENCE CATIA") to the one being produced in DELMIA and connect the manufacturing bill of materials (MBOM) with each operational step so we can model industrial processes in detail, estimate timings and assign people and machines. We’ll end up with a complete database capturing times, parts and resources at every key moment, which will be the foundation for all future production.” From virtual design to production planning, FLYING WHALES’ engineers and specialists collaborate seamlessly on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to bring their hybrid airship to life. [![CATIA 3D wireframe model of the Flying Whales LCA60T hybrid airship displayed in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-object.png)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-object.png) [![Flying Whales engineers using DELMIA on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to plan hybrid airship production with a virtual twin.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-image.png)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-image.png) [![DELMIA virtual twin of the Flying Whales airship production facility on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-delmia.png)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-delmia.png) [![Flying Whales engineer using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on dual Dell screens to manage airship production planning.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-image-2.jpg)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-platform-image-2.jpg) Strong Industry Knowledge and Technical Support This drive for digital continuity was the main reason FLYING WHALES chose [the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform](/3dexperience "The 3DEXPERIENCE platform"). The team needed an end-to-end environment where all stakeholders could work together seamlessly, keep data consistent across every stage of the airship’s development and meet all certification requirements. From the start, FLYING WHALES received close guidance from Keonys experts on how to make the most of the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform. Early on, Keonys supported the rollout across engineering teams, helping to structure how requirements, design, configurations and simulations were managed. More recently, it’s helped Flying Whales explore new areas such as MBOM creation and adapting working methods to the realities of an airship OEM. “Whenever we have a new feature we want to use, we need to understand exactly what’s behind it,” Debeugny said. “Keonys supports us to fully develop our skills. Over the past six months, their specialists worked alongside us to implement configuration management and develop best practices in DELMIA so that by the end, we had overcome the major challenges we’d identified at the start and gained real autonomy. That empowerment has been key.” (Keonys-Flying-Whales partner video) From day one, Cenit Keonys guided FLYING WHALES—supporting rollout, structuring processes, and building the skills needed to master the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. keonys_–_driving_success_with_flying_whales_|_dassault_systèmes 1 minute 45 Pop-up window Click for the Keonys FLYING WHALES video transcript *00:00 – 00:16* **Simon Debeugny, Head of Manufacturing Engineering, FLYING WHALES:** To achieve exactly what we wanted, we needed support. Keonys provided us with subject matter experts to offer solutions on all the topics we were struggling with. *00:17 – 01:20* **Philippe Delahaye, Business Transformation Consultant, Cenit Keonys:** Keonys conducted an assessment to identify the digital transformation to be implemented at FLYING WHALES to take advantage of the extended capabilities and digital continuity of the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform. Our recommendation was to first establish a common framework to facilitate communication between all stakeholders. Secondly, to use the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to support the company's quality processes definition. We have implemented tools to track changes and manage configurations at each key milestone in the airship's development. The goal is to build a virtual twin to ensure the product design, integrate the systems, and finally simulate the airship's behavior. We are currently working on a detailed study of the 3D assembly processes. The aim is to simulate and validate the entire manufacturing process of the airship. Since there is no physical prototype, the virtual twin allows us to produce first-time-right. *01:21 – 01:44* **Simon Debeugny:** Keonys has been supporting us on this project for many years now. Whereas six months ago, I might have told you we had a major undertaking ahead of us and I didn't quite know where to begin, today, we have a very clearly defined path. Harnessing Helium for Sustainable Air Cargo Transport For the airship itself, FLYING WHALES engineers use CATIA on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to model all components and structural details. The LCA60T’s rigid composite outer frame measures 200 meters long and 50 meters in diameter. Inside, multiple internal cells contain unpressurized helium for aerostatic lift, enclosed within a patented technical textile developed by FLYING WHALES. “CATIA is the cornerstone of our entire system,” Debeugny said. “It's how we create all our parts and define the external structure, which must maintain a very precise geometry and handle significant internal stress.” Paul Creusvaux, systems integration engineer at FLYING WHALES, added: “We use CATIA daily to explore integration topics and resolve issues in context. It lets us define the airship’s skeleton and consider how we size it and position each system to make them work together. Space allocation and coordination are key to the entire design.” To understand how the structure responds to aerodynamic and operational loads, engineers run simulations in SIMULIA. Every iteration helps balance weight and strength, and improves the airship’s lifting capability. “The airship is subjected to many different types of forces – aerodynamic, assembly, maintenance, and operational loads,” Debeugny explained. “We run iterative simulation loops, from component level up to the full finite element model, to evaluate performance and refine the design.” The fundamental objective is digital continuity. It allows us to link the airship designed in CATIA to the one being produced in DELMIA and connect the manufacturing bill of materials (MBOM) with each operational step so we can model industrial processes in detail, estimate timings and assign people and machines. Simon Debeugny Head of Manufacturing Engineering, FLYING WHALES ![Simon Debeugny Profile Picture](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-debeugny-square.png) Coordinating a Global Consortium The LCA60T is the product of collaboration on a global scale. FLYING WHALES leads a consortium of more than 50 companies around the world, each responsible for specific subsystems including propulsion, avionics, materials and control systems. Coordinating such a distributed network requires clear communication and a shared view of the design as it evolves. “One of the great advantages of the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform is that it lets us work on the same model with full context,” Creusvaux said. “Our teams are spread across Paris, Bordeaux, Montreal and Quebec, and we spend a lot of time integrating different systems. For example, when my colleagues in Quebec work on the machine’s propulsion system, we can instantly track any changes. The shared cloud platform makes collaboration effortless.” That coordination is powered by ENOVIA, which provides a unified environment for managing data, processes and configurations across all partners. And thanks to the [product lifecycle management layer in ENOVIA](/products/enovia/next-generation-plm "Next-Gen PLM on ENOVIA"), FLYING WHALES can maintain this level of coordination throughout the project’s entire lifecycle. “We use ENOVIA extensively to manage configurations, resolve conflicts and track every design change,” Creusvaux said. “For example, when we identified a clash between maintenance access points and the ballast-level piping, we could easily visualize the conflict and redesign the routing to free up access.” Now that the airship’s design is finalized, the next step is validation and testing – a complex process where each company tests its components according to the specifications defined and shared within the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform. “For certification, we must demonstrate at all times that the airship we intend to build is the one we are actually building,” Debeugny said. “We need data that is intact, stored and protected in the Dassault Systèmes cloud, and that flows from one role to another, from the design engineer to the industrial engineer, and tomorrow to the production operator. Any deviation must be fully traced and justified.” FLYING WHALES’ LCA60T hybrid helium-electric airship effortlessly carries up to 60 tons of oversized cargo, reaching remote locations without roads or runways, while cutting emissions and operating like a floating crane. [![Flying Whales LCA60T hybrid helium-electric airship in flight, a 200-meter cargo airship designed for heavy payload transport.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-general-view.png)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-general-view.png) [![Interior view of the Flying Whales LCA60T hybrid airship's circular lattice structural framework viewed from below.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-inside.png)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-inside.png) [![Flying Whales LCA60T hybrid airship cockpit interior showing pilot seats, control joystick, and instrument panels.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-simulateur-new-crop.jpg)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-simulateur-new-crop.jpg) [![Flying Whales hybrid airship lifting timber logs over a forest using suspended clamp rigging for heavy cargo transport.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-carrying-wood.jpg)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-carrying-wood.jpg) [![Construction worker overseeing a large pipe being lifted by crane at the Flying Whales airship production facility build site.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-construction.jpg)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-construction.jpg) Data-Driven Decisions for Low Environmental Impact Sustainability is a key consideration across the airship program. By design, the LCA60T offers a lower carbon emissions alternative to helicopters, airplanes and trucks. FLYING WHALES believes its sustainable transportation solution also has far wider environmental benefits. “Helium will reduce energy consumption, and because the ship can carry 60 tons, it reduces the number of transport rotations needed,” said Sarah Pelleray, environmental engineer at FLYING WHALES. “Since loading and unloading happen while hovering, we’ll also avoid building roads or heavy infrastructure, which offers huge ecological benefits.” This sustainability focus extends to reducing the environmental impact of all other aspects of the airship, including propulsion, payload systems and structural materials. The company began a full lifecycle assessment early in the program to evaluate various environmental criterion including materials, manufacturing, operations and end of life, and uses this information to continuously refine and improve the design of its airship. “The **3D**EXPERIENCE platform helps me access reliable data quickly, visualize structures and analyze materials,” Pelleray said. “Each new milestone gives us more data and allows us to refine our understanding of the airship’s environmental footprint. The more we progress, the more we can focus our efforts where they make the biggest difference.” The **3D**EXPERIENCE platform helps me access reliable data quickly, visualize structures and analyze materials. Sarah Pelleray Environmental Engineer, FLYING WHALES ![Flying Whales Sarah Pelleray portrait > Dassault Systemes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-06/flying-whales-sarah-pelleray-portrait.jpg) Sights Set on Global Deployment Once operational, FLYING WHALES’ factory will have the capacity to produce up to twelve airships per year. It will then serve as the blueprint for future facilities in Quebec and Australia, each designed to replicate the same digital and industrial model. “The goal is to duplicate the industrial processes as well as the factory, tooling and digital backbone that supports production,” Lestienne said. “Once the airships are operational, we’ll also use the platform to manage flight planning, mission preparation and maintenance to deliver a complete logistics solution. Our maintenance team is already preparing procedures in the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, which is perfectly suited to this task.” By managing every stage of the airship’s lifecycle within a single collaborative environment, FLYING WHALES is creating a new model for sustainable air mobility. It’s an approach that combines digital precision with environmental awareness, and global collaboration with local impact. “The platform is inseparable from the project,” Debeugny said. “We’ve used it from the beginning, and it remains central to how we work today.” Focus on FLYING WHALES FLYING WHALES is a French-Canadian company working on an ambitious and unique program supported by skilled teams and an industrial consortium to develop the LCA60T, a rigid airship for the transport of heavy loads, with a carrying capacity of 60 tons. Originally designed to access renewable wood resources in hard-to-reach areas, the LCA60T’s unique hover loading and unloading capability will solve many logistical and landlocked challenges around the world with a very small environmental footprint at low cost. FLYING WHALES is also developing FLYING WHALES SERVICES, the operating company for the LCA60T. Its Canadian subsidiary, FLYING WHALES QUÉBEC, of which Investissement Québec is a shareholder, will support the aeronautics program and help expand operations in North America. **For more information:** [http://flying-whales.com](http://www.flying-whales.com) ![Flying Whales logo > Dassault Systèmes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/flying-whales-logo-couleur.png) Focus on Cenit Keonys A long-standing partner of Dassault Systèmes, KEONYS, a subsidiary of the CENIT group since 2017, supports the digital transformation of companies whose strategy is part of a sustainable innovation approach. Committed to supporting the implementation of solutions that best meet its customers’ needs, KEONYS provides comprehensive consultancy services and can assist with all training requirements. **For more information:** [www.keonys.com](https://www.keonys.com/en/) ![Cenit Keonys logo > Dassault Systemes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-04/cenit_keonys_4c_only_type_.jpg)