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MAAT project is a large airship project presented to the last European 7 Framework Program Transport including Aeronautics 2011 deadline. MAAT project is an airship based cruiser-feeder transport system. This paper analyzes the criticalities of the project and the way to upfront these problems which have different natures and possible solutions. Most important criticalities are analyzed both on a methodological point of view and on a direct point of view. Enhanced design methodologies are analyzed in depth to analyze problems, upgrade the project design status continuously and to examine different design options and solutions. An innovative design method has been defined to avoid that problems can produce show stoppers and minimize time delays during project definition.

The MAAT project (Multibody Advanced Airship for Transport) aims to investigate aerial transportation possibility by airship based cruiser-feeder system. MAAT is composed by two modules: The cruiser, named PTAH, (acronym of Photovoltaic Transport Aerial High altitude system); the feeder, named ATEN (Aerial Transport Elevator Network feeder), is a VTOL system (Vertical Take Off and Landing) which ensure the connection between the cruiser and the ground. They can lift up and down by the control of buoyancy force and displace horizontally to join to cruiser.