An eight-metre model of Syrax, the dragon from House of the Dragon, flew over the Tower of London on June 22, 2026, to mark the launch of the third series of the Game of Thrones spin-off on HBO Max. The 13kg dragon, built by German aeronautics firm Airstage, features 23 moving parts and used impellers built into its legs to create lifelike motion.
Construction and Flight Details
The model took three months and nearly 3,000 hours to build by a team of 14 people using vacuum-formed Depron foam around a carbon fibre and aluminium frame, finished with detailed airbrushing. Nils Schlenther, chief operating officer at Airstage, said: “This is one of the most intricate flying models we have ever created. After months of R&D and complex construction, the team studied the movement of Syrax and underwent over seven test flights to ensure her flight was as close as what we see in the show as possible.”
Launch Event and Attendees
An evening reception following the flight was hosted by Harriet Rose and attended by stars including Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, Clinton Liberty, and Abubakar Salim, who play characters in the series. The eight-episode season launched on June 22 and will air weekly on HBO Max, with the finale on August 9, 2026.
Historical Setting
Anna Kimber OBE, deputy governor of the Tower of London, said: “The Tower of London has stood at the heart of some of the most dramatic chapters in our history for nearly 1,000 years. While dragons may belong to the world of fantasy, the themes at the heart of House of the Dragon – power, ambition and the struggle for the throne – have strong echoes in the stories that played out within these walls.”
