Technology The Airlander will change the world

Second Summer

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It could be the future of aviation, British eccentric genius on a grand scale, or possibly a bit of both. Secreted in a hangar a few miles south of Bedford sits the world’s largest aircraft: a hybrid of plane, balloon and hovercraft, an airship that the company modestly says will change the world. The Airlander 10 can fly for weeks, land virtually anywhere that’s flat, and burns just a fifth of the fuel of a conventional aircraft.

With speeds reaching 100mph, it’s slower than a plane but greener, quieter, and potentially far more direct. Its unusual shape emulates a wing, giving it lift as it is propelled forward by its four engines, as well as from the 38,000m3 of helium that fills its hull.
More: Iron maiden voyage: world's largest aircraft looking for investors | World news | The Guardian (31. March 2015)
 
Wheee! It'll be kinda like the alternate universe in "Fringe" with all those zeppelins flying around...

Believe it or not, I've only flown once. I was almost 50. It wasn't scary, even though I thought it would be- I actually managed to sleep on the plane- but I'd feel more at ease in one of these airships.
 
Long distance airships will probably literally connect with local services in the air. At least that would seem to make sense to me. Well, there could be flying service stations and airports, so the airships wouldn't have to land on the ground at all.

We have to stop wasting helium in birthday balloons, though.

I hope this story wasn't an April Fool's joke ....
 
^^^ Like in the birthday balloons. Instead of blowing out the candles, one could detonate the balloons...

(What is it about guys and explosions anyway? At least it seems to usually be us guys...)
 
Reminds me of Cargolifter, a German company that planned to build a 160-ton-payload semi-rigid airship.

Unfortunately their business plan was not very solid, and they went bankrupt in 2002, after having built a hangar large enough to host the Eiffel tower (lying on its side) or the Statue of Liberty (standing up).

Best regards,
Andy