Meet the Airlander: The Airship that Broke the Internet

Commissioned by the US Military and Reclaimed by its British designers the AIrlander could be the Future of Air Travel.

Yes, there are many funny aspects of this design. We’ve already tossed them around the office, so we may as well clear the air.

• Yes. It does bear a striking resemblance to Kim Kardashian’s cover of “Paper” Magazine which “Broke the Internet.” If you’re not familiar, please Google it yourself.
• No, it’s not full of hydrogen. So, keep your Hindenburg jokes to a minimum.
• It’s lighter than Led Zepplin but, heavier than a lead balloon. More on lead balloons below. (note: nothing is heavier than Led Zepplin)
• No, Lululemon does not make yoga pants in its size.
• Yes. When it sits around the house, it really “sits around the house.”
• Finally. No, it does not have a caboose.

The Airlander was created for the US military, but after $300,000,000 invested the project was scrapped and sold to it’s designers for a mere $301,000. That’s a 99% discount folks.

The Airlander is designed to be the safest form of air travel. The vehicle does not stall, lands on any reasonably flat surface and has a take-off and landing speed of around 40 knots. It is fitted with four propulsion units and with close on 10,000 Shaft horsepower (SHP) for the 50 tonne variant it has sufficient power and range to deal with the most challenging environments.

The vehicle that uses a combination of buoyancy (helium gas) and aerodynamics (the shape of the body) to generate lift. This “hybrid” is in essence an aircraft with some inherent buoyancy, similar to a lifting body (a vehicle in which the body itself produces lift). This design creates the perfect balance between economic flight (typically associated with airships), operational flexibility (typically associated with helicopters), range and payload;

The Facts about the Airlander:

• Top Speed: 40 knots
• Max Altitude: 16,000 ft
• Flight duration: 5 days
• Cargo Capacity: 200 tons