It's been a while since we’ve had a really stellar airship. There are some pretty cool ones being created for Venus (the planet), and the Pentagon’s got somestealthy ones floating around. But for us everyday folk, those are pretty far out of reach. So, we should absolutely be excited about the new largest aircraft in the world. At 300 feet, the craft clocks in at 60 feet longer than a Boeing 747, which is the typical comparison point for "a really freaking big flying thing." Unlike the 747, though, this aircraft doesn’t require a pilot, and it can chill in the air for three weeks at a time.
The enormous airship is called the Airlander, and no one seems to have any clue what its primary purpose is, other than being big and having its creators brag about that fact. It can hold 50 tons of cargo (larger versions could handle up to 200 tons), though it slugs along at 100 miles per hour, a tad bit slower than the general 500 to 600 mph planes we’re used to riding around in. Still, that’ll be useful for one of its goals: delivering humanitarian aid. It can also apparently be reconfigured to hold surveillance equipment, which seems a little less-than-useful, because it's not like this baby’s going to be stealthy when it’s blocking out the sun.
The Airlander, created by Hybrid Air Vehicles, is prepping for its first passenger flight in 2016. So, basically, this thing can be anything you want it to be. Imagination is the only limit, so if you can afford to buy a blimp and kit it out with an infinity pool that stretches hundreds of feet, the Airlander can handle it. Check out more in the video below.
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