World is getting smaller because aircrafts are getting bigger … Ha ha! It’s not a joke though. Aircrafts are getting bigger indeed transporting more people and things than before, from one place to another. And it seems we are soon to see the biggest of all aircrafts.
After working for nearly a decade, British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles finally revealed the first glimpse of the fully constructed Airlander 10- the World’ largest aircraft! The gigantic aircraft measures 302-feet long (which is 60 feet longer than a jumbo jet) and is being built in the UK’s largest aircraft hangar at Cardington in Bedfordshire. Airlander 10 is called a hybrid because it integrates three distinct forms of air transport namely helicopters, elements of fixed wing aircraft and lighter-than-air technology.
The total volume of the enormous aircraft is 1,340,000 cubic feet, which also happens to be the amount of helium it requires to take flight. The ship can withstand bullet holes and can stay aloft in the same spot for three weeks. It is different because it is silent, produces no pollution and is considered an important prospect for future air travel. As far as the use of this giant machine is concerned, it has many.
It could lift machinery to remote areas, provide surveillance and communications, facilitate academic research or transport passengers on novelty flights. It could even be used as a giant floating antenna to boost mobile communications for large public events, or to monitor the flow of refugees crossing the Mediterranean. Chris Daniels, Head of Partnerships at HAV commented: “We will not compete with a 747 flying across the Atlantic, but we can offer the ultimate flight experience for tourism and leisure purposes.
It is perfect for sightseeing because we can have floor to ceiling clear panels, and we can open the windows because we are not flying as high or as fast as traditional planes, but we will not be offering a service to get from A to B as quickly as possible.”
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Author: Technology and Beyond
