Watch: World's Largest Aircraft Takes Maiden Flight Anthony Cuthbertson - Newsweek
go to original August 18, 2016

The world’s largest aircraft has lifted off for the first time, taking to the skies above Bedfordshire, England, following several weather-related delays.

Airlander 10 was originally developed by the U.S. military as a surveillance craft but defense cutbacks meant the government decided to sell it. Its new owners, Hybrid Air Vehicles, converted it for commercial use, allowing it to take passengers and cargo.

The futuristic craft is as long as a football pitch and as tall as six double-decker buses; it’s dubbed "The Flying Bum" due to its unusual shape. It is essentially three streamlined airship-type bodies merged into one with wings and rotary engines.

Hybrid Air Vehicles claims it can stay airborne for up to five days without needing to be refueled, at a cruising speed of just under 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour. This endurance, combined with its ability to land on both water and land, means it has the potential to “revolutionize transport.”

The company states on its website: “We believe in a new vision for air transport. Airlander takes the best of airplanes, helicopters and airships and combines them with the latest innovations in materials to create a truly revolutionary aircraft.”

Read the rest at Newsweek

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!