One of the biggest and most unusual things ever to fly is promising cruise ship-like interiors that could take passengers on scenic excursion flights.
If you’ve ever wanted to fly in an aircraft shaped like a giant buttocks, you may finally get your chance. At the Farnborough Air Show today, Hybrid Air Vehicles released concept images of the passenger compartments slated for its massive Airlander 10 airship.
Though not a true zeppelin because it lacks a completely rigid frame, the Airlander would deliver a modern version of the passenger accommodations last seen on airships like the Graf Zeppelin and the ill-fated Hindenburg. The images from the design firm Design Q show posh interiors unlike anything else you can fly today including a bar, private bedrooms and a stunning an observation lounge with a glass floor. See the gallery just below for the full tour.
The passenger cabin for the Airlander would be 46 meters or 150 feet, which Hybrid boasts is longer than an Airbus A320. The company said the Airlander could accommodate 19 passengers for a three-day scenic cruise, but it has not named a target date for starting passenger flights.
Housed in an old zeppelin hangar in the English village of Cardington, the Airliner 10 is one of the most unusual beasts ever to take to the air. Its resemblance to the human posterior is unmistakable and it’s a similarity that Hybrid makes no effort to hide.
First developed in 2012 as a surveillance aircraft for the United States Army, the Airlander 10 returned to the UK in late 2013 when the Army cancelled the airship program. Hybrid is now developing the Airlander for a variety of civilian uses including freight, advertising and luxury passenger transport.
Though more and bigger Airlanders are on the drawing board, the Airlander 10 has encountered its share of turbulence since its first flight two years ago. During one early test flight in August 2016, it suffered a hard landing that forced design modifications to prevent the nose from striking the ground. It retuned to the skies in May, 2017 only to suffer a worse incident in November when it automatically deflated as a safety precaution after breaking loose from its mooring mast.