I think Hugo Eckner would be very proud of this.

We're not living in the air yet, so I wouldn't say we're quite to a great future yet.

I like it...futurist...airship meets a star wars craft

^_^ omg i wish i could live forever just so i can see all the new stuff come into creation, are we at the eve of creating a futuristic world, or are we already in the future

Nice! I'd totally buy a ticket for one, had there been one for commercial use.

The idea is that it floats like a zeppelin (filled with helium, or something else that is lighter than air).

don't forget that in contrast to modern aircraft in this type of "hybrid airship" the lift is generated mostly by lighter-than-air gas. The solar panels only provide the forward thrust, and additional lift is generated by the wings.

In theory a hybrid airship has more mass and less volume than a conventional airship, which makes it more manoueverable and less succeptible to harsh weather. Also don't forget that airplanes have an operational envelope as well. According to NASA studies a hybrid airship will be able to operate in 70% of the weather condition in which an airliner is able to operate.

HEY...

The ship is designed to rely on solar power during cruise, while at takeoff and landing a backup bio-diesel generator will supply more power. It wasn't mentioned in the film, but that is the idea :-)

Why design a mostly vertical fuselage subject to crosswind effects instead of a lifting body form to both minimize those effects and improve aerodynamic efficiency?

AirShipOne is an flying machine built using an innovative technology, which strives to create a hybrid of an airship and an airplane. The outcome is an aircraft which in its loaded state is just a bit heavier than the air around it, and therefore requires little effort to become airborne. The AirShipOne offers a quiet, efficient and eco-friendly alternative to air transport.

Well, I think he has a point about that.

good question.

This looks fascinating! Is there anywhere I can go for more information, like design specifications, materials, etc.

it keeps flying on battery power. When the battery drains a bio-diesel generator kicks in. When the bio-diesel runs out it will not crash but rather glide down gently, much slower then an ordinary jet would

You are right but i believe the profit will eventually come out of fuel costs. A conventional airliner on a transatlantic flight burns amounts of fuel that are greater than its payload. An airship, of course is much slower, but on the other hand, it needs much less power to make the flight.