airships
Vehicles
2:10AM Danny Allen | This whale-like entry into KLM Indonesia’s aircraft design competition reminds me of the French “Manned Cloud” concept from a few years back. The WB-1010 would seat more than 1500 people, and use a combination of super-jet, helium and wind power. More »
Beautiful Concept Airship Looks 85 Years Into The Future
2:10AM Danny Allen | This whale-like entry into KLM Indonesia’s aircraft design competition reminds me of the French “Manned Cloud” concept from a few years back. The WB-1010 would seat more than 1500 people, and use a combination of super-jet, helium and wind power. More » 
Vehicles
76m Long Hybrid Airship Will Spy Over Afghanistan In 2011
6:40AM Danny Allen | Sometimes it feels like I’m already living in the future. The US Army’s Space and Missile defence command plans to have an unmanned spy-ship capable of loitering at 6000 metres (for up to three weeks) ready to deploy by mid-2011. More »
Vehicles
What Is This?
12:00PM Jesus Diaz | What in the name of every single goddamn fruitbat is this? Did someone create a cybernetic Dune sandworm and equip it with anti-gravity engines? I wish. In reality, it’s the Sanswire-TAO STS-111, a completely new kind of airship. More »
Design
Aeolus Airship Concept Can Stay Aloft for Two Weeks
12:45AM Gizmodo US Edition | This oddball vertical airship is designed to stay in the air for a whopping two weeks without landing. It’s powered by a crew of 2-4 people pedaling, presumably in an ironic nod to The Flintstones. More »
Vehicles
Zeppelins Return to the US This Halloween, $US785 Gets You On Board
9:00AM Sean Fallon | We first learned about Airship Ventures plans to bring airship travel back to the US after a 70 year absence back in May when they secured 8 million in funding for the project. Now it appears that their dream of filling the skies with huge, slow balloons once more will become a reality this Halloween when they will embark on their first ever passenger flight. More »
Vehicles
Can CO2 Worries and Rising Oil Costs Make Airships Popular Again?
9:00AM Gizmodo US Edition | With soaring fuel costs and greenhouse gas concerns, zeppelins might get their second chance to be a relevant mode of transportation. According to the New York Times, several countries are now looking into developing dirigibles for transporting things such as sightseers, postal deliveries and scientific payloads. France’s postal service, La Poste, seems to have some of the most ambitious plans in mind: using airships on routes between France and Corsica or the Antilles in an effort to reduce emissions. More »
Vehicles
Zeppelins Return to US, Slightly Less Flammable Now
12:30AM Wilson Rothman | A San Francisco start-up called Airship Ventures has raised US$8 million to launch its first Zeppelin this fall, for the purposes of tourism and research. The “flightseeing,” as they’re calling it, will cost a US$250 to US$500 for a spin around the Bay Area in a bonafide don’t-call-it-a-blimp Zeppelin. What’s the difference, you ask? Blimps are basically helium filled baloons with little cockpits attached. Zeppelins are usually rigid structures, larger and faster, achieving higher altitudes with better maneuverability. Before you airship nerds get all uppity, I will join you in saying that not all Zeppelins are Zeppelins (wha?)—it all boils down to the rigidity of your dirigible. Here’s a rundown of this particular model, plus an actual photo of it: More »
Vehicles
‘Manned Cloud’ Airship, Around the World in Three Days
6:33PM Charlie White | While I try to quell thoughts of “Oh, the humanity,” take a look at another fanciful attempt to bring back the glory days of the Zeppelin airships. This one is called the Manned Cloud, and can fly fast enough to take a round trip around the globe in three days. The 1640-square-foot craft, whose French designers say could take to the skies in a year or so, will have 60 rooms and travel at a breakneck speed of 173mph. Since this behemoth gets its lift from helium, there’s not much danger of a fiery hydrogen explosion like that ill-fated Hindenburg, so we’re thinking it might be fun to float around the world in a luxo-hotel. Of all the ideas like this, maybe this one will be the one to actually fly. [Born Rich] More »
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