The so-called hotel above the clouds, Sky Cruise, is highly improbable given our technology today. But if there is going to be an air-equivalent of a cruise ship, that role is no doubt more suited for airship-style flying contraptions like the Airlander 10.
But with 100 passengers capacity and a range of 750 km (466 miles), it is hardly a “cruise ship” in the air. Not all hopes are lost, though, because there is the Airlander 50. While Airlander 50 will be mainly as a heavy lift freight transport, it can also move people like the Airlander 10 with minimal infrastructure.
The planned airship is expected to be able to carry up to a 50-tonne (55 US ton) payload or 200 passengers in its 30-meter (98 feet) long cabin. It can have a mix of passengers and cargo, such as ferrying 48 passengers and 6x 20-foot ISO containers, and over a distance of 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles).
A fully electric Airlander 50 could also be a reality by 2033. Theoretically speaking, the development of the Airlander 50 should be quicker to develop as it will benefit from the use of some common systems and hardware, technologies that will be proven in Airlander 10.
But all is all too early to go gaga over. Right now, the world is still waiting for Airlander 10 to be put into service.
Images: Hybrid Air Vehicles.
