World's Largest Aircraft Completes Successful Test Flight

[rangerrebew]

World's Largest Aircraft Completes Successful Test Flight
By Kacey Deamer, Staff Writer | May 22, 2017 03:53pm ET
 
At a mammoth 302 feet (92 meters) long, the blimp-like Airlander 10 is the largest aircraft currently flying.
 

It's a plane, it's a blimp … it's the world's largest aircraft.

A massive airship dubbed the Airlander 10 recently completed a successful test flight, bringing the helium-filled behemoth one step closer to commercial use.

Though it looks like a massive blimp, the Airlander 10 combines technology from airplanes, helicopters and airships. It is designed to stay aloft at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) for up to five days when manned, according to Hybrid Air Vehicles, the company that built the aircraft. And at a mammoth 302 feet (92 m) long, it is the largest aircraft currently flying. [In Photos: Building the World’s Largest Airship (Airlander 10)]

http://www.livescience.com/59206-airlander-worlds-largest-airship-test-flight.html

[catfish1957]

It is designed to stay aloft at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) for up to five days when manned,

Sometimes I get a chuckle on some of these tech descriptions.

Anyone else get the mental picture of a couple pilots who GTFO?

[ABX]

So that's what that was. I thought Kim Kardashian was skydiving.

[Gefn]

So that's what that was. I thought Kim Kardashian was skydiving.

Or Dolly Parton

[240B]

It does look like a giant flying ass, mooning everyone it flies over.

[Frank Cannon]

bringing the helium-filled behemoth one step closer to commercial use.

We are running out of helium so let's invest in planes that rely on it. What a dumb idea.

[catfish1957]

bringing the helium-filled behemoth one step closer to commercial use.

We are running out of helium so let's invest in planes that rely on it. What a dumb idea.

I say retrofit the mf'er for jet fuel and launch it to Uranus.

[Joe Wooten]

bringing the helium-filled behemoth one step closer to commercial use.

We are running out of helium so let's invest in planes that rely on it. What a dumb idea.

There's plenty of Helium left in the panhandle gas fields, the fedgov shut down the processing plant in the 1990's and has been busy selling off the stored gas since. All it would take is ti rehab the processing plant and start it up again.

[truth_seeker]

What is the military purpose for a big, vulnerable target like this?