You have to see this new luxury airbus

You have to see this new luxury airbus
By laurencroft


It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a… flying bum?

In today’s edition of things you need to see, this airbus has the interior of a luxury yacht, flies like a plane and looks, well, a little odd from the outside. But that doesn’t stop us from wanting to embark on one, ASAP.

The Airlander 10 is one of the world’s biggest aircraft, stretching almost 100 meters long. It’s a mix between an airship, a helicopter, and a plane, and we’re very much on board. There’s also the added bonus that it’s been dubbed “the flying bum”.

Screen-Shot-2016-08-09-at-12-1.07.11-e1470745505557

It was originally designed by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) for commercial and military use, but the UK aerospace company has recently announced it will start taking passengers on board for “luxury expeditionary tourism”.

The Airlander 10 can reach heights of up to 6,100 meters and can reach speeds of 148 kilometers per hour – and some time soon, will host three-day expeditions for 19 passengers, plus crew.

Oh, and it can land and take-off from basically any flat surface – like ice, desert terrain or water.

“Airlander challenges people to rethink the skies – that’s the driving force behind everything we do,” said Stephen McGlennan, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles, in a statement.

“Air travel has become very much about getting from A to B as quickly as possible. What we’re offering is a way of making the journey a joy.”

And the journey certainly will be a joy – the interior design plans, developed with design consultancy Design Q, were unveiled recently at the Farnborough Airshow and feature horizon to horizon views. Yes, really.

412_original

Passengers will get their own bedrooms with private en-suite bathrooms and killer views to wake up to.

There’ll also be a communal lounge with see-through floor panels, as well as a luxe Altitude Bar and fine-dining catering on board. Sign us up!

417_original

But don’t get too excited – the Airlander 10 has completed six test flights since 2016, but will have to have 200 hours in the sky without incident before it’s able to carry passengers.

But blueprints have already been drawn up for Airlander 50, a bigger, better version capable of lifting five times the cargo if the aircraft completes the test flights successfully. So maybe start saving those pennies now.

Latest News