Insane Rides: Aeroscraft Hybrid Airship

Airships, or dirigibles, have been around at least since the late 1700s, though they've never quite caught on as a mainstream form of transportation. In fact, zeppelins, which are technically "rigid" airships, are better known for their famous namesakes than anything else (the doomed German vessel Hindenburg, for example, or even the band Led Zeppelin!).

As more sophisticated aircraft came to prominence in the mid-20th century, airships fell out of favor. But they do continue to find useful applications even today, and some aircraft companies have big plans for this particular type of vessel as we move into the 21st century. The Aeroscraft hybrid airship, for example, isn't your granddad's idea of a zeppelin at all, though it certainly qualifies as an Insane Ride…
Aeroscraft Hybrid Airship

- Worldwide Aeros

Type of Vehicle: Hybrid airship

Production Status: Non-rigid prototype (Aeros 40D) flight testing planned for 2008; full-scale ML866 in production for 2010 launch

Function: Private air yacht; fully functional airborne business center; sightseeing cruise vessel; cargo transport; advertising billboard for the Off-World Colonies and "the chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure"

Maximum Range: 3,100 miles

Under the Hood: While airships tend to be used mostly for advertising purposes these days, Worldwide Aeros, the makers of the Aeroscraft, foresee a much wider range of applications for craft of this type. The vessel will be heavier than air -- which by definition means it's not a true airship -- that will utilize helium for part of its buoyancy but will also use six turbofan jet engines for vertical takeoff and landing. Aft propellers will provide forward thrust when at cruising altitude, and the vessel's aerodynamic shape will also help provide lift once the craft is airborne (thanks to the company's Dynamic Buoyancy Management system, a new technology). The Aeroscraft will be able to hit a top speed of 138 mph but its cruising speed will be around 115 mph. The maximum operating altitude will be 12,000 feet, and it will able to reach a range of about 3000 miles (roughly the length of the U.S.). Unlike existing airships, the Aeroscraft will be capable of carrying large payloads of cargo and/or hundreds of passengers, and it will not be confined to airports or airfields for landing and takeoff. The craft could be used as a private yacht for the wealthy, a cruise ship for the rest of us, a military transport, or -- if and when the time comes -- a great safe house and headquarters for hiding out up in the clouds during a zombie plague down on terra firma.

Chances of Owning One: If you're a member of Led Zeppelin, you could no doubt afford one of these zeppelin-like rides yourself when they debut. If not, then you're probably looking at riding it as a passenger. Check Orbitz or Expedia in a couple of years.