The Flying Luxury Hotel - Aeroscraft Airship

This is not a Blimp. It's a sort of flying Queen Mary 2 that could change the way you think about air travel. It's the Aeroscraft, and when it's completed, it will ferry pampered passengers across continents and oceans as they stroll leisurely about the one-acre cabin or relax in their well-appointed staterooms. Unlike its dirigible ancestors, the Aeroscraft is not lighter than air. Its 14 million cubic feet of helium hoist only two thirds of the craft's weight. The rigid and surprisingly aerodynamic body—driven by huge rearward propellers—generates enough additional lift to keep the behemoth and its 400-ton payload aloft while cruising. During takeoff and landing, six turbofan jet engines push the ship up or ease its descent.

This two-football-fields-long concept airship is the brainchild of Igor Pasternak, whose privately-funded California firm, Worldwide Aeros Corporation, is in the early stages of developing a prototype and expects to have one completed by 2010. Pasternak says several cruise ship companies have expressed interest in the project, and for good reason: The craft would have a range of several thousand miles and, with an estimated top speed of 174 mph, could traverse the continental U.S. in about 18 hours. During the flight, passengers would peer at national landmarks just 8,000 feet below or, if they weren't captivated by the view, the cavernous interior would easily accommodate such amenities as luxury staterooms, restaurants, even a casino.

"Want do you want to bet this thing is a huge jet-set hit?"

I don't know how this thing can avoid the same problems that destroyed the Macon and its sister ships the Shenandoah, and the Akron. These huge airships are aerodynamically incapable of dealing with wind shear.

Can you imagine trying to land one of these things in Atlanta during a summer thunderstorm?

"Yep. Plus in situations where we have air supremacy, you could have one of those staying on station for extended time periods, dropping smart bombs on the heads of guerrillas below."

Sorry. Nope. Like every decade or so for the last 50 years "airships" come up as "new" ideas for military and civilian transports. The ideas never go anywhere.

Military wise they are large targets. Even with just helium as the flotation gas there are major problems with being in the largest target over, or near, a battle area.

Especially a large target that has a 0-100 time probably measured in 5 minute increments. So you are in a big, slow target in a battle zone. And they handle like slugs.. sort of like super tankers... but not as responsive.

Top that off with the fact that it will not do well in high wind areas, particularly during heavy storms. Additionally they are hard to maneuver on the ground, ever hear of the Akron and her sister ship the Macon?

The Akron and Macon had to be maneuvered on the ground with rail road locomotives. Both went down in storms (one off New Jersey, one off California) ending the Navy's idea of rigid frame airships. Several sailors died in the accidents. Several more who dropped to their deaths or were smashed around during landing/take off operations.

So you have a large target, that weighs several tons itself, is not very responsive on the controls, is hard to maneuver on the ground, and can't be put away even in a super dome... unless it is in pieces and then it takes several dozen trucks or rail cars to move it around.

So no, there is no hope for these in the military. Probably not in civilian applications either.

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