Posted on 10/09/2007 7:46:20 PM PDT by Reaganesque
October 8, 2007 It’s as big as a superyacht, and not quite as fast as a supercar but it does have a range of over 3000 miles and can do it over land, sea or snow, lingering anywhere you like the view. A new category of aircraft that fits somewhere in between a blimp, airship or dirigible, the Aeroscraft ML866 project was recently presented at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) show in Atlanta, Georgia. The key factor of the ML866 design is that it offers superyacht size and comfort in a platform that can operate independently from airports, meaning that a new class of luxury conveyance is about to become available which appears to trump them all.
Based on concepts developed for the (now apparently shelved) US Army Heavy Lift “Project Walrus”, the Aeroscraft ML866 has some remarkable capabilities not available in other aircraft - it is incredibly spacious offering a cabin area of 5,382 square ft (500 square metres), boasts low operating costs, has all-weather capabilities, vertical takeoff and landing and extended range along with its ability to hover for long periods, meaning it can be utilized for a range of different applications from a private air yacht to a business office (even offering conferencing facilities catering for 100 people) in the sky or for commuting, freight solutions and sightseeing.
The Aeroscraft ML866 is a buoyancy assisted air vehicle with a rigid structure and gas cells. It uses Aeros’ proprietary Full Authority Direct Organic Lift Control (FADOLC) - a dynamic buoyancy management system that provides the low speed control capability. While 70% of the aerodynamic lift comes from helium, the remaining 30% is derived from its innovative “wing” shape. As well as being able to hover the aircraft will be capable of speeds up to 138 mph (0-222 kmh) and will operate at altitudes of up to 12,000 ft (3,657 m). and the massive 210 ft (64 m) long by 118 ft (36 m) wide by 56 ft (17 m) high structure will deliver a roomy 5000+ square feet of cabin space.
Aeros displayed a 1/48th scale model at this year’s NBAA show and hopes to begin airframe static testing of the rigid composite structure within months, with flight testing at the San Bernadino International Airport to follow as early as 2010. An additional series of commercially focussed Aeroscraft is also on the drawing board and will be scaled to payloads of up to 60 tons.
No exact pricing details are available as yet but reports suggest the tag will be under $40 million.
Tech Ping?
Good for sight-seeing, transportation, and spying.
Lots and lots of spying!
No big monkeys around to swat at it though...
Actually, if you’re not in a hurry, an airship is one of the most efficient ways to fly.
The Hindenberg burned because someone in Germany screwed up when they doped the skin - badly.
Ohmigod, (catching breath), it must have (catching breath again) been invented by (catching breath again) ALGORE!!!!
I saw that episode of Mythbusters!!
I envision a space telescope on each ship, networked all over the world in some array-fashion.
Lots of math and electronics. Too much work for me, let somebody else do it.
If I still were in 6th grade..
Full Authority Direct Organic Lift Control would have us popping up from are chairs all day long.
That’s a lot cheaper than a traditional yacht and a lot more spacious than a business jet.
I’ve been waiting for something like this for a long time
If the costs were equal,
I’d take a weeklong cruise on that before I’d spend a week on a cruise ship
No, the Hindenberg burned because we wouldn’t sell the Nazi’s Helium, which is an innert gas.
So they had to use Hydrogen..
Which, um, burns..
I wonder what wind velocity will cause it to be grounded. I wouldn’t expect it to do well in a storm or high winds.
Maybe it flies above all of that. Which makes me wonder if solar radiation is a problem (anymore than regular planes).
Have you seen the new fiberglass propane tanks? DOT loves them cause they burn out full, over four hours unlike the metal ones that explode at high temp.
Hydrogen is safe, and with modern materials more than ever!
Given the top speed listed in the article, it ought to be able to handle winds in its operating environment (below 12,000 feet) without too much trouble. They might want to avoid mountainous areas during thunderstorms, and hurricanes, but otherwise they should be OK. (I wouldn’t try to land/dock in high winds, though, I admit).
Have you seen U.S. Submarines?
http://www.ussubs.com/submarines/luxury.php3
At $25 million, I would probably have to visit the bank. I wonder if thy would give me one of those little coupon books to make the payments.
.....Bob
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