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Flying Cruise Ship a Real Possibility
Try to imagine tomorrow's version of a cruise ship that will float through the air, not water
Michael Hoffman
February 17, 2006

Worldwide Aeros Corp has recently made an agreement to try and develop a new line of airborne cruise ships. The new cruise ship, the Aeroscraft, is a 600 foot long floating craft designed for long-range travel for passengers that want to take a revolutionary vacation. Around 14 million cubic feet of helium will make sure the Aeroscraft will be able to cruise around the world. The company has designed the Aeroscraft to be a quiet and fuel-efficient way for cargo to be shipped, world-wide commuting, and it also has a number of possible military uses. Luxury state rooms, a casino, and restaurants are just some of the amenities that flyers would have while traveling.

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.

The Aeroscraft will have a max speed of 174 mph, a range of around 6,000 miles, and a capacity of 250 passengers.

DailTech

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Go to the DailyTech link above and read some of the comments, hilarious!

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Cargo Lifter went bancrup - I have been in Berlin in the year when it happened, attended the ILA and also made a fantastic sightseeing flight with the Zeppelin NT - some people there (including the pilots of Zeppelin NT) told me that they underestimated the problems with wind and weather in general.

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Ernst wrote:
(this is funny, now I start to come up with many 'insider informations' I heard 'first hand' ... )

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It goes to show that if you ask (the right) questions to the right people you get inside information. Good on you Ernst.

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And I thought the S.S. Golden Princess was ugly!

I have to say, those comments were exactely what I was thinking. How is this THING, I don't want to call it a plane or a ship, going to even lift off the ground. Hopefully she'll never (take off, sail, what)????

[ 03-02-2006: Message edited by: J.S.S.Normandie ]

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Cruise ship of the skies
Gemma Bowes
The Observer
March 5, 2006

While Cunard and Royal Caribbean compete to produce the biggest and most luxurious new cruise ships, prototypes are quietly being built for a revolutionary flying alternative: the 'air cruise liner'. The Aeroscraft, using a mixture of airship and aeroplane technology, will be the size of two football pitches, with restaurants, bedrooms and a casino.

Gas inside the 850ft craft gives 60 per cent of the lift, with the rest generated by the engines and the aerodynamic shape. With a top speed of 174mph, it would be far slower than the 500mph achieved by a typical jet plane, but still faster than existing airships, which manage around 90mph.

It could be capable of flying thousands of miles without refuelling, but no higher than 8,000 feet, so the 250 passengers would be able to see landmarks and buildings below. At this height cabins do not need to be pressurised, though the craft would not be able to fly above bad weather, so routes and schedules could be affected. It could also land on snow and water.

'Aeroscraft will revolutionise luxury passenger travel,' says Edward Pevzner, spokesman for Worldwide Aeros Corporation, the American company behind the liner. 'When a traveller can have his own room to sleep in, dine at the restaurant instead of eating an airplane type of a meal, spend time at the bar or casino instead of sitting in a small uncomfortable seat, the luxury aspect speaks for itself.'

A small prototype is due to be completed within the next 18 months, and the first liner is due to be built by 2010. Several cruise ship companies have expressed interest in the project, and though the cost of flying has not yet been estimated, Pevzner says it would be 'affordable'.

Unlike its airship ancestors, such as the 804ft Hindenburg that caught fire and killed 36 people in 1937, its designers are adamant it will be perfectly safe, as it would use helium - essentially a fire extinguisher - rather than potentially explosive hydrogen.

Other aerospace experts say there is no question the design could work, but are not convinced it will pay. 'The technology is viable but it's no showstopper,' said Graham Dorrington, an airship expert and lecturer in aerospace design at Queen Mary, University of London. 'Standard passenger aircraft such as the new Airbus A380s are so efficiently designed and have evolved so much over the past 50 years, it's hard to imagine that a "lighter than air" system such as the Aeroscraft could be competitive.'

Nevertheless, Dorrington believes that airships could have a growing role in aviation. With the current problems of global warming and the spectre of tax on aviation fuel, Dorrington believes the craft may meet future requirements because they are more environmentally friendly and use much less fuel than a plane.

Dorrington, who has used 25-metre airships for biological research in the Borneo rainforest, hopes to launch his own ecotourism venture offering airship exploration of rainforest canopies within the next few years.

'Airships are so quiet, they don't disturb wildlife, so you can float a couple of metres above the trees and see orangutans and hummingbirds.'

Guardian Unlimited

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