We might soon fly in the SkyLiner, a hybrid airship

British company World SkyCat Ltd. has fabricated a newfangled space means of transport called the SkyLiner. The Skyliner, a hybrid fusing airplane with airship capable of carrying more than 200 tons, can land anywhere without the use of a runway. With hundreds of millions required to build a hybrid, by 2012 this $517 million “Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle" (LEMV) will give high altitude (20,000 feet) inspection for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Longer than a football field, hybrid air vehicles can be used for mining natural resources, which is difficult to get to by other modes of transportation. Even parts of the world where there are no airports or other means to support progress, this hybrid with an air cushioned landing system can land on the partially jagged terrains.

world skycat skyliner

Combining the aerodynamic lift of an airplane and the lift provided by helium alters the whole thing. The laminated fabric shell has thrusters on both sides which provide control at low speeds. One can do without ground crew because of some other characteristics that give such a freedom. Costing approximately $1,500 per hour for petroleum, fixing and crew for a 50-ton payload vehicle, will bring down the running expenditure. Hybrid airships will fly head-on with 747s in the regular freight section and will also lend a helping hand to humanitarian missions.

Image courtesy of World SkyCat Ltd. Via: CNN