The Airlander 10, which is considered the largest aircraft ever, took off from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire, UK. The giant 20-ton aircraft spent 20 minutes in the air, after months of flight preparations and years of searching for funding.
Earlier, the flight was scheduled on August 14 but was delayed because of a "technical issue," British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), creator of the Airlander, wrote on its official Twitter account.
Part plane, part helicopter and part airship, the huge aircraft was dubbed "the Flying Bum" for its bulbous leading-end shape reminiscent of a human derriere. The Airlander stretches as long as a soccer field and is as high as a nine-story apartment building — it measures 92 meters in length, which is about 15 meters longer than the biggest passenger jets.
The Airlander 10 will be able to develop 148 km/h cruising speed and stay airborne for around five days during manned flights. HAV claims it could be used for a variety of purposes such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel. By 2021, the company hopes to be building 10 Airlanders a year.
Originally, the hybrid airship was designed for long-range surveillance for the US military surveillance. However, in February 2013, the US Army grounded the project because of its high cost.
HAV repurchased airship in September 2013 for US $301,000. In 2014, the aircraft was given the name of the "Airlander" and was placed on the base of the Royal Air Force Cardington in Bedfordshire.
