The maiden flight of the world's biggest blimp-shaped, helium-filled aircraft has been postponed at the last minute due to a sudden technical glitch, reports say.
Developed by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles, the 92-meter (302-feet) long Airlander 10 aircraft was supposed to take off from an airfield 73 kilometers (45 miles) north of London during its first flight.
However, officials said the airship experienced a "slight technical issue," causing the flight's cancellation.
Hybrid Air Vehicles CEO Stephen McGlennan said there was not enough time to fix the problem before darkness fell. He did not disclose when the Airlander 10's maiden flight would be rescheduled.
No flight tonight. Apologies. We'll update tomorrow.
— Hybrid Air Vehicles (@AirVehicles) August 14, 2016
Bulbous Front End
The strangely shaped Airlander 10, which earned the nickname "flying bum" due to its bulbous front end, is a hybrid air vehicle — part plane, part blimp.
The Airlander 10 was designed to take up less fuel than a plane but still carry heavier and bigger loads than traditional airships.
Developers say the Airlander 10 can reach about 4,900 meters (16,076 feet) into the sky and travel up to 148 kilometers per hour (91 miles per hour). The airship can remain in flight for up to two weeks.
Military Airship?
Hybrid Air Vehicles was supposed to develop the Airlander 10 for the United States military, which plans to use it as surveillance in Afghanistan.
However, the U.S. blimp program was scrapped in 2013, and since then, Hybrid Air Vehicles has sought funding from individual donors and government agencies.
The large Airlander 10 aircraft is currently based at the Cardington airfield, where original British airships were first produced during the First World War.
The British airship program was also abandoned after an accident occurred in 1930 where almost 50 people were killed, including the air minister for Britain.
The 1930 crash and other accidents, including the fiery crash in New Jersey in 1937 of the Hindenburg, which killed 35 people, dashed the dream of turning the airship as a means of transportation.
The Future Of Airships
The Hindenburg craft used hydrogen to power up the engine. But instead of hydrogen, the Airlander 10 uses helium, which is not flammable.
McGlennan spoke on Sunday before the technical hitch and expressed his optimism about the future of airships.
He believes that airships have a strong future despite their image as an unsuccessful 20th century aviation experiment.
"It's a disruptive capability," says McGlennan, likening the airship to the electric car, which is making its breakthrough to mass and commercial use, thanks to Tesla Motors.
McGlennan added that for something disruptive, it's always a long and "winding road."
