Aircruisers to replace ships?

Aircruisers to replace ships? 03/02/2010

Heading into the future with vision and strategy, London-based design and innovation company Seymourpowell has designed a giant, elegant 'clipper in the clouds' airship called 'Aircruise' that seems to embark on a new era in luxury travel. Harnessing solar power with a primary hydrogen fuel cell drive, the Aircruise can run at around 90mph, leaving no carbon footprint behind. Lying somewhere between a cruise ship and a floating hotel, the airship, which is based on the 'slow is the new fast' principle, could move 100 people from London to New York in 37 hours or from Los Angeles to Shanghai in under four days in utmost luxury.

Accommodating four duplex apartments and five smaller apartments together with a penthouse apartment and bar/lounge/communal zone, the Aircruise offers capacious spaces with a low density of passengers, creating a luxury hotel in the skies. Measuring 30 meters in height, the giant airship features dizzying glass-viewing floors, offering mesmerizing views from the sky.

Four external envelopes integrate modular self-sealing lifting bags to ensure a safe flight, even with a major external skin tear. Amalgamating the feel of a fine hotel with absolute freedom of flight, the Aircruise redefines the future of the high-end travel. To quote Nick Talbot, design director at Seymourpowell, "The Aircruise concept questions whether the future of luxury travel should be based around space-constrained, resource-hungry, and all too often stressful airline travel. In a world where speed is an almost universal obsession, the idea of making a leisurely journey in comfort is a welcome contrast".

The editorial team .

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