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Alt-week 7.21.12: Outer space, flying hotels and federal trolls
Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days. Whether you've got your head in the clouds, or your feet firmly locked on terra firma (or is that terrorist firma?) the last seven days in Alt have something for you. We look at a massive aircraft, that could revolutionize air travel as we know it, as well as look back at a real-world project that heralded a significant shift even further up in the sky. There's the NASA logo that never came to be, and lastly, for those less fond of heights, we hear how a US government department is heading in the other direction -- albeit culturally -- all in the fight against terror. This is alt-week.
Aeros launches Aeroscraft ML866 aircraft
For those who've dreamed of piloting a blimp, but wouldn't mind having a personal dirigible around for less extensive trips, Aeros has you covered. The company has recently launched the Aeroscraft ML866, which is "a buoyancy assisted air vehicle with a rigid structure and gas cells." Integrated into the airship is the firm's own proprietary technologies, such as the full authority direct organic lift control (FADOLC) and dynamic buoyancy management system. The company also suggests that this creation can takeoff and land vertically, hover for "extended periods of time," handle all sorts of weather and get you where you need to be sans the use of an airport. Reportedly, the vessel will eventually measure in at some 210-feet long and will offer up around 5,000-square feet of cabin space, but you should know that this beast is expected to run you right around $40 million whenever it goes on sale.[Via Gizmag, thanks Andrew s.]
