This could be the trailer for the latest Independence Day film, but it is the maiden flight of the Airlander 10, a helium-filled craft aiming to kickstart a new age of the airship. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty ImagesThe deep pockets of the world’s biggest military power were pivotal in getting the Airlander off the ground. Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the company behind the Airlander’s development, gleefully bought back the lion’s share of the airship, minus the top-secret military hardware. “At first, 40 to 50% of its use will be military,” McGlennan predicts. With a maiden flight now safely navigated, it could be blotting out the skies over UK towns within a few years.

Source: The Guardian August 17, 2016 19:52 UTC