WATCH: Lazzarini unveils 150m helium-powered flying superyacht
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a helium-powered flying superyacht.
Italian design studio Lazzarini has revealed a boundary-pushing superyacht concept, which flies through the air powered by two helium-filled blimps.
Named Air Yacht, the design comprises twin airships, which are connected by four bridges to a central hull. These blimps store helium gas, which can be compressed until required for flight.
The entire Air Yacht would be 150 meters long if built, with five passenger suites going around the hall of the two airships.
Helium could supply enough propulsion for journeys of up to 48 hours at speeds of 60 knots, the studio says. And, while on the water, Air Yacht can cruise at a speed of 5 knots.
The futuristic yacht design is attempting to offer a greener option to kerosene, which is the fuel used by most airplanes.
Air Yacht’s twin airships contain 400,000sqm of compressed helium propelled by eight counter-rotating motors, each powered by ultralight batteries and solar panels.
“The Air Yacht is not an airship intended for public transport or tourist purposes,” says Lazzarini Design Studio, which posted the new renderings on its Instagram page.
“It is designed for a private owner with a vision for the evolution of the mega yacht / aviation.”
The elaborate vehicle also offers amenities including a luxury observation area for passengers, a swimming pool, and even a helipad.
Lazzarini is known for its extreme yacht concepts. Recent designs have included a 127-metre concept resembling a swan, a design with a giant hole in the superstructure, and a $550m megayacht that looks like a shark.
I understand how Helium, which is lighter than air, can give lift but you don’t explain how it will provide “Propulsion”?
Horrible in a side wind or tide. Too mush hull surface area for the weight