Iranian Airship

They never seem to want to go away do they, here in RSA the cover of popular
science is adorned with an airship and its the way of the future talk.

Strikes me that whenever theres a slow news month out comes an airships
again.

Still it would be a marvellous thing to slowly drift over game reserves in
balloon mode whilst enjoying a fine breakfast and then motor back to the
start point. I can imagine whale watching off the coast would be amazing
too.

Iranian inventor's flying machine surfs the air

LONDON, November 14 (IranMania) - It flies like a ship, moves like a plane
and takes off and lands like a hot-air balloon, MNA reported.

The hybrid flying object called ABS, air balloon ship, is not a Zeppelin but
it carries helium and is equipped with four engines. Standing 20 meters
long, the flying machine may easily hover at 3,000 meters above the sea
level and reach the top speed of 100 km/s, said Reza Kahuli, who was awarded
as the world outstanding young inventor at 2006 British Inventors Society
(October 18-21).

The initial design may carry 20 passengers and the capacity could be
extended to 200, he elaborated, adding a prototype is expected to be built
in two months if the nation's authorities cooperate and offer due supports.
"The city of Tabriz, northwest Iran, may celebrate the inauguration flight
in March," the young man hoped for.

The trial version, at 330.2 kg, is capable of carrying 220.4 kg of load and
the production cost seems to be 50% less than the similar types manufactured
around the world.

The ABS does not need a runway and it can be used for aerial command lift
during war or natural disasters. The unique design of the wings allows
vertical landing and renders ABS a safe crossbreed to surf the air.

Reza Kahuli, 18, is a student of mechanical engineering at Tabriz
University. He is known for 16 inventions in various domains, the most
important of which is the new method he has invented for cloud impregnation,
winning him BIS 2005 first prize.