Aircruise touted as scenic new millennium luxury ships floating to the U.S. in 37 hours

At home in the clouds: Aircruise would be a luxury transport option focusing on comfort over speed

Towering kite-shaped airships could herald a new era of luxury transport following today's introduction of the Aircruise concept.

Standing 98 feet taller than Canary Wharf, packing 330,000 cubic metres of hydrogen gas and capable of lifting 396 tonnes, the Aircruise concept features penthouse apartments, bars and even dizzying glass viewing floors.

Aircruise was created as the antithesis of a hurried, crowded passenger jet. London-based design and innovation company Seymourpowell wanted to rethink transport - on the premise 'slow is the new fast'.


Massive: the craft would dwarf traditional methods of transport


Visionary: Seymourpowell design director Nick Talbot


Seymourpowell design director Nick Talbot said: '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.'

The Aircruise straddles the line between a cruise ship and a floating hotel.

Mr Talbot explained: 'In a world where speed is an almost universal obsession, the idea of making a leisurely journey in comfort is a welcome contrast.'

Airships had their heyday in the 1930s with the famous German zeppelins. However, new technology has made them increasingly attractive from an environmental standpoint.

Silent and pollution free, the Aircruise combines solar power with a primary hydrogen drive for a cruising speed of around 90mph.


A room with a view: The interior would be luxurious


Sightseeing: Aircruise would allow its passengers to see the world from a new angle


Theoretically, it could ferry 100 people from London to New York in a leisurely 37 hours or from Los Angeles to Shanghai in just under four days.

Seymourpowell's early Aircruise designs attracted the attention of Korean giant Samsung Construction and Trading (C&T) - the primary contractor of the tallest man-made structure the Burj Khalifa in Dubai - who commissioned Seymourpowell to produce a detailed computer animation.


Dizzying: There is even a glass-floored viewing room


Sumptuous: Above the viewing floor is one of many bars


Seung Min Kim, design director at Samsung, said: 'This was a dream concept project for us, helping to realise a future of sustainable buildings combined with innovative and luxury lifestyle.

'In an age when environmental impact is a key consideration for architecture, we are keen to extend this vision of the future by searching for solutions that can be realised by 2015 - the year that many futurologists foresee as the turning point for the future.'


source: dialymail