---
title: "Giant Ass-Shaped Aircraft Takes Flight"
description: "Airlander 10 is the world's largest flying craft. It also totally looks like a butt."
date: "2016-08-18"
modified: "2016-08-18"
authors:
  - name: "Max Prince"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/max-prince"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/4893/giant-ass-shaped-aircraft-takes-flight"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "airplanes"
  - "Aviation"
  - "blimp"
  - "helicopters"
---

# Giant Ass-Shaped Aircraft Takes Flight

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/herogettyimages-589699368.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Airlander 10 is an aerospace marvel. Originally designed for U.S. military surveillance, the hybrid airship is 302-feet long, offering an incredible 10-metric-ton cargo capacity. There is no internal structure; the hull is hewn from carbon, Kevlar, and Mylar composites. It’s powered by four V8 diesel engines, each rated at 325 horsepower, helping allow a 91-mph top speed and 16,000-foot peak altitude. It’s buoyant, too, filled with 38,000 cubic meters of helium, meaning Airlander 10 can remain in flight for weeks at a time.

It also totally looks like a butt.

![gettyimages-516833818.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/gettyimages-516833818.jpg>)
**Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty**

Really. It’s uncanny. This is the world’s largest flying craft, a triumph of ingenuity, encapsulating all our romantic notions about taking to the skies with the grace and aplomb of a proud eagle. And it just looks like the floating effigy of a Kardashian sister. Though, considering the current state of global affairs, it’s oddly symbolic.

Both because and in spite of its shape—which, and I really can’t emphasize this enough, absolutely resembles a human posterior—Airlander 10 made its [maiden flight](<https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/giant-helium-filled-airship-airlander-takes-off-1st-41462117>) Wednesday. The ship took off from Cardington airfield, 45 miles north of London, where media and fans gathered to witness the event. The test was a success, as far as liftoff and stability are concerned, but a massive failure in the pursuit of not looking like a gigantic pair of flying ass cheeks.

Airlander 10 was mothballed three years ago after cuts to U.S. defense spending. [Hybrid Air Vehicles](<https://www.hybridairvehicles.com/>), an aviation firm based in Great Britain, is responsible for reviving the project. Stephan McGlennan, the company’s CEO, [says](<https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/giant-helium-filled-airship-airlander-takes-off-1st-41462117>) the craft could be used as originally intended, for extended periods of military data gathering. He also expects civilian customers. The viability of Airlander 10 as a low-carbon footprint commercial cargo craft, potentially its most exciting and profitable use, remains unknown.

![gettyimages-591588302\_0.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/gettyimages-591588302_0.jpg>)
**Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty**

Godspeed, you big freak.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/themaxprince>)