aerostatic thermoballasted vehicle

[jjjnettie]

What an amazing looking form of transport!

http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Russian_Volga_Region_Moves_To_Produ ce_Flying_Saucers_999.html

[AstralTraveller]

OK, I'll bite .... how does it work??

[TrevorW]

It's a form of derigible

[lacad01]

Looks like a dirigible or Zeppelin i.e. airship

[Ric]

Definitely looks interesting, I wonder if they will make personal sized ones for commuting.

Now that would be fun.

[snowyskiesau]

Commuting via airship? Blah!

It's a jet pack (http://www.martinjetpack.com/the-martin-jetpack.aspx) or nothing!

[Nesti]

I dunno how many times this has been tried, and every time it keeps coming back to one thing, the modern words wants stuff faster...economy at speed, not economy because it's slow.

Anyone remember Helistat????
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasecki_PA-97

[WarpSpider74]

I dunno, I wouldn't mind an Ekranoplan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekranoplan) for those quick dashes over to the Rotto hotel :D

[Nesti]

Now THEY are a fantastic idea...well most seabirds have been doing that for eons so it's not a NEW idea per-sa, but for modern aviation they're a great, new-ish idea.

I remember read a book written by Yeager a long time ago, he claimed that he couldn't push the nose of an F-4 Phantom into the salt lake about 250-300kts because the ground effect was so large, no matter how hard he pushed the stick forward...that means it pretty safe to fly low and fast.

Mind-you, the crazy French have been playing Ekranoplan in the deserts of Chad for some time now. Gotta love their skills and lack of brain cell count.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nltc_dq_VXI&feature=related (watch closely at 3:40, THAT's sick!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHtdqy9trEI&feature=related