Worldwide Aero Corporation has been working on a new aircraft that will revolutionize transportation, taking private travel to a whole new level with the Aeroscraft ML866.By Marcos Colón

Commercial airplanes and private jets are about to get a little competition.
A new type of aircraft is in the works that will revolutionize the way everyone travels. Here’s a clue: It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, and it’s definitely not as fast as a speeding bullet, though it is shaped like one.

And while conventional wisdom suggests that the object in reference is a blimp, convention be damned! This aircraft is a flying yacht!

Worldwide Aero Corporation has introduced its Aeroscraft ML866, an aircraft designed and built on the basis of an innovative concept in flight. It’s the perfect cross between a helicopter, an airplane, and a blimp, as it takes different characteristics from each vehicle and combines them to form one remarkable aircraft. The idea grew out of a belief that there is a more comfortable way to travel than the standard options available. Instead of sticking to the normal custom of upgrading an existing airframe and renaming it, Worldwide Aero Corporation decided to creatively expand on an idea and object that has been around for years.

This isn’t your normal-looking, fly-over-a-stadium kind of blimp. Rather, this aircraft looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi thriller. The capabilities of the Aeroscraft ML866 lead to its one-of-a-kind functionality. The ability to grace the skies with this elegant, flying palace is what is so unique about this craft. It is the size of three football fields, a characteristic that leads to endless luxury appointment options, such as supreme conference rooms, elegant staterooms, and an unbelievable observation deck to take in the view of the land or water below.

Igor Pasternak, the founder and president of Worldwide Aero Corporation, first created an outline for the new type of air vehicle in 2005. In a short period of time, the designs have been mapped out and production has begun. A scaled-down prototype of the Aeroscraft is set to be released in 2008, but the full-scale passenger craft won’t be unveiled until 2010.
The Aeroscraft will be able to shuttle passengers across the continental United States in 18 hours. Although this seems like an eternity for VIP travelers used to the quick private jet charters, the Aeroscraft will offer much more than any private jet could. With enough space to include restaurants-or even a casino-passengers won’t feel like they’re thousands of feet in the air. There won’t even be the distracting whirr caused by the engines, typical to what a normal airplane would generate. In order to eliminate this problem, the engineers have developed electric aft-mounted propellers that are powered by a renewable source, like hydrogen fuel cells.

There are currently four plans mapped out for the interior of the Aeroscraft ML866. There are two executive plans, one that offers workstations and a library for travelers who keep their business close to the vest, and another that offers more reconfigurable space, where the clients’ imagination can run wild. Requests become reality, thanks to Aero’s team. There is also a commercial floor plan with sitting areas, an observation deck, and a bar-perfect for kicking back and engaging in casual banter. But for the VIP clients, Aero has a private plan that offers a master stateroom, guest room, sport room, and an office and library. This all-around package provides an interior layout with top-quality amenities that are difficult to top for private jet manufacturers who have limited space to work with.
The combination of the buoyant and dynamic lift creates unique operational capabilities that are not offered by other commercial or private aircrafts in the market. The buoyancy management system that the Aeroscraft ML866 is equipped with allows for it to take off or land vertically, like a helicopter. It’s also not as harmful as other aircraft when it comes to the environment, compensating for fuel burn and atmosphere conditions without the external venting of buoyant gasses.

The Aeroscraft isn’t meant only for passengers, either. A third use for the flying whale ship will be for cargo. It can be loaded up with military vehicles that can be delivered to difficult terrain, a task that can’t be executed by a normal aircraft. The company even sees the aircraft becoming a commercial cargo carrier in the future, handling all kinds of merchandise and making deliveries that would otherwise be practically impossible to centralized locations.

Considered the flying hotel of the future, the unveiling of the first Aeroscraft will surely have an unveiling that is, to say the least, historic in impact and innovative in foresight. Able to land both on snow and on water, this new aircraft will test the limits of what can be done in the air. The comfort and amenities provided inside this flying palace will grab the attention of one and all, thanks to a variety of options.

This innovative method of travel is definitely for VIPs who worry more about the journey-or in this case, grand voyage-than the destination.