If you’ve ever wanted to sail through the skies in a giant arse, your wish could come true sooner than you imagined.

Jokes aside, the worlds longest plane might look like a bum (some have actually nicknamed it “flying bum”), but once you get inside it looks like the only way to travel.

Hybrid Air Vehicles have been working on a beast of an airship called the Airlander 10.

According to CNET, it’s almost ready for the fortunate amongst us to have a bash:

First developed in 2012 as a surveillance aircraft for the United States Army, the Airlander 10 returned to the UK in late 2013 when the Army canceled the airship program. Hybrid is now developing the Airlander for a variety of civilian uses including freight, advertising and luxury passenger transport.

…Though not a true zeppelin because it lacks a completely rigid frame, the Airlander would deliver a modern version of the passenger accommodations last seen on airships like the Graf Zeppelin and the ill-fated Hindenburg.

Okay, maybe comparing it to the Hindenburg isn’t the best PR move. Especially since the Airlander has had its share of problems during development.

Though more and bigger Airlanders are on the drawing board, the Airlander 10 has encountered its share of turbulence since its first flight two years ago. During one early test flight in August 2016, it suffered a hard landing that forced design modifications to prevent the nose from striking the ground.

It retuned to the skies in May, 2017 only to suffer a worse incident in November when it automatically deflated as a safety precaution after breaking loose from its mooring mast.

If you can get the image of a burning zeppelin out of your head, move on to this video of the Airlander taking its maiden flight in London:

The interior of the Airlander is the stuff of dreams for anyone who has been stuck between a chatty person and screaming baby in economy class.

The images from the design firm Design Q show posh interiors unlike anything else you can fly today including a bar, private bedrooms and a stunning an observation lounge with a glass floor.

Posh is right. Show me the magic:

Finally, here are five quick facts about the Airlander compiled by Fortune:

1. The Airlander 10 is 302 feet long, which makes it 60-feet longer than the world’s largest passenger plane. The distinction belongs to the Airbus A380, which measures in at 240 feet.
2. Airlander 10 has glass floors, which will allow passengers to look out at the world below them while they fly.
3. To some small extent, the Airlander 10 is essentially a flying helium balloon. It maintains its “bum” shape due to the pressure stabilization of helium inside the hull.
4. While the Airlander 10 is the longest passenger aircraft, it won’t be the fastest. The aircraft has a top speed of just 91mph, a fraction of the speed that a traditional passenger aircraft can travel. In comparison, the A380 can travel at 560mph.
5. Since the Airlander 10 doesn’t go fast, journeys in the aircraft will take a while. But the aircraft can handle it—it’s able to stay airborne for up to five days at a time without the need to refuel.

Sounds great, but I’d want to see it make a few drama-free flights before I give it a try.

[source:fortune&cnet]