来源：倍可亲(backchina.com)
世界上最大的飞艇“天空登陆者”将于从下周进行试飞。此飞艇由英国混合飞行器公司建造，长度达92米，宽度为18米，附加4个牵引器，充入130万立方英尺的氦气,据称这个体积足够容纳15个奥运会规格的游泳池。
“天空登陆者”是一架兼具飞船与飞机特性的混合动力飞行器。最初，美国陆军将其作为军方科研项目之一，后因故被军方高层领导放弃。如今，改造后的“天空登陆者”主要提供商务和休闲旅行服务，一次可携带48名乘客。
宏大的规模和和新型的设计为“天空登陆者”赚足了眼球。而更有趣的是，在去年10月试飞后，“天空登陆者”因外形酷似人的臀部而立时在推特上引起轰动，被网友戏称为“飞臀”。
据悉，尽管“天空登陆者”在去年10月已成功完成一次悬停测试，但此次测试将是其安装引擎后的首次飞行测试。官方还未公布具体的测试时间，但其测试地点已被限制在112公里的半径范围。如此次测试成功，基于该原型的飞艇将正式投入生产。
“天空登陆者”是全球最大的飞行器。独特的设计可以使其任何表面盘旋或降落，包括冰川、沙漠和海面。空中飞行时间长达2周，飞行高度达6100米，可载重10公吨。其排放污染和噪音均比一般飞机小很多，因此许多人认为它将成为航空旅行的未来。
The Airlander produces 60% of its lift aerostatically, by being lighter-than-air, and 40% aerodynamically, by being wing-shaped, as well as having the ability to rotate its engines to provide an additional 25 per cent of thrust up or down. This means the Airlander can hover as well as land on almost any surface, including ice, desert and waterMeet the Airlander – the world's biggest aircraftLoaded: 0%Progress: 0%00:00PlayMuteCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time3:04FullscreenNeed Textmore videos123Watch video
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The craft did carry out a test flight in 2012 in New Jersey (pictured) but next month's take-off will be the first under the hybrid aircraft's latest specifications. Some have hailed the Airlander as the future of air travel because, unlike conventional aeroplanes, it emits little pollution and is not noisy enough to disturb people on the ground
The Airlander's base at Cardington (pictured) is the historic home of the Royal Airship Works, set up in 1919 to build R101 airships in a failed attempt to damage German dominance of the industry
The R101 was built by British authorities as a challenge to Germany's Zeppelin programme. The Hindenburg – the German zeppelin that crashed in New Jersey in 1937 with the loss of 35 lives – was three times longer than the Airlander
