Fish are usually one of the last things that come to mind when thinking of something that sails through the air.
But a new project hopes to see a giant whale-shaped airship soar into the sky on a remarkable non-stop journey of more than 24,000 miles in 20 days.
The Solar Airship One, developed by French engineers, is a 495-foot-long (150 m) balloon that is expected to fly over 25 countries in 2026.
It was billed as a sun- and hydrogen-powered plane that doesn’t require fossil fuels or create carbon emissions.
Mexico, India and the United States are among the countries that could soon see the airship soar overhead, as three pilots guide it along the equator from west to east at a height of 19,685 feet (6,000 m) in two years.
Ambitious: A new project hopes to see a giant whale-shaped airship (pictured) take flight on a remarkable non-stop journey of more than 24,000 miles in 20 days.
“Throughout history, all big dreams have been considered impossible before they came true,” says the Euro Airship team.
“Behind each exploit, explorers invented the future by going beyond the limits of our certainties.
“They questioned norms, challenged preconceived ideas to discover new solutions.”
“Today, the adventure must continue with a great journey for the protection of the environment and renewable energies.”
Plans for the quiet aircraft, the result of more than 10 years of research, suggest it will have a helium volume of 50,000 m3.
Its structure is made up of 15 individually controlled gas envelopes, which allow it to be controlled in the event of difficult or stormy weather conditions.
If it must land, designers say a rotating platform on a “sheet of water” will be an ideal location, eliminating the need for any heavy machinery.
Combating climate change is also at the forefront of its design, as its entire surface is covered in 51,666 feet (4,800 m2) of solar film.
This generates electricity from sunlight during the day, with any excess stored in fuel cells which produce hydrogen through electrolysis.
The Solar Airship One, developed by French engineers, is a 495-foot-long (150 m) balloon that is expected to fly over 25 countries in 2026.
It was billed as a solar- and hydrogen-powered plane that doesn’t require fossil fuels or create carbon emissions.
Mexico, India and the United States are among the countries that could soon see the airship soar overhead, as three pilots guide it along the equator from west to east at a height of 19,685 feet (6,000 m) in two years.
The team intends to make the airship completely autonomous, although three pilots will be on board to ensure the journey goes smoothly.
Among them is Michel Tognini, a former European Space Agency astronaut who made two trips to space aboard Soyuz TM-15 in 1992 and the Space Shuttle Columbia aboard STS-93 seven years later.
Dorine Bourneton, the first disabled female aerobatic pilot, is also part of the project.
She survived a plane crash at age 16 before later embarking on a career as a pilot.
Ahead of the project, Ms Bourneton said: “We must be attentive to the needs and expectations of future generations.
“Whether it’s for our children or our grandchildren.”
Plans for the quiet aircraft, the result of more than 10 years of research, suggest it will have a helium volume of 50,000 m3.
Its structure is made up of 15 individually controlled gas envelopes, which allow it to be controlled in the event of difficult or stormy weather conditions.
READ MORE: British scientists help capture breathtaking space images after launching innovative new telescope onto a BALLOON the size of a football stadium
British scientists have helped capture fascinating photographs of galaxies using a balloon the size of a football stadium.
A £4.1 million balloon-borne telescope was successfully launched from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand on Sunday, thanks to Durham University and an international team of astronomers .
The Superpressure Balloon Imaging Telescope – known as SuperBIT – has been sent on a 100-day mission to investigate the mystery of dark matter.
Floating 108,000 feet above Earth, it has already taken breathtaking images of colliding antenna galaxies 60 million light years away.
These spiral galaxies began crashing into each other a few hundred million years ago, making them one of the youngest colliding galaxies observed by astronomers.
The SuperBIT telescope was launched on Sunday from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand.
