Wind Bags

Ze Zeppelin returns! If I saw this baby at night and did not know that it was in the area I would definitely do the Close Encounters thing and file a UFO report. The Pentagon likes it and has ordered a 300-footer for use in Afghanistan as an observation platform. It can be remotely piloted and sit on station for weeks at 20,000 feet checking out anything that moves below.

While the military applications are obvious, the more interesting application is moving freight. It can lift 20 tons, which is about the same payload as a C-130, and doesn't need a runway. A new version that can handle 100 tons is being developed. This could revolutionize freight delivery to remote locations. Even across the ocean with high - but not highest - priority cargo, it could deliver rapid service with big payloads. I suspect that FedEx and UPS are already looking at the technology for this and other applications. Like the movie says, Back to the Future!

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1357747/Airships-Pioneering-Brits-heralding-dawn-new-Zeppelin-age.html