Lazzarini Air Yacht Concept
The idea of leisurely, luxurious air travel went down with the Hindenburg in 1937. The Golden Age of flying gave way to maximum efficiency with the demise of Pan Am, jets, and economics over the last 50 years, but Lazzarini thinks there might be a niche for what was with its Air Yacht concept. Combing lighter-than-air with electric propulsion and modern design, Lazzarini envisions a craft with two 500-foot long helium-filled, solar panel-lined lifting bodies and a 260-foot central passenger compartment, powered by electric propellers. Lazzarini places speed a relaxed 60 knots or 70 MPH, with up to 48 hours aloft. The Air Yacht can also travel along the waves at 5 knots, making it an amphibious vessel of sorts.