Beautiful Concept Airship Looks 85 Years into the Future [Airships]

This whale-like entry into KLM Indonesia’s aircraft design competition reminds me of the French “Manned Cloud” concept from a few years back. The WB-1010 would seat more than 1500 people, and use a combination of super-jet, helium, and wind power.

The concept’s designer, Reindy Allendra, imagines the aircraft being constructed from material similar to the giant Airbus A380’s GLARE composite: Glass-Reinforced Fiber Metal Laminate made of thin layers of metal and glass fiber.

The WB-1010 would supplement its fuel use with the ability to harvest wind energy into electricity. An extractable robotic stand would also be used during the craft’s vertical landings.

Totally pie in the sky stuff, but very cool. Zoom in on the pic above for specifics. I wonder if United will actually have in-flight Wi-Fi on more than 13 planes 85 years from now? [Reindy Allendra via Yanko Design]