# Highlander, AKA "The Flying Butt" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 20, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166 "2015-02-20T04:17:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/1 "2015-02-20T04:17:52Z")
According to this site: > **[The UK government wants to get this massive airship back in the air](https://www.theverge.com/2015/2/19/8068763/airlander-10-helium-airship-uk-blimp)** > > The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. > [@](#): > > The Airlander 10 is the largest aircraft in the world, originally designed in 2010 to be used for surveillance and reconnaissance by the US Army. But budget cutbacks and delays grounded the project in 2012, and in 2013 it was bought back from the US by the original design firm, the UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV). Now, a new £3.4 million grant from the UK government could help it off the ground next year, according to HAV. “Highlander” is a name that will make half the SDMB love it, and half hate it, with a sizeable contingent saying that they wouldn’t be able to make another one, because either: a.) There Can Be Only One or b.) There IS no “Highlander II” This can all be avoided by simply calling it what the first photo suggests (to me, anyway) – “The Flying Butt” ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/2 "2015-02-20T08:24:42Z")
It’s actually called the Airlander 10, which may not be a great name but it’s still not the same as Highlander. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/3 "2015-02-20T12:39:25Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > It’s actually called the Airlander 10, which may not be a great name but it’s still not the same as Highlander. “Flying Butt” would still be more appropriate ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/4 "2015-02-20T13:47:41Z")
Threads like this crack me up. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/5 "2015-02-20T14:45:34Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Threads like this crack me up. Now you’re being cheeky. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/6 "2015-02-20T15:14:37Z")
Well, from that particular angle, it does have a rumpish look, but [overall, it doesn’t.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_Air_Vehicles_HAV-3) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/7 "2015-02-20T15:47:14Z")
…I’m just glad its not Aer Lingus… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/8 "2015-02-20T16:26:37Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Well, from that particular angle, it does have a rumpish look, but [overall, it doesn’t.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_Air_Vehicles_HAV-3) Agreed, but I think that, from the front, it’d look like The Flying Tits. Interestingly, they don’t have any shots from that POV. I suspect they’d rather not let us know. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/9 "2015-02-20T16:46:33Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Well, from that particular angle, it does have a rumpish look, but [overall, it doesn’t.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_Air_Vehicles_HAV-3) From the side, it looks like [Thunderbird 2.](http://thunderbirds.wikia.com/wiki/Thunderbird_2?file=TB2_Side_View.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/10 "2015-02-20T19:08:32Z")
About the time of World War II, Curtis aviators designed a plane with stabilizing surfaces in front. It was nicknamed the Curtis Ascender. But it didn’t fly. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/11 "2015-02-20T19:27:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > This can all be avoided by simply calling it what the first photo suggests (to me, anyway) – “The Flying Butt” I propose “HMS Callipygian”. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/12 "2015-02-22T05:20:48Z")
In a Don Martin cartoon sequence, a fisherman has gone “bottom fishing.” Guess what the fishes’ heads look like! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/13 "2015-02-23T16:24:43Z")
But can it perform the Flying Butt Pliers? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/14 "2015-02-23T17:28:29Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > But can it perform the Flying Butt Pliers? I don’t want to know what that is…:eek::o ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/15 "2015-02-23T17:56:26Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > In a Don Martin cartoon sequence, a fisherman has gone “bottom fishing.” > Guess what the fishes’ heads look like! 😃 There was a cartoon in Playboy about a farmer (with a lot of female helpers) bragging to another guy about his “great bottom land”. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/16 "2015-02-24T17:01:17Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I don’t want to know what that is…:eek::o [You know you do…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86HKySrBOBA) ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/17 "2015-02-24T17:33:11Z")
Ren and Stimpy, eh? You’re welcome to it. Eccch. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/18 "2015-02-24T17:34:16Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > There was a cartoon in Playboy about a farmer (with a lot of female helpers) bragging to another guy about his “great bottom land”. I wonder what he grew there… ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/19 "2015-02-24T18:35:58Z")
“Hey look, it’s a giant flying…” ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/20 "2015-04-20T21:56:06Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Ren and Stimpy, eh? You’re welcome to it. Eccch. I just watched that. I could have done just fine without it. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166.md?page=2)