# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/41 "2016-08-23T16:36:26Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > The Airlander’s speed definitely fits in between ships and planes: about 5 times a ship’s and a sixth that of planes. But it has a huge problem with cargo (or passenger) capacity: perhaps 0.01% of a ship’s, and only about 7% of an airliner’s (Airlander = 10 tonnes, B747 = 140 tonnes). > > So it’s going to have a very tough time paying its costs. This may be more of a proof of concept; if more capacity is wanted, airships scale up very well. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/42 "2016-08-23T22:41:11Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > if more capacity is wanted, airships scale up very well. Do they? Can you build one with 10 times the capacity for a reasonable price? Where will you find a hangar suitable for maintenance and protection from severe weather? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/43 "2016-08-24T15:24:12Z")
It crashed today on its second test flight. > **[The world's largest aircraft crashes after 2nd test flight](https://money.cnn.com/2016/08/24/technology/worlds-largest-aircraft-crash-airlander-10/index.html)** > > The world's largest aircraft has crash landed at the end of its second test flight on Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/44 "2016-08-24T15:28:17Z")
Sustained flight deck damage in a heavy landing this morning; no injuries. > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “The Kardashian.” > [@Lumpy](#): > > This may be more of a proof of concept; if more capacity is wanted, airships scale up very well. Well it better if you want _that_ name to be believable. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/45 "2016-08-24T16:27:27Z")
Since there weren’t any injuries, I feel better about laughing a bit at a [video of the crash landing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg-RPTiVa_Q). That must have been the longest minute of the crew’s life… ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/46 "2016-08-24T18:30:29Z")
Apparently not an overall loss of lift but a severe trim problem; has anyone said what caused it? Airships fly fine but they seem to have trouble when the ground gets too close 😛 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166/47 "2016-08-24T21:16:45Z")
Where’s Robert Shaw when you need him? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlander-aka-the-flying-butt/713166.md?page=2)