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Giant flying luxury hotel that can stay in the air for years

fredjr82

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I'll pass for now, but I'm sure some of you would stay.

A giant nuclear-powered ‘flying hotel’, complete with a gym and swimming pool is set to carry 5,000 passengers in unparalleled luxury.

A new CGI video details how the AI-piloted Sky Cruise plans to remain airborne for months at a time, while also docking to take on new passengers, or to drop off anyone board.

The futuristic hybrid between a plane and hotel – which has 20 engines powered by nuclear fusion – is designed never to land.

Hashem Alghaili, who created the incredibly detailed mockup of the monster aircraft, says the nuclear-powered sky cruise “could be the future of transport”.

Designed to run 24/7, Alghaili even adds that running repairs would be carried out in-flight – a first in aviation.

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Assuming that you even could generate enough lift for that monster to take off . . . how big of a runway would you need to get that thing off the ground? 50 miles??

If you wanted to create a luxury sky hotel wouldn't it be more simple to revive the Zeppelin?
Ditto for drones and such.

Finding enough helium might be the problem. We squander helium on party balloons, but as I understand it, helium is a limited resource.

As for this nuclear-powered flying hotel, it's to be fusion powered. Meaning it's unlikely to happen in our lifetimes.
 
Hydrogen is cheap. Just sayin'...
And safe, too, right? I mean it's been 85 years since the Hindenburg. I'm sure all the problems have been worked out.

OK, I wrote that with tongue in cheek, but who's to say that we couldn't use hydrogen safely today? Maybe hydrogen "airships" are plausible now.

If so, could they become a commercial success?
 
This would just be another opportunity for the ultra wealthy to blow their money on.
 
Ditto for drones and such.

Finding enough helium might be the problem. We squander helium on party balloons, but as I understand it, helium is a limited resource.

As for this nuclear-powered flying hotel, it's to be fusion powered. Meaning it's unlikely to happen in our lifetimes.

I agree but even for the future it seems like an overly complex design for it's intended purpose.

I don't think getting enough helium would be the problem. I mean the Hindenburg was basically a tiny flying hotel and there was enough helium for that it's just that the US wouldn't export it.

I'm imagining a craft with 4 to 6 Hindenburg sized containers holding up a platform of some sort. At least that would be the start of how I would design one.

While I think it could be built like that with today's technology if we invested enough time/money/and effort into the idea I don't think the whole idea would be all that profitable. I think ultimately most people would rather go to a resort in the Bahamas, or on a cruise, or something like that. Flying through the air while cool to some extent I don't think would be able to beat many locations that are on the ground. I mean in the air you likely would not even be able to go outside.

My idea of a vacation would not involve staying 24/7 inside a large pressurized building for a week. No matter how luxurious.
 
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Well, I guess all we have to do is invent fusion power reactors small enough and light enough to be placed on an airship and this can happen. So you can be stuck on a hotel in the air. Sounds kind of boring to me, if you can't go visit things. For me, vacations are going to see the things in an area. The hotel is just a safe place to store stuff, unwind at the end of the day, and sleep.
 
Well, I guess all we have to do is invent fusion power reactors small enough and light enough to be placed on an airship and this can happen. So you can be stuck on a hotel in the air. Sounds kind of boring to me, if you can't go visit things. For me, vacations are going to see the things in an area. The hotel is just a safe place to store stuff, unwind at the end of the day, and sleep.

There is 2 schools of thought on that. Yours and the other which is you find a nice place to stay like a resort or something like that and just sort of spend the time relaxing and vegging out. I think I tend to lean more towards your view.

In either case I don't think an airship would be the ideal place. I mean if I'm going to do the whole find a nice place to stay and relax bit I'm gonna go for a resort in the Bahamas or something like that. Flying might have some pretty spectacular views but so can a beach and I would rather be outside in nice weather with the wind and the sun than in a pressurized room.
 
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There is 2 schools of thought on that. Yours and the other which is you find a nice place to stay like a resort or something like that and just sort of spend the time relaxing and vegging out. I think I tend to lean more towards your view.

In either case I don't think an airship would be the ideal place. I mean if I'm going to do the whole find a nice place to stay and relax bit I'm gonna go for a resort in the Bahamas or something like that. Flying might have some pretty spectacular views but so can a beach and I would rather be outside in nice weather with the wind and the sun than in a pressurized room.
Yeah, I don't understand the whole, "let's spend thousands of dollars to do the same thing I would be doing if I stayed at home" philosophy of vacationing. At least large scale destination resorts, like what you find in the Caribbean, still have unique things to do. I think I would just get bored at a place like this.
 
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Hydrogen cars are being touted as a green alternative. What happens when they are in a crash?
My cousin works for an engineering firm that did a study on hydrogen fuel cell cars back in the early 2000's. At the time the fuel cells weren't as stable, there were concerns that they could be made into bombs that could take out a city block. It is my understanding that this is no longer in the design.
 
I'll pass for now, but I'm sure some of you would stay.

A giant nuclear-powered ‘flying hotel’, complete with a gym and swimming pool is set to carry 5,000 passengers in unparalleled luxury.

A new CGI video details how the AI-piloted Sky Cruise plans to remain airborne for months at a time, while also docking to take on new passengers, or to drop off anyone board.

The futuristic hybrid between a plane and hotel – which has 20 engines powered by nuclear fusion – is designed never to land.

Hashem Alghaili, who created the incredibly detailed mockup of the monster aircraft, says the nuclear-powered sky cruise “could be the future of transport”.


Designed to run 24/7, Alghaili even adds that running repairs would be carried out in-flight – a first in aviation.

Link
th
 
Presumably the fusion power would generate electricity. I've never heard of electric jet engines before. Yet the artist's conception shows 20 giant jet engines. Is there such a thing?

I believe there are some proof of concept engines. No reason why they couldn't work. The main issue right now is battery capacity so the electric jet technology isn't progressing much. Fusion would solve that problem.
 
The thing is so big we got two active threads about it and a six pack of Pepsi.
 
I took his idea and made some slight revisions where it is more powered like a helicopter with four giant turbines and has landing runways. I reckon it could be designed to also land in ocean as giant cruise ship. I am going to make a few more schematics and see if I can get some investors.

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I believe there are some proof of concept engines. No reason why they couldn't work. The main issue right now is battery capacity so the electric jet technology isn't progressing much. Fusion would solve that problem.
I suppose some sort of ramjet design might work. Once you got up to some minimal speed.

But why not use electric prop engines? Much easier. And it's not like we want our flying cities to be breaking the sound barrier.
 
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