Cruise lovers may be able to trade the motion of the ocean for the freedom of the skies, if a bonkers “Sky Cruise” airship ever gets its wings.
Conceived by artist Tony Holmstem and animated by Hashem Al-Ghaili, the craft is effectively flying cruise ship with accommodations for 5,000 guests. The selling point for vacationers is the scenery, something that is taken full advantage of by the Sky Cruise’s elevated panoramic viewing deck, external elevators, and six balconies with viewing domes.
The main entertainment deck has all the trappings of a seafaring cruise, including a shopping mall, fitness clubs, swimming pools, restaurants and bars, theaters, cinemas, medical facilities, and wedding services for sky-high hitches.
But the Sky Cruise’s most intriguing—and fantastical—element is its propulsion system. The craft’s 20 electric engines are powered by its own nuclear reactor via fusion, a process that scientists have not yet reproduced on Earth.
If nuclear fusion were made possible, then an on-board fusion reactor could conceivably allow the Sky Cruise make its own fuel and fly indefinitely, only stopping for supplies.
Perhaps a more realistic piece of futuristic tech is the navigation system’s AI-powered command deck, which would predict turbulence and deploy anti-vibrations to cancel out any jarring motion that could make passengers uncomfortable.
For more on eye-popping airships, check out Lockheed-Martin’s “Darkstar” hypersonic jet from Top Gun: Maverick.