World SkyCat is building a new type of "lighter than air" aircraft.
To demonstrate the new technology, a fully working model at one-sixth linear scale has been built at ATG’s manufacturing facility at Cardington, UK, the historic home of the British airship industry. On 23rd July 2000, this craft made its first flight. A new aircraft type was born.
This vehicle, dubbed the “SkyKitten”, proved the key features of the new technology. Aerodynamically highly stable, with low drag and full STOL/VTOL capability, the SkyKitten demonstrated its ability to take off and land equally on land and water, to manoeuvre with total control and autonomy and to anchor itself in “suck-down” mode without need of any ground personnel or equipment.
I love airships, sooner they come back the better. I wrote a long state of the industry post with a load of photos back in March. http://www.creationrobot.com/?p=2014