Russia is Developing "Flying Saucers"

The Russian company Aerosmena is planning to launch a massive airship shaped like a flying saucer. It will have the capacity to transport up to 600 tons of cargo and will serve as a low-cost alternative to air transport. The airship will be capable of operating without infrastructure, flying over facilities in hard-to-reach areas, and equipped with special loading and unloading equipment. Production of the airships is set to begin in 2024. The company’s website stated that the significant decline in aircraft production capacities in Russia, combined with the growing needs of the economy to expand the air transport system, makes the development of new transport technologies very urgent. Aerosmena believes that "air transport can be improved by developing transportation systems that not only increase the efficiency of the air transport system but also become a driver of economic growth in the Russian regions." According to the Russian company, the design of the airship "includes two gas chambers to provide propulsion and lift. For the 600-ton airship model, it will use 620,000 cubic meters of helium, and the majority of its large cavity will be filled with air heated to 200 degrees Celsius above zero, by the exhaust of eight helicopter engines responsible for lifting the cargo."