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New blimp-like aircraft could revolutionize disaster relief

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    Adam Housley reports from Los Angeles

  • Duration 2:34
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Check out this giant -- the looks like some -- out of those old fashioned science fiction movies this could be vital.

In helping troops in remote areas overseas.

Adam Housley had a look at a live in LA what you think -- -- good morning.

Well built a throwback to the days of those huge -- -- -- Hindenburg days if you will what's different this time and it's helium and they've created something here -- it's entirely new altogether.

Inside a Southern California -- built during World War II floats a craft that could revolutionize.

Air transport.

But basically what it does it's very seasonal it takes off translated playing and and -- Basically it's anywhere -- -- infrastructure.

Call the -- scrapped its not a blimp -- balloon.

But a next generation aircraft made of aluminum and carbon fiber.

It can hold more than sixty tons of cargo has a range of 3200 miles and doesn't need a landing strip.

This vehicle could go there not have -- touchdown off load the cargo -- go on.

And then with the internal.

Compartment of this vehicle there's no optimizing the load we can rearrange the load internal -- the vehicle why it's moving.

This version of the aero scrap this call approved the design roughly half the size of what the -- rigid structure will be.

-- wait 36000.

Pounds but when you add -- to it it becomes -- which made -- 218 pound man.

To push around a 260 foot airship.

Funded in part by the Department of Defense.

The craft operates at 13 the cost of a traditional cargo plane and with the ability to descend vertically and -- of 120 miles per hour.

Engineers believe the possibilities are endless.

From the political perspective -- worked -- from the military perspective.

It's gonna create.

It's gonna be -- the gap that exists right now.

Bill is really three applications for this image in the military for example when we were in Haiti after the earthquake you would have to wait for the airstrip to open up.

Could come in levitate -- right above the ground dropped -- Not needed supplies of course -- second application air cargo.

You could pick up fruit and vegetables -- -- a valid California taken straight to Ohio not have to go to the airport you semis.

And the third one I'm sure Martha's Anderson in.

It could be like an air cruise ship you go around the world -- this kind of hover over Italy for example dropped down and well Martha and the kids go see part of -- -- parents -- -- wherever.

She was just talking about that.

At issue that I -- To get down on the grass and actually see something out after about honoring honoring those places.

Adam that will let you down Martha out of it but I can get down.

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