Australians invented a new hybrid helicopter and airship

Australian developers presented to the public a new aircraft - a hybrid of an electric airplane and an airship. The original design called Plimp has already received a patent, and the company is looking for investors to start commercial production of machines. The main purpose of this aircraft is to work in hard-to-reach areas, as well as use in the tourism business and in the service of air taxi.

Outwardly, Plimp resembles an airship that is attached to a helicopter. The dimensions of the prototype, which was collected for testing and presentation, have a length of 7 meters, although in the future it is planned to produce 40-meter models. The electric motor and propeller system provides lift, and the helium cylinder serves as a guarantee of a soft and safe fit.

The developers created Plimp as a safe and effective way to monitor oil pipelines, power lines, or other objects located in hard-to-reach areas. The aircraft is equipped with a camera that allows you to shoot the terrain and diagnose objects without the direct presence of a person at the object. In addition, Plimp can be used as traditional helicopters, in the tourism sector and in the field of urban air taxi services.

Aerotaxi is not such a luxury as it might seem at first glance. There are already developed air taxi services in several cities around the world, including Tokyo and New York. But the most advanced metropolis in the world in terms of the development of air taxi is Brazilian São Paulo.

With a population of 12 million, São Paulo is not only Brazil's largest metropolis, but the whole of South America. The population of the city began to increase rapidly from the middle of the 20th century, and already in the 90s the city was faced with huge traffic jams. At peak times in São Paulo, it was possible to observe multi-kilometer clusters of vehicles.

Just for this reason, an air taxi began to develop in the city. Of course, at first only wealthy businessmen and stars of show business used this type of transport. But today, when more than 700 helicopters operate in the Sao Paulo air taxi service and there are about 500 sites on the roofs of skyscrapers, transportation prices have decreased and this type of transport has become more affordable. Tour operators who organize air tours for travelers often use the services of urban helicopter transport. There is even a helicopter booking service in Sao Paulo, as is customary in the field of car taxis.