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Giant 'Flying Bum' Airship Crashes During Test Flight

Bum-bum-bum-bum.... bummmmmmm.
The Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV 304 Airlander 10 hybrid airship is seen in the air on its maiden flight at Cardington Airfield near Bedford, north of London, on August 17, 2016. The Hybrid Air Vehicles 92-metre long, 43.5-metre wide Airlander 10, billed as the world's longest aircraft, lifted off for the first time from an airfield north of London. The Airlander 10 has a large helium-filled fabric hull and is propelled by four turbocharged diesel engines. According to the company it can stay airborne for up to five days at a time if manned, and for over 2 weeks unmanned with a cruising speed of just under 150 km per hour and a payload capacity of up to 10,000 kg. / AFP / JUSTIN TALLIS (Photo credit should read JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)
JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images
The Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV 304 Airlander 10 hybrid airship is seen in the air on its maiden flight at Cardington Airfield near Bedford, north of London, on August 17, 2016. The Hybrid Air Vehicles 92-metre long, 43.5-metre wide Airlander 10, billed as the world's longest aircraft, lifted off for the first time from an airfield north of London. The Airlander 10 has a large helium-filled fabric hull and is propelled by four turbocharged diesel engines. According to the company it can stay airborne for up to five days at a time if manned, and for over 2 weeks unmanned with a cruising speed of just under 150 km per hour and a payload capacity of up to 10,000 kg. / AFP / JUSTIN TALLIS (Photo credit should read JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Airlander 10, a massive aircraft that critics said looked like a giant, flying butt, crashed after its second test flight in Bedfordshire, England, on Wednesday.

No one was injured in the incident.

“The Airlander experienced a heavy landing and the front of the flight deck has sustained some damage which is currently being assessed,” Hybrid Air Vehicles, the company developing the aircraft, said in a statement.

“The flight went really well and the only issue was when it landed,” a company spokesperson to the BBC.

The Airlander 10 seen after crashing during its second test flight.
Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
The Airlander 10 seen after crashing during its second test flight.

At 302 feet long, the Airlander 10 is 50 feet longer than the largest configuration of the Boeing 747. However, it’s also been nicknamed “The Flying Bum” by the British media because it looks as much like a derriere as it does a dirigible:

Airlander 10, seen during its first test flight on Aug. 17, 2016.
Darren Staples / Reuters
Airlander 10, seen during its first test flight on Aug. 17, 2016.

Originally developed by the U.S. military, Airlander 10 combined “the best characteristics of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters with lighter-than-air technology,” the company said.

The Airlander can fly for five days with a crew, and up to two weeks if unmanned. It can handle communication, carry cargo and perform surveys for military and commercial purposes.

No timetable for repairs or future flights was announced.

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