Maiden Flight of the World's Biggest Helium-Filled Aircraft Postponed

The maiden flight of the world's biggest aircraft Airlander 10 was postponed last August 14 due to an undisclosed "slight technical issue", making the 302-foot long grounded in an airfield 45 miles north of London until the next flight will be rescheduled.

Airlander 10, or dubbed as "flying bum" due to its bulbous front end, is an hybrid between air blimp and airplane. It is designed to use less fuel, but carry heavier loads than traditional airships. Measuring at 302-foot long, Airlander 10 is around 50 feet longer than the largest passenger jets. It can travel up to 90mph and stay in the air for up to two weeks.

Originally designed to be used by the Unites States Army, the aircraft were planned to be used for surveillance in Afghanistan. However, cutbacks in defense funding caused the program for the aircraft to be scrapped in 2013.

According to the report from Daily Mail, the large aircraft also has a bad reputation after having a public image of failed 20^th Century aviation experiment. In 1930, the Britain's air minister, along with 49 other people, was almost killed when similar aircraft crashed. Furthermore, the airship crashed in New Jersey of the Hindenburg in 1937, killing 35 people.

However, the developers of Airlander 10 were confident that such incidents can be avoided. Unlike the one in Hindenburg, Airlander 10 was filled with helium, instead of hydrogen. Helium, as opposed to hydrogen, is not flammable.

"It's a disruptive capability," said Stephen McGlennan, chief executive of Hybrid Air Vehicles, in a report from Fox News. "Something that disruptive, it's always long, and it's always a winding road,"

The humongous aircraft was built by Hybrid Air Vehicles. The construction of Airlander costs almost $28 million and took ten years to finish.

Developers chose to cancel the flight because the repairs or maintenance necessary for Airlander to have the green light will take time and flying it in the dark is not a good idea.