For a couple of years there, I had a major blimp fetish. And so did the U.S. military. Airships, 25 times the size of the Goodyear blimp, were going to watch for missiles, the Pentagon proclaimed. "Tri-phibian" zeppelins would haul 1000 tons of men and gear over air, land, and sea. Blimps, sitting at the edge of space, would substitute for satellites. Some might even watch over entire cities at a time.

But one by one, alas, most of these lighter-than-air projects have been blown away, or dramatically throttled back. That isn't stopping airship makers from coming up with some awfully cool zeppelin designs, however. Popular Mechanics profiles four of 'em. One they didn't look at was Lockheed's suu-weeet P-791, which Sharon examined back in November. It's worth another look. Especially because this blimp is actually in the air, and not just on some designer's easel.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Xs0mvJLK0

(High five: JQP)

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