It could just be the new and hip way to cruise, and it has nothing to do with sailing the seven seas. A video released this week shows the possibilities that cruising could have in the coming decades. The video quickly went viral, with mixed reactions.
Sky Cruise, the brainchild of video creator Hashem Al-Ghaili, based on paintings from artist Tony Holmsten, is a vast nuclear-powered airplane able to accommodate 5,000 passengers in ultimate luxury.
The plane would hardly ever land because it is powered by nuclear fusion. Whether fact or fiction, it certainly gives food for thought on whether it would ever be a viable competitor to cruising at sea.
A Gigantic Plane With 5,000 Passengers
It would be hard to imagine The Wright brothers would have ever believed their invention would have led to the creation of a 5000-passenger airliner powered by nuclear fusion that would hardly ever have to land. And yet, this week, animator Hashem Al-Ghaili, a Yemeni science communicator and video producer, released a new video showing just that.
The sleek video, which incredibly enough sells the concept well, went viral within hours with more than 3,5 million views on Facebook and almost 100,000 views on YouTube. The original artwork from concept artist, illustrator, and matte painter Tony Holmsten was brought to life by Al-Ghaili.
The flying air cruiser would be able to accommodate 5000 passengers, who would be brought to the hotel by regular airliners that dock onto Sky Cruise. The plane would be piloted by artificial intelligence.
The ship would have a disc-shaped observation tower mounted on top of the plane, from where guests could view the skyscapes above the clouds and nature from above. There would be multiple bars and restaurants, swimming pools, slides, cinemas, theatres, and even a wedding venue where guests can get married in the sky.
Fact Or Fiction?
Sky Cruise would have no carbon footprint, with 20 electric engines providing clean, nuclear energy. The idea came from several different animations, as Hashem Al-Ghaili explains:
“I was searching for a 3D model that features a futuristic design of an airplane, and came across this 3D model by Alexander Tujicov. It’s based on an earlier design created several years ago by Tony Holmsten. I bought the 3D model and decided to animate it. I wrote the script and edited the video to showcase what it could look like in real life.”
Sky Cruise would provide guests with the ultimate vacation, much like a luxury cruise ship. While interesting, the video’s creator does share some insights into the reality of the project:
“In the very distant future, humans have mastered controlled nuclear fusion. The quest for unlimited energy has finally succeeded. Nuclear reactors that can fit inside a plane are now possible. Someone once said, “Anything can fly if it just has enough energy.”
“A group of entrepreneurs decided to create the Sky Cruise, inspired by the Titanic. Some people call it “Flytanic.” It’s massive and can host over 5000 guests.”
So, for now, we’ll just stick to cruising at sea, providing more than enough fun without resorting to airplanes flying under nuclear-powered jet engines piloted by artificial intelligence.
Then again, who would have ever thought 50 years ago that we would be going on vacation on 236,857 gross tons cruise ships such as Wonder of the Seas?
