The pioneering Brits who are heralding the dawn,

[Gerald]

of the new Zeppelin age.

When the Hindenburg blew up in 1937, so did the airship industry. So why is Britain building a fleet of the world's biggest, for the Americans, in our old Zeppelin sheds?

A Hybrid Air Vehicles prototype; the first ships are due to be completed in 2012

2015: Regent’s Park International Airport

A line of limousines and taxis snakes its way into the Royal Park to deliver 300 well-heeled passengers and their smart luggage to the discreet air terminal. They are in no rush because the flight they are about to board to New York will take two days.

Moored on the grass outside the terminal is a 600ft long behemoth, a vast Hybrid Air Vehicle. A cross between a balloon and an aircraft wing, this new-wave blimp is filled with non-flammable helium and air. Slung beneath is a vast passenger cabin akin to a miniature first-class cruise ship with dining rooms, a ballroom, bars and a casino.For the same price as a club-class plane ticket, these 300 discerning travellers will eat, sip cocktails and dance as they float serenely across the Atlantic.

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Note: Last updated at 2:06 AM on 21st February 2011