Mike Kuehlmuss checks out the propane burners from the two-person cockpit as Alberto lifts off for a tethered flight test in summer 2006. Kuehlmuss is a co-builder of the Alberto, as well as being a pilot.
In its flight tests, the airship has been several hundred feet in the air, but it's mostly been kept to about treetop level. How fast can it go? "Frankly, we don't know for sure yet," acknowledges the Skyacht FAQ. At 25 percent of full power from the current 24-horsepower engine, the airship has chugged along at about 6 miles per hour. Eventually, Skyacht plans to install a larger, lightweight 80-horsepower motor, which could boost the top speed to almost 20 mph. Also on the drawing board is a second, sleeker design.
Photo by Skyacht Aircraft
