Airlander 10: is this the dawning of a new age of the airship?

After maiden flight in Bedfordshire, creators of world's largest aircraft say 100 could be in skies within five years

Above a field in rural Bedfordshire, a shiny, futuristic craft the size of a football pitch ascends majestically into the evening sky, and gawping onlookers crane their necks for a better view. This could be the trailer for the latest Independence Day film, but it is the maiden flight of the Airlander 10, a helium-filled craft aiming to kickstart a new age of the airship.

It has been a while coming - the first flight had been delayed several times and Wednesday's takeoff was held up for hours - but once in the air, showing off its curves as it banks and soars for its audience, the Airlander is quite a spectacle.