>> when you could promenade the deck while watching the world pass silently from 500 feet or so?
I don't know where this assumption comes from. Airships were not silent, nor would you ever want to promenade the deck. These things moved very quickly. The wind/engine noise was considerable. If you opened a window you would be hit with a 50+mph blast of wind. Only during takeoff (liftoff?) and landing would there be any sense that you were floating as opposed to flying.
>> I think a modern Zeppelin could be built for less than ten million dollars.
No. Just no way. There is no possible scenario whereby one could develop a new over-ocean passenger-carrying aircraft for 10mil. Talk to Boeing/Airbus. You probably need to double that number and add at least one zero.
I don't know where this assumption comes from. Airships were not silent, nor would you ever want to promenade the deck. These things moved very quickly. The wind/engine noise was considerable. If you opened a window you would be hit with a 50+mph blast of wind. Only during takeoff (liftoff?) and landing would there be any sense that you were floating as opposed to flying.
>> I think a modern Zeppelin could be built for less than ten million dollars.
No. Just no way. There is no possible scenario whereby one could develop a new over-ocean passenger-carrying aircraft for 10mil. Talk to Boeing/Airbus. You probably need to double that number and add at least one zero.