When imagining the future of carbon-free air travel it seems strange that so many of us overlook the obvious; super speedy solar-powered flying turtles. No, not like that famous flying turtle from Japanese cinema (Gamera doesn't sport solar panels, silly), but rather an airship with a rigid hull that derives power from the sun by day and burns biodiesel by night. Think this is just some flight of fancy? Maybe so, but Darrell Campbell, the man behind the concept, says the Turtle Airships company is building a prototype right now and may soon be flying in a sky near you. In fact, he says it will make an "around-the-world flight" sometime next year.

Mr. Campbell has an ambitious list of duties he believes his airship is well suited for. In addition to carrying travelers to and fro, he envisions a flying hospital version that travels to where its needed. It could also be used as a military troop carrier, and, of course, an effective means of combating the scourge of "pirates in the waters off of Somalia, Indonesia, and Nigeria." Sounds nifty to us. You can keep up with the advancement of the flying turtle by bookmarking their blog. Read the entire press release after the break.

[Source: Turtle Airships via Environmental Graffiti]