BLENNTEC (formerly UPship Corporation)

Company renamed BlennTEC in 2003, although UPship retained as airship trademark type name. First to be built will be a two-seat, 32 m (105 ft) example, planned to be marketed under new FAA Light Sport Aircraft standards for approximately US$75,000. Will have all main features of eight-seat, 50 m UPship, including bow thruster, semi-rigid construction and ground handling systems; will also be used for pilot training and to test cargo handling systems for Brazilian cargo market. This will allow further development and verification of 50- and 90-tonne payload cargo designs currently in progress (lenghts 180 and 216 m; 590.6 and 708.7 ft respectively).
Additional effors in 2003 included co-operative agreement in Brazil, and design work on a six-seat, 45 m (147.6 ft) UPship planned for construction by a Malaysian company for Far East market.