World's biggest aircraft

The world's largest aircraft will be officially named during a visit by the Duke of Kent in Bedfordshire today.

The Airlander 10 is 92 metres long and pumped with a million cubic feet of helium.

It took 10 years to build and cost £25 million.

The huge aircraft will be able to stay airborne for around five days during manned flights.

• World's largest aircraft unveiled for first time

The world's largest airship, being built in a hangar in Bedfordshire, has been unveiled for the first time.

The Airlander 10 in Cardington is now completed and ready for her maiden flight.

It's known to the engineers as Mary - and she's a very big girl.

At 92 metres long - she's about the same size as a football pitch and 25% bigger than a Boeing 747 aeroplane.

The cockpit, flight simulator and the payload module where cargo or passengers will travel, will also be opened up for people to see.

A giant hybrid airship which is being built in Bedfordshire has taken a step closer to completion.

A fin has been lifted into place and attached to the hull of the Airlander which is being built in a hangar at Cardington.

Other fins and the engines will be fitted in the coming weeks.

The Airlander is said to be the largest aircraft in the world and is designed to remain in the air for weeks at a time.

This is the largest aircraft in the world - the Airlander 10. It sits in one of the Cardington Hangars just South of Bedford.

It is 92 metres long - about the same size as a football pitch.

It can fly for weeks at a time and land almost anywhere flat - including ice, water and desert.

Engineers are hoping to fly it for the first time in the UK early next year, but to get it off the ground they are offering members of the public the chance to help fund it.

The group is hoping to raise £2million to make the Airlander project a reality.

The world's largest aircraft has been unveiled in Bedfordshire in all its 300ft (91m) long glory.

Known as the HAV304, the giant aircraft has been displayed at Cardington in the only hangar big enough to accommodate the 113ft (34m) wide and 85ft (26m) high monster.

Created by Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd the ultra-green HAV304 project has just received a £2.5 million grant from the UK Government.

The HAV304 is designed to stay airborne for up to three weeks and can be used for a variety of functions including surveillance, communications and delivering aid.

The plan is that the HAV304 will eventually lead to the development of the Airlander 50, which would be able to transport 50 tonnes of freight.

The company plans to produce around 10 a year for the next four or five years which is expected to lead to the creation of 1,800 jobs in the Bedfordshire area.