Apr 3 2009UPDATE: A Helicopter Hotel That Flies
The Hotelicopter is allegedly real, although I have some serious doubts (especially if you go to THIS PAGE and see how they're hocking some renderings as real "test flight" pictures). That, and we're two days to April 1st. Still, it might be (but it's totally not).
Experience the adrenaline rush of taking off and flying high in the largest helicopter ever produced. The Hotelicopter features 18 luxuriously-appointed rooms for adrenaline junkies seeking a truly unique and memorable travel experience.
The Hotelicopter is modeled on the Soviet-made Mil V-12, of which there were only two prototypes ever made. The Mil V-12 took its first flight in Russia in 1968 and was awarded numerous world records, which it still holds today. The vehicle also earned the prestigious Sikorsky Prize awarded by the American Helicopter Society for outstanding achievements in helicopter technology.The Hotelicopter Company purchased one of these prototypes from the Mikhail Leontyevich Mil helicopter plant in Panki-Tomilino, Russia in 2004 and have been engineering the world's first flying hotel ever since.
Eh. Even if it is real I can't say I'm that excited. And not just because I could never afford a flight. No, I'm afraid of heights. Which is why I sleep on a mattress on the floor. Now, which one of you lovely ladies wanna join the ten-inch high club? Memory-foam topper, just sayin'.
UPDATE: FAKE, I just got an email from Hotelicopter.
Thanks for your coverage of The Hotelicopter!
I wanted to let you know that while The Hotelicopter is not real, hotelicopter the company is - we're a new travel brand launching next week.Can you please update your post accordingly? We did ask Yotel permission to use their images in our prank, and they agreed.
Hit the jump for a couple more of the questionableness, including the interior.
Thanks to Michael, Tofu Butcher, Jessica and Bookwerm, who don't need a helicopter because they were born with wings. Like angels. Minus all the good.
Reader Comments
1. America - March 30, 2009 10:14 AM
Where's daisy?
2. Jenn - March 30, 2009 10:20 AM
If this real it would be awesome. But I wont get my hopes up....
3. ahha - March 30, 2009 10:24 AM
I really like the whole public hallway, bed, toilet in the bedroom arrangement. I can fulfill all of my creepy fetishes all at once and, since they made everything completely wide open and exposed, totally legally. This would be great even if it doesn't fly.
4. softlicious - March 30, 2009 10:26 AM
@1 - Uh, Daisy was first on the last post, confussingly.
I think it's a damn waste, why hurry up to get somewhere. If you're really that 'hot shot' importan VIP, then people will travell to you and you don't have to go anywhere. May I suggest crashing in a regular motel room and put on some helicopter music in the room.
5. Timbo - March 30, 2009 10:27 AM
bleh...
That's all I've got today
6. gizmoduck - March 30, 2009 10:28 AM
oh the huge manatee!
7. softlicious - March 30, 2009 10:29 AM
I can see the future:
www.geekologie.com/2009/04/01 :
"Helicopter story made fools out of unsuspecting Geekologie readers, Daisy was the only one who called FAKE."
8. the black penny - March 30, 2009 10:42 AM
why?
cant sleep on a plane
now you want us to sleep in this noisy thing?
9. Logar - March 30, 2009 10:45 AM
I love how on the first "test flight" photo you see the light from the hanger roof shining in front of the chopper. They didn't even try to make it look real.
10. Synesthesia - March 30, 2009 10:45 AM
it don't even look like that Mil V-12 .... DAISY HELP
11. the black penny - March 30, 2009 10:46 AM
what?
the thing has glass windows?
whats this then?
some panama casino idea?
yes...im really going to strip butt naked in front of..hmm well every one else.
some people really have more money then brains..
and this a cheap thing
12. Toby Witt-Sank - March 30, 2009 11:04 AM
@blackpenny Windows? Made of glass??? Whatever next? I'll have to put a roll of aluminium foil in my carry on - uh no, hang on, they probably think to provide curtains/blinds
13. Malbolge - March 30, 2009 11:19 AM
Quite obviously fake. The interior shots have just been lifted from the Yotel website, and recoloured slightly.
14. naas - March 30, 2009 11:40 AM
It's pretty small for the hotelicopters I used to see in dreams
15. Nano - March 30, 2009 11:43 AM
A first test-flight in full livery? Nah. This is someone's final project for a materials & lighting class. Not bad, though.
16. Angel Mass - March 30, 2009 11:50 AM
Happy early Aprils Fool day people!
17. Netserk - March 30, 2009 11:57 AM
Last!
18. Gar - March 30, 2009 11:59 AM
Dang for once Daisy is needed, i'd hate her for life she changes her mind this time.
19. Watch - March 30, 2009 12:08 PM
Shut up about Daisy, I never want to see that troll here again.
20. Watch - March 30, 2009 12:08 PM
ROLFLHOTELICOPTER!!!!!!
21. lessQQmorePewPew - March 30, 2009 12:18 PM
yotel site indeed. GG
22. Mirianna - March 30, 2009 12:25 PM
Remind me of the Hatredcopter from Metalocalypse. Huge, unreal, and totally awesome. But less metal.
23. JK - March 30, 2009 1:03 PM
Somehow, for some reason...this doesn't sound like too good of an good idea...
24. Delta Kilomike - March 30, 2009 1:36 PM
It's not real. The hotel room photos taken from the Yotel.com website.
25. Howard "Fücking" Hughes - March 30, 2009 2:10 PM
I got a great idea folks. Now, settle down and listen. We take an experimental Russian troup transport helicopter and combine it with the space shuttle. Ok? Ok? Ok? Are you following me so far? Great! Now, we take this enormous hunk of shit and call it a flying hotel. We charge $10,000 a head for a 3 day trip and make some serious cash. This should cover the mess I made with the H-4 Hercules. It also ought to teach that son of a bitch limy Branson a thing or two about making money in the plane game. I hate that bastard. Did you know he's a fag? He's a commie too, but you didn't hear it from me.
26. Me Ed - March 30, 2009 3:23 PM
Maybe real, maybe not but here is some video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7UJ66u941g
27. Remo - March 30, 2009 3:41 PM
For some strange reason, Hindenburg comes to mind. I sense they will share the same fate. If not, dropping pennies from it dwarfs a mere skyscraper any day.
28. Daisy - March 30, 2009 4:37 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie Never Back Down where Max was riding into battle in a helocopter and asked one of the other guys why he was sitting on his helmet. When the guy told him it was to avoid getting his balls shot off Max removed his helmet and started sitting on it.
29. Peregrinus - March 30, 2009 4:42 PM
Oddly, i read about the Mil V-12 earlier today,
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/helicopters/q0284.shtml
and that hotel thing has got to be fake. I mean what's up with the random turbofan engines on the sides of a 40 year old aircraft that was deemed too ungainly as it was.
30. Rhialto - March 30, 2009 5:36 PM
Holy crap! Talking about a flying building!
31. His Huge Greatness Himself - March 30, 2009 5:40 PM
Could be great as part of a honeymoon trip!
32. Darth - March 30, 2009 5:42 PM
Stewardesses and roomservice! Great!
33. Galtacticus - March 30, 2009 5:45 PM
They should make a halfway zeppelin variant of this! Longer airtime! Awesome!
34. Zira - March 30, 2009 6:18 PM
Total failure. That would NEVER get off the ground. Even if it did, it would crash in minutes because it would run out of fuel way to fast.
35. Scott - March 30, 2009 9:03 PM
Hotelicopter.com:
http://www.hotelicopter.com/wp-content/gallery/rooms/Floor1-hallway-a.png
Yotel.com:
http://www.yotel.com/images/gallery/1.jpg
tada.
36. Nick - March 30, 2009 9:30 PM
"Welcome to the Hotel sir, please note there is a chance the hotel will plummet to the ground and explode in which case you will die, hope you enjoy your stay"
37. Alelee - March 30, 2009 11:45 PM
ok, seriously, how do you have sex in those? with everyone watching through the huge clear windows?....zoooooooo
38. Watch - March 31, 2009 8:39 AM
HA GW, BEAT YOU TO THIS STORY!!!!: Hotelicopter is not real, sadly
hotelicopter_terminal_sm.jpg.jpg
"Hotelicopter" is a remodeled prototype Soviet MiL Mi-V12, now filled with 18 cabins and suites. It will be making an innaurgral tour through North American destinations this summer, with prices to be announced soon. (Expect to pay a considerable premium over your typical live-aboard helicopter stay.)
It is certainly not a real thing, as the obviously rendered video implies, but instead a viral promotion for a stay-at-the-airport hotel company.
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/03/30/hotelicopter-is-not.html
39. doubter - March 31, 2009 10:57 AM
this is fake. it doesn't have nearly enough lift to support it in the air. The props are roughly the same size as a chinook and a chinook has a third as much room and still has trouble with heavy loads such as half this "hotel's" mass. FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE
40. Watch - March 31, 2009 12:54 PM
39, read the link i posted above
41. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - April 3, 2009 10:38 AM
UPDATE - DUH!
42. Daisy - April 3, 2009 10:44 AM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene int he movie Never Back Down where Max was riding in the helicopter and sitting on his helmet. He sees the gunner killing soldiers, and also civilians. He asks how can you shoot the women and children, and the gunner replies - they don't move as fast so you just don't lead them so much.
43. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - April 3, 2009 10:51 AM
UPDATE: I still don't give a shit. Surprise!
44. Chris R - April 3, 2009 11:55 AM
Even if it were real... who the hell would want to try and sleep suspended in air in this ridiculous looking contraption?
45. Rhialto - April 3, 2009 11:55 AM
Hola.
46. Me - April 3, 2009 11:58 AM
Hindenburg 2009?
47. chris - April 3, 2009 12:00 PM
er.... this is a total fake! just go to the website in the link and look at the gallery. The clues in the url guys http://aprilfools.hotelicopter.com/photo-gallery/
48. LBlackwell - April 3, 2009 2:38 PM
Anybody know what the real hotelicopter company is all about?
49. John - April 3, 2009 11:28 PM
Phisycally impossible...Theres not even a tail rotor, which is esental to a helicopter to work.
50. Dred - April 4, 2009 9:23 AM
So... it didnt help any of you to see the actual link to the "choppers" website starts with "http://www.aprilfools...."
51. Meithan - April 4, 2009 12:43 PM
@ 49: while this is indeed an April Fool's joke, you are wrong: a tail rotor is not required if you have *two* main rotors spinning in opposite directions, thus canceling the torque: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandem_rotor. I'm glad you learned something today.
52. manivannan - April 24, 2009 8:14 AM
very supper
53. Adam - May 11, 2009 5:30 PM
http://aprilfools.hotelicopter.com/
54. Matthew Patrick Damon - July 15, 2009 8:58 PM
Nice Daisy.
That was a good movie. No. Not Never Back Down. That was sinful. I'm talking about Apocalypse Now. You know. Where they kick ass and take names. Not to be confused with Alotoftits Now. That's where they kiss ass and fake names.
55. groupshoes - October 21, 2009 3:34 AM
Nice airtical, i would like to tell all of my friends about it. By the way, i would like to introduce everyone of you a very nice website, it offers cheap air max trainers for men and women. Such as Air max 1, air max 2, air max 90, nike air max 2009+, air max 2010 new, nike air max TN, nike air ltd trainers, air max 95. Dunk SB shoes, nike shox shoes. You can find almost all the nike series there, in huge collection and varies colorways. They have Latest style and classic style. Though their price are low, don't worry about it's quality. They are realll ones!!! I have bought from them for so many times, and very satisfied with the their goods and service. Come on, you'll love it.
56. www.acriflex.com.br - November 4, 2009 7:51 AM
A/C DEPARTAMENTO DE COMPRAS
Acriflex Acoplamentos Ind . ltda, hoje é destaque no cenário nacional pelo resultado do desenvolvimento de tecnologia, aliado ao esforço contínuo pela melhoria da qualidade de seus acoplamentos, sendo utilizados nos mais exigentes setores da indústria brasileira.
Linha de Produtos:
* Acoplamentos de Engrenagem
* Acoplamentos de Grades (fechamento vertical e horizontal - T e F) ,
* Acoplamentos Elásticos / flexiveis,
* Acoplamento de Lamina ,
* Redutores ,
* Freios e Embreagens pnweumaticas,
*Polias e volantes especias (conforme croqui ) ,
* Acessorios, elementos ,
Aguardamos sua consulta, cotaçoes.
DESTA FORMA GOSTARIAMOS DE SER UM DE SEUS FORNECEDORES
Att.
Erasmo Frasson
Email / Msn - erasmo@acriflex.com.br
(48) 30612002
www . ACRIFLEX.COM.BR