Future Industries airship

:This article is about the airship manufactured by Future Industries and used by Team Avatar. For other similar uses, see Airship (disambiguation).
The Future Industries airship is a large, metal, zeppelin-like vehicle employed by Team Avatar to travel throughout the Earth Kingdom in search of new airbenders after the events of Harmonic Convergence. It is manufactured by Future Industries and piloted by an engineer.
== History ==
The airship was designed by Asami Sato herself. Following the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG, she used the first prototype of the airship class to assist Team Avatar's missions.The Legend of Korra—The Art of the Animated Series, Book Three: Change, page 36. Asami arrived in the evening at Air Temple Island with the Future Industries airship in tow, suggesting that Team Avatar use it to "travel in style" when heading toward Ba Sing Se. During the journey throughout the Earth Kingdom, the Future Industries airship took Team Avatar to various places where sightings of new airbenders were reported, though many were unwilling to leave their previous lives behind except for Kai. While in the air, the spacious deck provided ample room for Bumi and Kai to exercise and learn the basics of their newfound bending ability. After arriving in Ba Sing Se, Korra and Asami used the airship to travel to a town outside the capital to collect Earth Queen Hou-Ting's tax revenues under the monarch's orders.
The next night, Asami used the airship, alongside Lin Beifong's, to rescue captive airbenders from the Earth Queen before making a clean getaway. Once they were far from Ba Sing Se, Tenzin, Bumi, and Jinora took the airship to bring the airbenders to the Northern Air Temple.
The airship was used again by Team Avatar three years later, first to pick up an imprisoned Kuvira and later to take her and King Wu to Gaoling, in order to prevent Commander Guan from interfering with the gubernatorial election taking place there. The airship was sabotaged by remnant Earth Empire forces before Kuvira could be taken to Zaofu. Asami's pilot noticed the issue just before their planned takeoff, before Earth Empire soldiers promptly smashed through the windows with cables, quickly overpowering Mako, Bolin, and Asami. The trio and Kuvira were captured by Guan and taken to Gaoling's reeducation camp.
== Design ==
The design of this aircraft is roughly similar to the Fire Nation airships used during the final stages of the Hundred Year War, as well as the police airship used by Republic City's Metalbending Police Force, though it is more luxurious in appearance. The vessel is constructed primarily from metal and employs multiple propeller sets to move. It is unique in its impressive size: a flying bison is capable of comfortably staying on board with little-to-no effect on its speed. The size of the ship also allows the passengers to travel in comfort as it sports an impressive galley with high ceilings, at least one bathroom for passengers to get changed and freshen up, and a deck atop the ship with enough room for two airbenders to duel without much risk of falling overboard. The bow features a phoenix statue mounted on it.
== Trivia ==
* The exterior and interior of the airship, designed by Christine Bian and William Niu respectively, were based on the Art Deco architectural style.DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan & Dos Santos, Joaquim (December 2, 2014). "Rebirth" commentary. Book Three: Change Blu-ray.
* The impetus for the airship's creation and design was based around accommodating the new airbenders Team Avatar recruited, which originally numbered around seventy-five.
== References ==
de:Future Industries Luftschiff
es:Dirigible de Industrias Futuro
ru:Дирижабль команды Корры
Category:A to Z
Category:Legend of Korra
Category:Objects
Category:Republic City
Category:United Republic
Category:Vehicles