Known as a thermal airship, the design of the balloon in this case is similar to the Thunder & Colt AS-105 and produced buoyancy by heating air in a large envelope, the density of the internal hot-air as compared to the cool ambient temperature outside air causing an upward force

The MA-1 airship was designed by Mantainer Pty Ltd of Airport West, VIC, the project being initiated by Mr A Norton with assistance from Mr B Blake, an aeronautical engineer. After construction, the machine (registered VH-PSE) made a number of test flights in 1978 at the Sports Aviation Soaring Centre