In the 1990s, the successor of the original Zeppelin company in Friedrichshafen, the "Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH", reengaged in airship construction. The first experimental craft (later christened "Friedrichshafen") of the type "Zeppelin NT" flew in September 1997. Though larger than common blimps, the "Neue Technologie" (New Technology) zeppelins are much smaller than their giant ancestors and not actually Zeppelin-types in the classical sense. They are sophisticated semirigids. Apart from the greater payload, their main advantages compared to blimps are higher speed and excellent maneuverability. Meanwhile, several "Zeppelin NT" have been produced and operated profitably in joyrides, research flights and similar applications.