Detailed: The best reference I can aim you at for truly homebrewing up an airship is the 3.5E Conversion of the Spelljammer ship creation rules. Obviously, this isn't going to be perfect, because a Spelljammer flies according to very different rules than a normal airship. Elemental-bound airships require a Mark of Storms and the helm, which is a magic item in the shape of a wheel or orb that can only be used by someone who has the Mark of Storms. In theory you could use high-level magic to achieve the same control over an elemental, or even craft a.
Colossal VehicleSize: 10 (90' x 300' x 3 full decks, ring diameter 110'); Cost: 92,000 gp
Aura: Strong Conjuration;Caster Level: 12th;
Special Notes / Rules:
Elemental Binding (fire or air, 10-12 HD, usually a Huge Fire or Air Elemental)
Source: ECB, pg. 267
DEFENSE:
AC: 2 (-8 size); Hardness: 5
HP: 1,000 hp (Khyber Dragonshard 180 hp, hardness: 10)
Base Save: +4
OFFENSE:
Maximum Speed: Fly 100'; Acceleration: Fly 20'
Weapons:Each side of the airship can hold either 32 Large or 16 Huge ranged siege weapons. These siege weapons can only fire out of the sides of the elemental galleon that they on mounted on. Also, 2 Large siege weapons or 1 Huge siege weapon can be mounted both fore and aft. Airships cannot have midship weapons due to the elemental ring.DEFENSE:
AC: 2 (-8 size); Hardness: 5
HP: 1,000 hp (Khyber Dragonshard 180 hp, hardness: 10)
Base Save: +4
OFFENSE:
Maximum Speed: Fly 100'; Acceleration: Fly 20'
CMB: +8 (+8 size); CMD: 18
Ramming Damage: 8d8
Strafing Damage: 3d8 (fire or electrical)
Propulsion: Magic (Elemental Bound)
Controlling the Elemental: Intimidate (DC 20), Bluff vs. Sense Motive (+0) or Diplomacy (DC 25) to control the elemental
Steering: Profession (Pilot) or Fly at +10 to the DC
Driving Device: Elemental Helm
Driving Space: Nine squares on top deck, aft platform, around the Elemental Helm
Dnd Airship Models
Means of Propulsion: Elemental Bound Khyber dragonshard
Airship Dnd
Crew: 20 (1 pilot, 8 for lookouts, 11 crew for maintenance)
Cargo: 30 tons, 150 passengers
Airships cannot physically land on the ground. There is nothing along the bottom of an airship that will support its weight should it attempt to land. Any attempt to land on other than a docking tower an Airship is automatically a crash. To make up for this, the natural state for an Airship is to hover.
CONSTRUCTION:
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Bind Elemental, Levitate
Cost:43,500 gp and a Khyber dragonshard worth at least 5,000 gp
This large sailing ship is 90 feet wide, 300 feet long and is comprised of three full decks and usually a cabin on the main deck. Based on a galleon, it has been redesigned to take advantage of its composition, which is primarily soarwood, and the presence of a bound elemental stored in a massive Khyber dragonshard somewhere deep in the hold of the ship. Instead of a mast and sails, it has a huge ring of solid crystal, mounted by metal arms attached along the hull, that completely surrounds the ship. This ring makes it nearly impossible for the airship to land, except at specially made docking towers. Fortunately, this is not a problem as the soarwood and the liberal use of the Levitate spell makes this ship almost completely buoyant in air, acting literally like a leaf on the wind.
Airship Dnd Map
The bound elemental is what gives the ship its ability to move. Controlled through a helm located roughly where the steering wheel for a ship would normally be, a pilot can command the bound elemental to move the ship as desired. The ship itself has the same stats as a regular sailing ship. Should an airship loose it's bound elemental, it begins drifting with the wind and slowly falling as per a Feather Fall spell. This does not, however, prevent the ship from tipping or turning completely upside-down, based on the current weather.