Yesterday we had the Zeppeling

[mapuc]

Yesterday we had the Zeppelin, tomorrow we could have this

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3467520/Anyone-got-foot-pump-close-look-British-flying-machine-s-long-eight-buses-goes-100mph.html

Markus

[STEED]

Oh My...AREA 51 IS IN THE UK! :o

[Gerald]

Honestly I do not think the business other than for amusement.

[Sailor Steve]

It's nice to see someone actually attempting to use the technology again.

[Rockstar]

VENDOR?! whazzup G. :up:

[Spoon 11th]

US Army's cancelled LEMV project was based on this airship.

Gizmag has lots of currentish (and older) airship articles.

http://www.gizmag.com/search/?q=airship&sa=Search

[Aktungbby]

its aerodynamic curves do look a lot like Kim Kardashian’s bottom.

GOOD lord! wait till Kranz finds out!:O:

[Jimbuna]

Oh My...AREA 51 IS IN THE UK! :o

Time to return the favour :smug:

[mapuc]

I found it amazing that they have developed the old way of traveling

How they are going to use this ship I don't know.

Commercial or as a slow transport.

As it is mentioned in the article it can land on everything, so it could be used to send material into areas where ordinary ground or air transport can't reach or land.

Markus

[Platapus]

People have been planning the "return" of balloons, blimps and the like for the 50 years and will probably continue to do so for the next 50 years.

[eddie]

This thing is huge! They say they can use it for just about anything, even rescue type missions. Can't see them doing that in real rough weather though.

Anyone in the UK going for a ride on it!?!:)

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breakingnews/offbeat/worlds-largest-aircraft-airlander-10-unveiled-for-first-time-fully-assembled-34558577.html

[Jimbuna]

Yep, I've a ticket on a seat for the maiden flight :sunny:


http://i.imgur.com/SmbTPM7.gif

[mapuc]

My memory is not what it have been, I was somehow sure that I had made a thread about the same

Made a search and found it

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=224572

I find this very interesting indeed-this big airship

The possibility it can be used for.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Threads merged.

[eddie]

Thanks Jim, didn't see the other one!

[Jimbuna]

No problem eddie.

[Commander Wallace]

Wow. The airship is both interesting and huge. I don't know how I missed this. Thanks for posting it Markus .

" Blimps " or airships are a common sight over many sports venues but I'm not sure if these Blimps are the same thing as the link you provided for those airships however.

[Platapus]

The problem with these big gas bags (the airships, not politicians) is what to fill them with.

A natural air mixture has a molecular weight of about 1.2 g/l. Generally speaking the density of a gas is approximate to its weight, so in order to get any lift we would have to use a gas or gas mixture with a molecular weight of less than 1 g/mol.

The best gas to use is hydrogen. Hydrogen is about 0.09g/l but hydrogen has a terrible public reputation.

Methane is about .7 g/l so while technically lighter than air is not that much lighter which means that the lifting power may be taken up by the structure itself. I would imagine that methane is as safe to use as hydrogen and just as publicly shunned.

That leaves our old friend helium which is about 0.17 g/l. Much heaver than Hydrogen but a lot safer from a fire stand point. The problem is that we don't have a lot of helium. Helium is used as a coolant for many IR and spectral sensors and with the current unpleasantness in the middle east, we are flying a lot of spectral sensors. And a lot of industries use helium from welding to scientific accelerators.

The US produces about 75% of the world's helium supply and some sources say that we will be running out of our supply in about 25 or so years. The 1966 Helium Privatization Act mandated that the US government sell off its helium supply to private industry by 2015.

In 2000 Crude Helium was selling at about $50.00 per thousand cubic feet (MCF). In 2013 it was selling at about $85.00 per MCF and the price is only going up.

Just for a comparison

Hydrogen can lift 60 pounds per MCF
Helium can list 53 pounds per MCF

A hot air balloon can lift about 17 pounds per MCF

There just is not enough helium to support an increase in airships and the cost of helium is also prohibitive.


Can hydrogen be used safely? Hydrogen will burn in Air (at 1 atm) when it reaches a volume percentage as low as 4% and will continue to be capable of burning all the way up to 75%. That's a pretty big spread.

Hydrogen LTA Aircraft have operated for many years with few accidents. Few but spectacular accidents.

In order for LTA aircraft to be viable, we have to

1. Make hydrogen LTA designs safe
2. Confince the public that hydrogen LTA designs can be safe

The first may be possible, the second very improbable.

I would love to see LTA take a bigger part in industry and tourism. I think it would be cool to cross the Atlantic in 3 days in the style of the zeppelins. :up: But I doubt it will happen in my lifetime or if it will happen at all. Maybe when we find a new super light gas from the planet Zog. :D