The Return of the Airship

Jimbuna · 02-28-14, 04:12 PM

It looks like airships are going to make a welcome return.

Quote:

Originally developed for the US military, the 300ft (91m) helium-filled hybrid Airlander project was scrapped owing to budget cuts.

Now the giant aircraft is being brought back to life by a British company which plans to build hundreds of the environmentally friendly craft for passengers and cargo.

The current aircraft can carry a load of 1225kg for up to 21 days, but on shorter flights could take up to 5 tonnes. Aircraft still on the drawing board may be able to carry 50 tonnes or more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26372277

Platapus · 02-28-14, 04:30 PM

People have been predicting the "return" of airships since I started to read.

02-28-14, 05:00 PM

HEY! Don't mess with the Air Ships!

On is being designed to hunt down Big Foot,
http://www.livescience.com/24004-big...h-airship.html
One of the GoodYears did it's last flight,
http://www.goodyear.com/cfmx/web/cor....cfm?a_id=1000
and they are the greatest hope for floating Cities.

Oops. I edited a post.

Sailor Steve · 02-28-14, 05:06 PM

I can't say I like the way it looks, but I love the concept, and it's cool to see it fly. I hope they make it viable.

Herr-Berbunch · 02-28-14, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

People have been predicting the "return" of airships since I started to read.

That's pretty much what I was going to say, about once a decade or less they trot out the pictures of the halcyon days of airship travel and compare to some new design from the dreamers in Bedfordshire.

I'm slightly cynical, however, I would love to see airships back in fashion - properly.

Schroeder · 02-28-14, 06:40 PM

Some people here might still remember the Cargolifter and it's fate....

Platapus · 02-28-14, 07:00 PM

One of the problems is that helium is simply too expensive and I don't think there is any way the public would understand that it is possible to use hydrogen safely.

Karle94 · 02-28-14, 07:05 PM

Remember seeing plans for the catamaran airship many years ago.

Jimbuna · 03-01-14, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Some püeople here might still remember the Cargolifter and it's fate....

Well I won't be investing anything into the venture anyway

Wolferz · 03-01-14, 09:40 AM

Should work fine as long as they don't paint the things with Thermite.

Admiral Halsey · 03-01-14, 12:13 PM

There is a reason the airships went bust and it wasn't just the Hindenburg disaster. The things are maintenance intensive, they cant fly in weather a plane can, plus they're slow as heck. As much as i'd like to see the things flying again it's never going to happen.

Catfish · 03-01-14, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

It looks like airships are going to make a welcome return. ...

Oh, really ..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...n-warfare.html

Seriously, airships would be nice, but you would definitely need Helium for it. Not that Helium is scarce in the universe, but it is on earth. AFAIK there is only one natural source in te whole world, in the US, and it is exhausted.

If we found a way to capture enough of it in space, and bring it back to earth ...

Or we could of course use hydrogenium, and maybe it would even work with today's technology, without becoming hazardous.

And the bovine nation would be much more happy ..

02-28-14, 04:30 PM	#2
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,360 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	People have been predicting the "return" of airships since I started to read. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

02-28-14, 05:00 PM	#3
Madox58 Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	HEY! Don't mess with the Air Ships! On is being designed to hunt down Big Foot, http://www.livescience.com/24004-big...h-airship.html One of the GoodYears did it's last flight, http://www.goodyear.com/cfmx/web/cor....cfm?a_id=1000 and they are the greatest hope for floating Cities. Oops. I edited a post. Last edited by Madox58; 02-28-14 at 05:34 PM.

02-28-14, 05:06 PM	#4
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	I can't say I like the way it looks, but I love the concept, and it's cool to see it fly. I hope they make it viable. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

02-28-14, 06:40 PM	#6
Schroeder Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Banana Republic of Germany Posts: 6,170 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	Some people here might still remember the Cargolifter and it's fate.... __________________ Putting Germ back into Germany. Last edited by Schroeder; 03-01-14 at 09:00 AM.

02-28-14, 07:00 PM	#7
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,360 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	One of the problems is that helium is simply too expensive and I don't think there is any way the public would understand that it is possible to use hydrogen safely. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

02-28-14, 07:05 PM	#8
Karle94 The Old Man Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Norseland Posts: 1,355 Downloads: 253 Uploads: 0	Remember seeing plans for the catamaran airship many years ago. __________________ Find my mods here: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/lzgciodldp58p/SH4_Mods My SH4 blog here: http://karle94.blogspot.com/

03-01-14, 09:40 AM	#10
Wolferz Navy Seal Join Date: May 2007 Location: On a mighty quest for the Stick of Truth Posts: 5,963 Downloads: 52 Uploads: 0	Should work fine as long as they don't paint the things with Thermite. __________________ Tomorrow never comes

03-01-14, 12:13 PM	#11
Admiral Halsey Best Admiral in the USN Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: USS Enterprise (CV-6) Posts: 1,740 Downloads: 317 Uploads: 0	There is a reason the airships went bust and it wasn't just the Hindenburg disaster. The things are maintenance intensive, they cant fly in weather a plane can, plus they're slow as heck. As much as i'd like to see the things flying again it's never going to happen.