This thing will be awesome once it is fully completed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-39873506 By my calculations it could be just about possible to circumnavigate the world over 5 days, without landing. That would be some trip!
One of my favorite day dreams. Have they a intended purpose as to how it will be used? The cabin seems rather small...? But yeah! very cool! ":O}
I think they want to use it for things like moving cargo to begin with, and this is the smaller version, they plan to build bigger ones.
Yes, but ships don't need to lose altitude safely before they are safe on the "ground." Gosh knows they are slow, but still the most economical way to move large loads. I'm not bad mouthing airships but they are more subject to bad weather than are ships on the oceans--just because what goes up must come down-safely we hope. Perhaps modern satellite weather warnings are good enough to land an airship safely before a storm can make one become un-navigable. In that case airships are a great idea!
The biggest thing between then and now is non-flammable gases. But materials advancement has been phenomenal. If it can maintain altitude and avoid lighting strikes, bad weather might not be the airship killer one imagines. Just don't mess about with sharknados! ":O}
LOL! There really is a movie about "sharknados," how nuts can Hollywood get? Thank goodness for helium. Airplanes are almost proof against lightning, which is wonderful because there's so much of it. Dunno why a helium filled "balloon" should be less safe, but I don't genuinely know.
The situation is the same with ships, airships and planes. The ground is your enemy number one. Landing or docking in a storm is where the risk is. Flying and sailing in open water/air is not really much of a problem, there's nothing to crash in to. Compared to planes, an airship has the advantage of being able to stay aloft for very long periods before having to land, and being able to crash land just about anywhere with minimal risk. Assuming the design and construction of an airship is what it should be, then it should be comparable to a sailing vessel, i.e. safer than planes. Supposedly this Airlander can fly even after having holes shot in it. It will only leak slowly even if hit by a missile.
I wish the Airlander the very best of luck. Perhaps the pessimism of my nature raises danger higher than it should be. Maybe you aren't so much of a fan as you seem to be and are really looking at this realistically. The missile defense is a very good feature.
I find that I really am glad that humanity hasn't let go of such a lofty dream. I just had a thought I wonder if any one has tried to build a sail-able air ship, powered by the winds or partly powered by sail? I'm sure I'm missing something but out over the ocean it might save a few bucks on gas...yes? ...No? ":O}
Trying to see how it might work. But instead am trouble by a new thought! though I don't really understand the physics involved... I think the sail needs to be anchored to the sea in some way, (resistance). I picture a sailing ship in a hurricane, they cut the sails loose to save themselves . What happens? Instead of propelling the ship forward it flies off in a tangling mess. The ship gave the sail it's form by way of mast and yard arms. but , I'm not clear here... The keel divides the waters, but not perfectly...so what speeds a ship also slows it. I sense that somewhere in the differing speeds of wind and water, more resistance even as it grants access. Same thing with kites! break the string and down she goes... just gathering what might be seen as evidence! ":O} Qh! Without the hauls resistance wind would just push the sail over into the water, like a newspaper released into the wind to sputter and die.What if they shaped the airship like a wheel, a dough nut. Suspend the cabin on cables at the center on a gyroscopic set up to maintain level weather the wheel is horizontal to the earth or perpendicular. Might one not tilt and and plane the dough nut to catch or let slip the wind? Would allowing air to slip thought the center gain one anything? Here for no reason I can think of, I envision resistance being gained from the difference of air speed in air having to past over the fat dough nut and the air passing directly though the hole at center. One might gain something by tilting in and out of the wind. A flat wheel presents a disk to the wind, titling the disk up and down would expose surface to the wind. So how do we control rampant imagination? "Let them ornately with they big balloons in play cross the sky in our eye and maybe see sweet Amelia throwing her kisses to the sun. It may never fly but I fight for the right of all of us to crash land most impressively! This was fun!":O}
Solar sails are only anchored to the spacecraft they pull. I dunno whether solar sails are practical for light loads--they have to be huge to sail on the solar wind.
Solar cells! as no power is used to maintain lift should be plenty of room on the sides and top to get thrust. Now who makes really really light weight batteries?":O} Solar sails always seemed...questionable one great big fragile target, really slow so no manuring out of the way of all that really fast stuff up there.
Sailing vessels make use of ballast, in various forms, so that they don't simply blow over. Of course, if the wind is too strong, the sails have to come down. I don't think a wind powered airship would need sails. I mean, with a hot air balloon, the balloon is the sail. A very simple but effective design.
Solar sails have always seemed very fragile to me. I don't know if "maneuvering" out of the way of "really fast stuff" is possible for spacecraft of any size. The movie "Gravity" seems to say that you have to know something is coming long before it does. Solar cells would seem a great idea for the Airlander. Not the kind used on roofs nowadays, but new very light ones are showing great promise for the future.
Seems Google's Project Loon has worked out the navigational side of it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39944929
