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Old 08-05-2007, 06:27 AM   #16 (permalink)
entropy
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Well , Entropy , you were looking for a field to specialise - voila ! Zeppelin engineering
Great idea! And the first thing I'll do is replacing the Stockholm-Tallinn RoRo ferries with airships
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Old 08-05-2007, 12:53 PM   #17 (permalink)
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That makes me think about luxury such as glass bottoms for sightseeing, bungee jumping (when soaring on an altitude of 2-3 km) and the like. I'd love making an airship cruise. It could descend for Red Sea diving, safari and fly above the Mt. Everest.
Considering that Mt. Everest is about as high as the cruising altitude of a 737, I certainly wouldn't want to try flying there in a blimp.
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:09 AM   #18 (permalink)
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Considering that Mt. Everest is about as high as the cruising altitude of a 737, I certainly wouldn't want to try flying there in a blimp.
The air is just a tad thin up there. It's okay for those who smoke because they are allowed to take their own oxygen bottles with them.
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Old 08-06-2007, 15:11 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Airshipworld notes correctly that the Zeppelin is in production in Germany.
Tourism and dayflights at the present appear to be all the buyers are using it for. The platform should be stable enough for border observation, having the stability and mobility not offered by inflatables, i.e. blimps. Also, it may have a larger payload capacity for instruments and fuel for time on station.
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Old 08-06-2007, 15:57 PM   #20 (permalink)
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Airshipworld notes correctly that the Zeppelin is in production in Germany.
Tourism and dayflights at the present appear to be all the buyers are using it for. The platform should be stable enough for border observation, having the stability and mobility not offered by inflatables, i.e. blimps. Also, it may have a larger payload capacity for instruments and fuel for time on station.
As the structure weight of a rigidly constructed airship is necessarily greater than a blimp, the only way it can be made to have a worthwhile payload is to add more gas, thus increasing the overall dimensions to accomodate this. This is not to say that there is no future for LTAs in such roles as border control, just that they will be larger and more expensive to operate than blimps for the same lifting ability.
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Old 08-06-2007, 16:11 PM   #21 (permalink)
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From what I have read concerning the blimps on the southern border of the US, it is that they are tethered. From my own observation of several transitting at low level altitude, they porpoise through what appears to be several hundred feet of vertical airspace. Cheaper perhaps than a ridgid design, both are fighting the winds aloft. As I also understand it, the new Zeppelins have a ridgid spine with gas bags attached. Not a lot of added weight in exchange for attaching larger thrusters.
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Old 08-24-2007, 16:31 PM   #22 (permalink)
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The current Air and Space Magazine( September 2007) has a couple of pages on "Spy Blimps and Heavy Lifters", which pretty much siums up the near future commercial applications for airships. The projects mentioned include rigid, non-rigid and hybrid heavier than air / airship combinations for mostly non-sightseeing uses.
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Old 08-24-2007, 20:18 PM   #23 (permalink)
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GLYN ... you must re-do y'sums. The cost of the hanger actually dimishes with scale, as,conversely, cubically does the efficiency of the airship.

The ladies may differ on this issue ( I doubt it ), howsoever in this case size is always of premium import
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Old 08-25-2007, 05:04 AM   #24 (permalink)
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GLYN ... you must re-do y'sums. The cost of the hanger actually dimishes with scale, as,conversely, cubically does the efficiency of the airship.


Are you telling me that a bigger hangar costs less than a smaller one? (I'll have what he's drinking, barmaid please ) As for the airship, theoretical efficiencies are not always realised.

The ladies may differ on this issue ( I doubt it ), howsoever in this case size is always of premium import
I shall keep my clumsy feet out of this particular minefield!
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Old 08-25-2007, 09:05 AM   #25 (permalink)
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Are you telling me that a bigger hangar costs less than a smaller one? (I'll have what he's drinking, barmaid please ) As for the airship, theoretical efficiencies are not always realised.
I think he's referring to economies of scale. A larger hanger will be cheaper per/unit volume. So one big airship would be cheaper to shelter than two smaller ones.
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Old 08-25-2007, 09:31 AM   #26 (permalink)
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I think he's referring to economies of scale. A larger hanger will be cheaper per/unit volume. So one big airship would be cheaper to shelter than two smaller ones.
Shhhhh! I tied a piece of bait to that string!
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Old 08-25-2007, 09:44 AM   #27 (permalink)
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Shhhhh! I tied a piece of bait to that string!
Ahh, waiting for bigger game, I see. Well, best of luck. The Chap is a strange and elusive creature, rarely seen, let alone caught. I hope you practice catch and release, his kind are rare enough already.
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Old 08-29-2007, 13:48 PM   #28 (permalink)
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Ahh, waiting for bigger game, I see. Well, best of luck. The Chap is a strange and elusive creature, rarely seen, let alone caught. I hope you practice catch and release, his kind are rare enough already.
Well a vieled complement has a hook in this eternally vein fish!

Reel me in, eh?
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Old 08-29-2007, 17:11 PM   #29 (permalink)
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This will work...

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Originally Posted by Admiral Fyyar View Post
In this new world of energy-saving and people crying out for Al Gorian policies, could one imagine the return of the iconic zeppelins from the beginning of the last century. I mean, these babies could be powered by electrical engines, made quite large, and carry a good amount of freight OR passenger, not to mention the relatively easy landing of these giants.

Just imagine a 600m long nuclear-powered zeppelin Though the Gore-boys wouldn't like that one...

So I ask you, is there any hope for a revival of these beautiful creations?
I have no doubts Igor Pasternak will succeed in this Idea he was given by a stranger in passing. WORLD AEROS CORP. He's got the right stuff.



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Old 05-04-2008, 05:59 AM   #30 (permalink)
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Not strictly involving lift via displacement/bouancy there was a thought provoking paper in JBIS a few months back suggesting a Dan Dare electromegnetic form of lift.
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