Zeppelins Around the World logo.
Feb 17, 2023
Image above: The Airlander 10, from the British company Hybrid Air Vehicles, has already made its maiden flight, making it a pioneer and giving it a long lead over the competition. Scheduled flights are expected to begin in 2026. Image credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles.
Until now, zeppelins were best used as floating advertising mediums. However, they should soon allow us to travel, but also help us carry out heavy transport in remote areas. The first regular connection is scheduled for 2026.
Image above: The Airlander 10 should reach a speed of 130 km/h and have a range of between 350 kilometers (with electric power) and 750 kilometers (fossil fuel). Image Credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles.
Every time an airship appears in the sky, people pull out their cell phones, as zeppelins look like things straight out of the past. A hundred years ago, these kinds of great whales indeed crossed the Atlantic, connecting Europe to America by air. They evoke luxury, elegant travel and the absence of hustle and bustle.
Image above: In 1937, the Hindenburg disaster temporarily ended the dream of flying with airships. Image Credit: Sam Shere.
The Hindenburg disaster, however, put an abrupt end to the airship adventure. On May 6, 1937, the largest commercial airship ever built caught fire in New Jersey (USA). It consumed itself in 30 seconds, resulting in the death of 36 people. Zeppelins were therefore considered too dangerous. These flying whales disappeared from the sky and only reappeared in the form of small fish that became advertising media.
Image above: The Israeli company Atlas LTA has developed the Atlant airship, the largest version of which can carry 165 tons. This year, the smaller Atlas 11 is already set to become the first tourist airship to soar into the air. Image Credit: Atlas LTA.
Limit CO₂ emissions
Like the Phoenix, large airships today could be reborn from their ashes. Several companies around the world are indeed preparing their return to commercial aviation, above all to preserve the environment.
Image above: The American company LTA Research has built the Pathfinder 1 airship. 120 meters long, it is capable of lifting four tons and reaching a speed of 120 km/h. The first test flight is scheduled for this year. Image Credit: LTA Research.
Zeppelins actually do not need fossil energy – or only to a very limited extent – to transport loads and people. The British pioneer Hybrid Air Vehicles indicates, for example, that with an all-fossil propulsion engine, the Airlander 10 would already save 75% of CO₂ emissions compared to an airplane. And an electric drive would obviously not lead to CO₂ (carbon dioxide) emissions.
Image above: The Dragon Dream experimental airship, from Worldwide Aeros, took off for the first time in 2013. However, it was destroyed shortly after by the collapse of the roof of the hangar. Image Credit: Worldwide Aeros.
Depending on the size of the craft, it is possible to transport a lot: the Atlant airship of the Israeli company Atlas LTA, currently in the design phase, should be able to move up to 165 tons. For comparison, the Boeing 747, the largest cargo plane, is able to carry 140 tons. Thanks to its flat construction, the Atlant should also be able to land on water.
Image above: The Aerosma, from the Russian airship manufacturer Airship Initiative Design Bureau Aeromsa, is reminiscent of a UFO. Above all, the circular airship has to prove itself in the complicated weather conditions of Siberia. Take-off planned between 2024 and 2025. Image Credit: AEROSMENA.
The Russian airship Aerosmena, built like a UFO, should even one day be able to lift up to 600 tons in its largest version and fly at a speed of 250 km/h. Company dissolved since 4 February 2020.
Video above: AEROSMENA cargo airship project by Orfey Kozlov chief designer of the Aerosmena Initiative DB.
Use jet streams for long distances
Zeppelin builders envision them primarily for niche use. They are ideal, for example, for transporting bulky loads, such as wind turbine blades, in remote areas, or as a means of transporting people between towns, on islands or in isolated areas where there is no fast rail links. Airships also need very little space for take-off and landing.
According to a 2019 study, airships are also suitable for long distances. If they rise in the lower layers of the jet streams, the airships can use these major winds which circulate from west to east to make long journeys while consuming little energy. This study considers that it is possible to see the appearance of giant airships 2.4 kilometers long with a carrying capacity of 20,000 tons.
Image above: The French start-up Flying Whales is currently building the LCA60T airship, which has a rigid structure. It should be able to carry 60 tons. Image Credit: Flying Whales.
The zeppelins currently planned are not as large. They are however safer than the Hindenburg and represent a means of transport for commuters or travellers. Their modern envelopes prevent spontaneous flashovers, and therefore premature shelving.
An idea that is not new
The idea of reintroducing zeppelins into scheduled air traffic is not new. In the 1990s, the German company Cargolifter had already imagined the return of airships. His CL160 model should have been able to carry 160 tons. The project failed, not because of the technical realization, but because of an unrealistic schedule, poorly estimated costs and delayed development. Cargolifter went bankrupt in 2002.
Related links:
Hybrid Air Vehicles: https://www.hybridairvehicles.com/
Atlas LTA: https://atlas-lta.com/
Worldwide Aeros: https://www.cmtc.com/made-in-california-profile/worldwide-aeros-corp
AEROMENA LTD: Dissolved since 4 February 2020.
Flying Whales: https://www.flying-whales.com/
Images (mentioned), Video (mentioned), Text, Credits: Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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