But, just a day to cross the Atlantic? Please slow things down a bit more, airships are meant for majestic voyages, not a slightly slower alternative to giant noisy jets (at least in my opinion).

Have you considered using a bio-matter steam engine to power propellers, instead of a Jet engine? That would slow things down more, and be carbon neutral for the environment too.

If you don’t do it, I will (in the future). I think the world needs to slow things down a bit.

Also, how did you get started? I’m an aspiring entrepreneur in the airship industry, hoping to start a company myself one day.

However, you’re wrong. The Hindenburg was filled with HYDROGEN, which is Highly flammable, not helium, helium is a safe lifting gas. Also the Hindenburg was not painted with “something akin to rocket fuel,” in fact, it was a relatively safe paint with aluminum to slow down seepage of the gas. No one yet knows why the Hindenburg fire started, we do know the Hydrogen is what made it so deadly, but the best question to ask is, how can we prevent All fires from occurring during airship travel, and minimize their impact if they do start?

Also, the cost of flight will be HUGE, because, Helium is a VERY expensive gas, and, it seeps out over time, so it must be continually refilled. And it mentioned it would be used for luxury trips, not mass transit, further increasing the price.

It’s a cool idea though, and I’d love to see those flying around my neighborhood

@Amateur6 and @Hann: It was most likely a combination of both. Helium IS flammable, but not easy to ignite. The Hindenburg was painted with a substance that, upon review, closely resembled modern day rocket fuel. So likely the fire started on the surface but the extreme heat lit the helium as well. Telltale that the surface had a lot to do with it though, is that helium burns blue and the hindenburg burned red.

@ Thomas and those commenting on flight time and amount that can be carried…I would think of this more like train travel. According to press people would stay in personal state rooms like a hotel. And the amount that can be carried depends on how big you make the airship. I mean, if you make one large enough you could float a casino around. And who wouldn’t love to float hundreds of feet over the earth burning through your savings?

@ The person citing safety. Airships fly at very low altitudes (at least compared to conventional aircraft). And their rides are so smooth, with so little turbulence apparent, that the FAA doesn’t even require seat-belts for passengers.

@ Thomas again…cost of flight should be VERY cheap. Planes have to force their way through the air and thus burn a lot of fuel. Cruises have to push their massive bulks through the water, also burning incredible amounts of fuel (though less per passenger mile than planes). An airship on the other hand operates by being as light as the air surrounding it. Meaning that it simply has to deal with air resistance, which is minimal. Plus they said they wanted to use mostly electric power, which is certainly feasible with the surface area available for solar panels.

@all. Just because it’s revisiting an old idea doesn’t mean it’s a bad one. There could be some very real benefits to this mode of travel.

@Amateur6 and @Hann: It was most likely a combination of both. Helium IS flammable, but not easy to ignite. The Hindenburg was painted with a substance that, upon review, closely resembled modern day rocket fuel. So likely the fire started on the surface but the extreme heat lit the helium as well. Telltale that the surface had a lot to do with it though, is that helium burns blue and the hindenburg burned red.

@ Thomas and those commenting on flight time and amount that can be carried…I would think of this more like train travel. According to press people would stay in personal state rooms like a hotel. And the amount that can be carried depends on how big you make the airship. I mean, if you make one large enough you could float a casino around. And who wouldn’t love to float hundreds of feet over the earth burning through your savings?

@ The person citing safety. Airships fly at very low altitudes (at least compared to conventional aircraft). And their rides are so smooth, with so little turbulence apparent, that the FAA doesn’t even require seat-belts for passengers.

@ Thomas again…cost of flight should be VERY cheap. Planes have to force their way through the air and thus burn a lot of fuel. Cruises have to push their massive bulks through the water, also burning incredible amounts of fuel (though less per passenger mile than planes). An airship on the other hand operates by being as light as the air surrounding it. Meaning that it simply has to deal with air resistance, which is minimal. Plus they said they wanted to use mostly electric power, which is certainly feasible with the surface area available for solar panels.

@all. Just because it’s revisiting an old idea doesn’t mean it’s a bad one. There could be some very real benefits to this mode of travel.

As to whether or not it’s a blimp, it doesn’t matter, just shut up and stop complaining that somebody calls it a blimp and/or disagrees with you.

As for the hindenburg, it was actually a combination of the hydrogen and the flammable shell. This won’t end up like the hindenburg because nobody is stupid enough to use hydrogen in something like this, even the germans weren’t that stupid, they just didn’t have enough helium because of an embargo.

As to whether or not it’s a blimp, it doesn’t matter, just shut up and stop complaining that somebody calls it a blimp and/or disagrees with you.

As for the hindenburg, it was actually a combination of the hydrogen and the flammable shell. This won’t end up like the hindenburg because nobody is stupid enough to use hydrogen in something like this, even the germans weren’t that stupid, they just didn’t have enough helium because of an embargo.

Drones are gonna go nuts when they see it, it’s huge.

Not to mention if a pack of migrating birds come to it’s level to see it they’re gonna peck the c**p out of it when they have a rest

Also the temperature fluxes can be huge in that region.

Squalls and vertical winds will finish this bug**r off to make sure it only manages a few hundred miles.

Drones are gonna go nuts when they see it, it’s huge.

Not to mention if a pack of migrating birds come to it’s level to see it they’re gonna peck the c**p out of it when they have a rest

Also the temperature fluxes can be huge in that region.

Squalls and vertical winds will finish this bug**r off to make sure it only manages a few hundred miles.

Hydrogen is a super Flammable gas, do you think it played no role in a massive fire and explosion? Come on, we learn in grade eight science that Hydrogen is highly flammable. Even Mythbusters busted it.

http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/myths

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode70

Hydrogen is a super Flammable gas, do you think it played no role in a massive fire and explosion? Come on, we learn in grade eight science that Hydrogen is highly flammable. Even Mythbusters busted it.

http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/myths

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode70

Hydrogen is a super Flammable gas, do you think it played no role in a massive fire and explosion? Come on, we learn in grade eight science that Hydrogen is highly flammable. Even Mythbusters busted it.

http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/myths

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode70

Hydrogen is a super Flammable gas, do you think it played no role in a massive fire and explosion? Come on, we learn in grade eight science that Hydrogen is highly flammable. Even Mythbusters busted it.

http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/myths

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode70

The shape of a Turtle Airship is not determined by gas pressure; it is a solid, rigid SHELL hulled craft.

The airship uses TWO means of propulsion: Solar, which is used for slow speeds of approximately 40-80mph. And bio-diesel fueled JET engines that enable the airships to reach much higher speeds 150-250mph.

We welcome any conversations, questions about our airships.

The shape of a Turtle Airship is not determined by gas pressure; it is a solid, rigid SHELL hulled craft.

The airship uses TWO means of propulsion: Solar, which is used for slow speeds of approximately 40-80mph. And bio-diesel fueled JET engines that enable the airships to reach much higher speeds 150-250mph.

We welcome any conversations, questions about our airships.