Comments on: Northrop Grumman’s LEMV BLIMP Takes Flight at Lakehurst, NJ (Videos)

By: BreathontheWind

BreathontheWind — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:18:00 +0000

There does seem to be some appeal to using hydrogen as a lifting gas for drones and unmanned cargo drones especially if it might be manufactured/replentished from water vapor in the air using solar panels or the hydrogen used as a back up electrical source in fuel cells. We might be looking at a high flying platform that never needed to land.

By: James Yarger

James Yarger — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:56:00 +0000

With regards to Helium. Its a great safe way to help relaunch the airship industry (that never really got a chance the first time). The long term, goal I feel should be to combat the negative image of hydrogen.
In the time since hydrogen was last used as a lifting gas, we have learned a lot about safety in the aviation community and handling hazardous materials and fuels.
I feel it is time to bring that knowledge to bear on hydrogen as lifting gas.
The idea that you can find more helium or some how mine it from the atmosphere is not as practical as using hydrogen. Helium is a rare earth element and there is only so much that is trapped underground. Science fact: only the sun can create helium. Plus I feel for the same cost as doing all that mining, you can create hydrogen with a lot less impact on the environment.

By: Daniel Geery

Daniel Geery — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 16:17:00 +0000

For those interested in a totally different design, visit http://www.hyperblimp.com and be sure to watch a few videos.

By: J_JamesM

J_JamesM — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 00:19:00 +0000

Hot air is suitable for advertising and researching airships, but is currently unworkable for cargo and military purposes. Fortunately, in spite of the wasteful, short-sighted idiocy of the Helium Privatization Act, helium is likely going to be available to airships at economical prices indefinitely.

I could explain exactly why and the economics behind it, but it would be easier to point out that Helium constantly escapes our atmosphere and into space, yet makes up a consistent and not-insignificant portion of our atmosphere because it is constantly being produced by natural processes in the earth’s crust. Combine that tidbit of knowledge with the fact that all Krypton and Xenon on earth is distilled from air, and are 5 and 50 times rarer than helium, respectively, and you can see where I’m going with this. The economics work, and the effects on airship’s cost-effectiveness edge over other aircraft is largely negligible.

By: J_JamesM

J_JamesM — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 00:04:00 +0000

Yes, like cars and planes, air resistance and drag goes up exponentially on airships the faster they go. But the upper practical limit is ambiguous, depending on the type of airships, the “absolute” limit can be anywhere from 30 to 170 miles per hour, for hot-air dirigibles and a hybrid Zeppelin, respectively.

Shape, size and internal pressure all cause that figure to vary wildly. You might as well just list the top speeds on an individual basis than speculate what the practical limits are for all airships.

By: BreathontheWind

BreathontheWind — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 23:21:00 +0000

Thanks for the correction. Because of the low inflation pressure and the formula for wind resistance higher speeds are problematic for blimps. Dirigibles have some advantage. See the previous article for the formula.

By: BreathontheWind

BreathontheWind — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 23:14:00 +0000

Bit of a mess, yes, but if you will look under the section “How does this Airship get its Lifting power” you can click on the link to “Hot Air” and find a blimp that uses hot air for a lifting gas. I wonder what it would take to use the sun not only for propulsion but to heat the “lifting gas.” I have seen designs for thin film solar in the inside of a blimp with a clear top. The design seemed to ignore the need for ballonets but that shouldn’t be too much of an addition.

By: J_JamesM

J_JamesM — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Some already do. “Solar Ship” in Canada have flown three manned prototype hybrid airships of varying sizes, delta-shaped with more lift coming from aerodynamics than helium.

The smallest prototypes have not been outfitted with flexible thin-film PV panels yet, but their largest prototype thus far is the first of a model that does use solar cells, although the prototype it self doesn’t yet.

By: jburt56

jburt56 — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:35:00 +0000

Airships could also incorporate flexible PV and fuel cells.

By: J_JamesM

J_JamesM — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Actually, the top speed of the LEMV is over 90 mph. 30 is just the cruising speed to save fuel. For a full-spec cargo option, the LEMV can carry 20 tons, albeit at a lower operating altitude and shorter range.

By: Matthew Rose

Matthew Rose — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Exactly what we need a military Helium airship, especially when Congress refuses to fix the Helium shortage mess they created, in 1996.