Modern "Blimps"

[hiflier]

OK, it's time to show you exactly what I mean by a delta airship. You've seen the Dynairship, the Avrocar, the dirigible, the Tunnel Drive propulsion drawings and read the descriptions of how I would put it all together as one vessel. The only thing you haven't seen is the "packaged" product. Or at least the envelope that would have the 18 ton lift I've spoken about. The image below is probably the best rendition. Just imagine it with the upper surface having the contra-fan and the interior having the vectoring duct work system.

After that, it will be time to discuss the stealth factor along with the dynamics of the safe flight paths with respect to meteorology (weather concerns) which resulted in the demise of the US Navy's losses of those magnificent dirigibles of the past and how to avoid such catastrophies in the future:

 

[hiflier]

Now that there's an airship to deploy, if it's for a stealth mission then making it stealthy would be beneficial. With today's carbon fiber materials gaining stealth or near-stealth capability is not out of reach. Carbon fiber wrapped frames, cockpit enclosures, cargo holds, and even propulsion units can be accomplished. Extra weight? Not much in the overall picture.

I even envision fan blades made of the composite because they are for thrust only and rarely for lift so don't have to be 30.000 (or more) rpms. The outer sheathing of the rigid airship can be ALL carbon fiber. There really is little use for metal. All heat from propulsion can be vented through the upper surface or used as a by-product for heating the lift gas. All noise sources are inside the vehicle with the fan and it's potential noise in the center of the upper surface. This craft should end up nearly silent with it's low rpms and sleek design.

I know all this seems like a quick glossing over without giving too much attention to any issues involved in engineering such a craft but considering the engineering marvels currently around I don't really see anything too, too difficult getting this airship off the ground. With today's computers programs can be written to maintain desired flight conformities and corrections can be instantly made for altitude, attitude, and speed-to-wind ratios.

Speaking of wind, that will be the next and probably final topic to hopefully round out this intriguing concept of the "modern stealth blimp". Or in this case, rigid airship.

 

[hiflier]

Now. How to get from "here" to "there" safely, i.e. how to use existing weather patterns. LTA's by definition float in Earth's atmospheric environment. That environment is fraught with systems containing dangerous weather that can down an airship, it's crew, and it's cargo with total destruction; to include total loss of the ship and it's occupants. But weather systems can also be used to benefit flight and even shorten fkight times to everyone's advantage. It's not hard to choose which end result would be the most desirable now is it. Weather patterns consist of high and low pressure areas which, in the Northern hemisphere, typically move from west to east. High pressure centers rotate clockwise and the air within them is usually colder and denser than low pressure areas.

LTA's by design entirely depend on the differential between the lift gas densities within their envelopes and the air outside the envelopes. The greater the differential the greater the lift that an airship can employ. Traveling at low altitudes has the greater differentials. Nothing mysterious there and the physics has long been worked out showing such. But meteorological miscalculations brought many airships of the past crashing down both large and small. Some floated to the ground with slow leaks and others were not so fortunate and nearly all the vessels were eventually destroyed. We know so much more about meteorology now than in the past too so efficiency as well as safety (other than mechanical failure) could almost be guaranteed. But it takes planning coupled with atmospheric science (aerology) to pull it off.

High pressure. That's the factor needed for the most part. The denser air will aid lift, and the cooler air will add lift to a heated envelope. High pressure centers (like lows) have calm centers but the dynamics of their circulation can and should be factored into the flight path. For instance from a southern state in the US a vessel catching the southern edge of a high pressure zone can ride the circulation in a westerly direction and then follow that circulation around to the western edge to gain a northern vector. Or a ship can embed itself into a western edge and follow it around to it's northern edge to gain an easterly heading. This would save much in the way of fuel and as long as the trip is planned with a time window to allow for this kind of vectoring then the true advantages of an airship's design can be seen.

Atmospheres are always in flux but with enough ships stationed at various locations then utilizing air currents circulating around high pressure zones, and practicing hovering techniques inside their calm centers, will be the key to efficiency. It will also help keep the ships away from disaster. It takes a weather system about three days to cross the US west to east. Forecasting a week ahead is good. Forecast capabilities a month or more ahead has NOT been all that successful but much is being done in that regard.

I am now finished with my presentation and have little more to add. The floor is your's for any comments or suggestions as it has always been. Thanks for reading.