I love ocean liners, sleeper trains, and cruiseferries. Airships have the potential to offer a similar comfortable travel-while-you-sleep experience in the air. They may be relatively slow, but it doesn't matter when it's a 12 hour overnight flight and because it's an aircraft it can travel in a relatively straight line. I'd love to be able to get on board an overnight flight, eat in a restaurant and sleep in a comfortable cabin, and arrive the next morning at my destination. Airships would be far more comfortable than conventional air travel, with far more space and weight hauling ability. I also like the idea of giant ekranoplan/GEV ocean liners (large cruise ship size) that hover well above the water and fly with much less fuel use than conventional airplanes, so they're able to offer a more comfortable ride. And smaller GEVs for relatively calm waters like ferries across lakes. But to cross a mountain range, where trains and ships cannot, an airship could be the most economical and comfortable way to travel or transport cargo with available or almost-available technology.
I've been looking for giant airships to become an alternative to cruise ships for some time. Imagine air-crusing the caribbean island hopping just feet above the undisturbed turquoise seas. An airship could hover anywhere next to El-Capitan inside the grand canyon anywhere all in the lap of unconfined luxury. Sign me up.
That is my fantasy: Having a SkYacht, just as you described. The whole skin of the craft would be solar panels. I would live in it and travel leisurely throughout the world.
Go for your dreams... contact NASA... let's get some "down to earth" solutions too rather than just "extra-terrestial" ones ... with NASA/US SIZE VISION & LEADERSHIP TOO... AS WE ELIMINATE POLLUTION AND CRUISE IN COMFORT FOR INTER-CONTINENTAL AIR TRAVEL ... IS BOEING AWAKE... ???
@@robertmandel2971 An Inter-Cotinental Flight (say Delhi-Newark) works out like this: "Last Mile" at BOTH ENDS: 4hrs Travel Time: 15hrs Jet Lag etc: 24-72 hrs.. TOTAL TRAVEL TIME: 43-91hrs... Now compare this LTA-ICC...
If there is a future where these things are commonplace, there two things I want to see. One, a flying pirate ship (since it is called a airship). And two, A star destroyer shaped blimp. (so a triangle).
I hope this does take off! It's a great idea worth trying! Perhaps it might be an easier flight for people who have phobias of flying or for families with small babies. Especially if the baby doesn't cry the whole flight it's worth it!
I say go for it. We need to utilize this technology, especially when it concerns air freight. Let's develop ways to transfer cargo through the air without polluting the entire planet. The majority of fossil fuel emissions from aircraft is related to freight transfer not passengers.
Yes... you can use for cargo too... however with 3D Printing bringing in the "next revolution" in manufacturing... hopefully the need for cargo will also reduce... as "stuff" will be made near the point of consumption... rather than "shipped around the globe"... Look around you and you will see most "stuff" is made of a few materials only... metals, plastics, glass, etc... all can be reproduced in minutest detail(s) by your neighborhood 3D Printers where you can pick em up...
6:38 - The UH-60 and Defiant X are both Sikorsky projects. The “Skunk Works” is the Lockheed-Martin Advanced Projects/Program development arm. They engineered and built the Oxcart family of airplanes (A-12, YF-12, M-21, SR-71), the first practical “Stealth” aircraft (F-117) and the more modern F-22 and F-35 air superiority fighter and multi role airplanes. The plane you showed at that point in the video is the SR-71.
The R101 crash on 5 October 1930 was not the worst airship disaster! USS Akron was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on the morning of 4 April 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. The accident involved the greatest loss of life in any airship crash. Unlike the R101 and LZ 129 Hindenburg which used hydrogen as the lifting gas, Akron used helium.
For city to city... Electric Teains powered by Solar Energy using a AV-PV Panel Grid... is best as speeds of even 300kmph are becoming a reality... commonplace (??)... However, once the travel time exceeds 5hrs or so... other solutions like LTA-ICC become reasonable and then of course there is the 4-5, 000km plus travel... the main niche for LTA-OFF Cruisers... relax, wind-down.... and enjoy long distance travel too... rather than "packed like sardines" in a commercial airplane ... TODAY...
Has anyone considered making a fire-proof passenger area to make it safe from hydrogen fire? Maybe use some of those space shuttle tiles? How about having the passenger cabin hung well below the airship attached by cables that could extend toward the ground in the event of a fire? How about an upper hydrogen air bag separated by a Kevlar heat shield from a lower helium bag that could detach in the event of fire? Make sure the cabin can float in case of water crash?
Just like Polluters who will use every trick in the book.. to keep polluting... why mess with Hydrogen when Helium is there... as far as cost is concerned... it did not mean anything to those who perished in the Hindenburg meltdown...did it...??? Hindenburg was a warning to all... those who do not learn from their past mistakes... are doomed to repeat them...
@@Never-mind1960 So.. the first thing one needs to know the volume of Helium (reasonably) available versus the Demand to see if there is enough Helium to "go around"... till then.. we are all "missing in the wind"...
@@AjayAjay-gz3oz Will We Run out of Helium? By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Updated on August 27, 2019 Helium is the second-lightest element. Although it is rare on Earth, you likely have encountered it in helium-filled balloons. It's the most widely used of the inert gases, utilized in arc welding, diving, growing silicon crystals, and as a coolant in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanners. In addition to being rare, helium is (mostly) not a renewable resource. The helium that we have was produced by the radioactive decay of rock, long ago. Over the span of hundreds of millions of years, the gas accumulated and was released by tectonic plate movement, where it found its way into natural gas deposits and as a dissolved gas in groundwater. Once the gas leaks into the atmosphere, it is light enough to escape the Earth's gravitational field so it bleeds off into space, never to return. We may run out of helium within 25-30 years because it's being consumed so freely.
@@Never-mind1960 A LTA-ICC (Lighter Than Air Inter Continental Cruiser) ferrying 15,000 Passengers (5Million/yr) will require about 500Million m3 of Helium (Buoyancy of 1kg/m3). Possibly 15 such Cruisers could meet the Global Demand for Intercontinental (long distance) travel (100Million Passengers/yr) .. requiring 7.5Billion m3 of Helium... or 1.3Billion kg (0.165kg/m3). The Global Reserve of Helium is 10Billion kg.. but this is just one application.. so it WILL put a lot of pressure on Helium demand. Fortunately, the Helium is not "leaked out" of THE LTA-ICC and will be reused after its "first life".
@@Betis91 Have you EVER taken an INTER-CONTINENRTAL Flight (I annually take the Delhi- Newark-Delhi ....15 +/- hrs eachway .. and then spend several DAYS RECOVERING FROM JET LAG...AT EACH END).. you will realize how insignificant is "saving of time"... as compared to time "wasted" in recovering from Jet Lag, Time Difference etc.... just like taking a 100-150km flight and "losing" 3-4 hrs airport travel time... just take the train and reach City Center-to-Centre in 1-1.5 hrs... TOTAL
What about a hydrogen helium mix to reduce flammability to safe levels? Or a multi bag system with lots of small bags of hydrogen inside one large airship bag to limit the effects of a fire. Each bag would be in a fire retardant material.
For me ... SAFETY FIRST... ABOVE ALL ELSE.... Last time they replaced Helium with Hydrogen in Airships... Nature taught us a lesson... do we learn from it or repeat it... ??? Remember the occupied areas (3Million m2) will be pressurized and oxygen "rich" as at ground level... so why use Hydrogen... As it is the LTA-ICC will take you halfway around the world in USD500 only.... including meals, lounges, showers, sleeping beds, gym/track (sorry no pool..).. etc.. etc.. Maybe Hydrogen in place of Helium will save ~ $50 - 100(??) ... Is it worth it...???
A concept similar to this was actually proposed for the Hindenburg Class, as the ships were originally intended to carry primarily helium, with hydrogen to be vented as helium was too costly to waste. This would have been achieved with helium filling the outer bag, and hydrogen inside an inner bag, with valves and pipes to vent the hydrogen running through the axial corridor. When it was realised the US would not sell helium for export, this was scrapped but the Hindenburg Class’ axial corridor was retained
I dearly love the idea of flying in a slow and easy airship for sight seeing the Grand Canyon and other sites of great natural beauty. But this article mentions these lighter than air vessels as a solution to the "global warming crisis"! Well he also mentioned that "even with all the slowdown of travel and flights it didn't improve or lessen global warming"! Wake up People and realize that with all the cessation of and slow downs in the use of carbon fuels it did not improve the global warming! That alone, by pure common sense should let people know that global warming is not man caused! It's a natural cyclic phenomenon that has occurred untold numbers of warming and cooling over and over for eons upon eons and will continue to do so eternally. Instead of continuously spending ourselves in to oblivion fighting against ourselves we should concentrate on adaptation to these changing climes and as this present cycle runs it's course; a new cycle will start cooling us down. That's how it's always been and the fossil record proves it!
I would rather have "buoyancy assisted" aircraft for common air cargo. the principle of a zepplin and blimp is that it is lighter than air. a buoyancy assisted aircraft aims to lighten the load without actually becoming buoyancy neutral or positive.
Could the advantages of Hydrogen and helium i.e. low mass and inertness be obtained by putting a large hydrogen bag inside of a slightly larger bag of helium to protect against combustion ?
That's the very design concept I've been working on for years. In my airship designs, I use multiple inner envelope cell bags of hydrogen within a much larger main envelope filled with helium. I also have incorporated a thicker inner Mylar-type envelope that is filled with regular air (pulled in from the exterior of the ship) that can be heated like a hot air balloon for added lift. Hopefully, one day, I can find the money to actually build them. I may soon use crowd funding to "launch" my ideas.
Why mess with danger... a loud and clear message has already been sent by The Hindenburg about 90 years back ... It is our "Compromises and Focus on Costs/Profits" .... first..(and last...???) ...that has brought us here today... where we cause $36.5Trillion/yr of Societal Costs from Death (9Million @$1Million/Victim) and Suffering ($100,000/DALY of Suffering) ... just because THE POLLUTER OR USER DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS... SO.. MANKIND KEEPS POLLUTING... as he Produces & Consumes 120,000TWhrs/yr of Energy and REFUSES TO PAY THE ABOVE SOCIETAL COSTS... yes $0.31/KWhr... WE have Compromised on OUR use of Energy over OTHERS LIVES & SUFFERING... REPEATEDLY... even when, today, we can usher in a ZERO POLLUTION EARTH USING SOLAR ENERGY/ELECTRICITY ALONE... but still prefer to POLLUTE-n-SAVE FIRST... Look in the mirror and you will see who is behind this Pollution, Mass Murders and Human Suffering that match the WW-II years... 😲😲😲 let us not
So one of the problems that blimps might never overcome is speed This thing flies 92mp/h which is roughly 150km/h But your average airliner can reach speeds of 800km/h or 550mp/h huge difference im curious what blimps companies have in store to overcome this
If you're in a hurry, then take a regular jet aircraft! Passenger airships would appeal to leisure travel/tourism niche similar to train travel for benefit of scenery enjoyment etc.
@@zuutlmna I totally agree... but in a Zero Pollution World... there would be no "polluting aircraft" either... or take a ride on a "hydrogen bomb/craft"... and "hope for the best"... and remember to use ONLY Oxygen for Combustion... NO AIR.. as you WILL PRODICE A DEADLY POLLTANT NOx.. remember Air is 80% Nitrogen...
The LTA-ICC can deliver passengers across the Globe... say Delhi to Newark in $500-800 each way (higher number is for Gourmet Food, Champagne(??), Showers, Cabins... the whole "shing bang"... the lower for basic Five Star Hotel Buffet Food, Beer/Wine, Lounge/Loungers, Toilets etc... still working on the Menu/Color Schemes.. he..he..🤣🤣🤣 See.. 12,000 Paasengers/Day (even though Capacity is 15,000) @ $600 (avg) comes to $7.2 Million/Day or $2.5Billion/yr... with $1Billion/yr paying the "Mortgage" and the Balance for O&M & Profits too... Makes Sense..??? (Today.. I pay $1200-1500 Round-Trip for "Packed Sardine" Travel with from Delhi-Newark-Delhi ... and then live like a zombie... suffering Jet Lag for a day or two... on arrival).
Hi. A height of 20,000 ? You omitted giving the unit of measure, but I assume you mean "feet". That wouldn't be anywhere near high enough to enter the jet-stream you hope to cruise around the world on. Airships are limited in height attainable because the atmospheric pressure diminishes with height. Barometric pressure can vary widely during a long flight, which means the blimp will go up and down thousands of feet. Therefore airships do not have absolute control over their height. An airship taking off in high pressure air will fly well, but if the terminal where it's scheduled to land is experiencing very low air pressure, then the blimp may not have enough lift to remain air-born. This problem was partially solved by either dumping water (to gain lift) or dumping hydrogen (to lose lift), but of course there's a limit to how much water ballast can be carried while remaining economic, and how much hydrogen can be dumped. The other big drawbacks were the slow speeds attainable, often less than the prevailing windspeed; the huge area of the blimp is always subject to sudden wind gusts, and the fact that they could not fly above the weather. Air transport only started in earnest after jet airliners became available, because only these can fly at 40,000 ft above the weather, and at near sonic speeds that turn wind gusts into "minor turbulence". I'm sorry to pour cold water on this blimp idea, but I'd hate anyone to lose their shirt. Cheers, P.R.
To mitigate the risks associated with using hydrogen, it is advisable to maintain a safe distance between the passenger-carrying gondola and potentially numerous hydrogen balloons positioned at different heights in case of an incident. Additionally, the gondola can be equipped with a parachute system. This approach not only avoids the less efficient use of helium but also facilitates the adjustment of altitude by either cooling the hydrogen or compressing it, thereby reducing the bouncing pressure.
uK 🇬🇧 Airlander is development from Skycat Skykitten concept.. Then Boeings Lockheed skunkworks got involved ....🤔 It came back to the uk ..as the A10. they are working on the A50. The materials technology of the old rigid airships and navigation equipment was more their undoing than the Hydrogen. Its the skin fabrics falling and burning the H2 just goes up and burns in the air. A modern design could use a crash resistant and fireproof cabin. The motors can be electric.... the powersystem hybrid...solar and central APU generator set s like ships ..more efficient and far less demanding than running a ICE motor direct with rapidly fluctuating loads. The video only focused on the jet stream .... a quick look at a metrological model or sailing map will show many more bands of circulation at different latitudes and altitudes. See being seasonal.
The problems with airships then as now is; they compete with planes, trains, 18 wheeler's and ships..oh my! They are less expensive to produce, use very little steel if any, use very little or no petroleum products, can be total electric using solar power (heaven forbid), in other words, they are cheap to build and operate, go anywhere, land anywhere and perform any and all tasks done by all other forms of transportation combined, with pen point accuracy! I am all for them!
Has to be... there will be hundreds of "Is it's"... as in even small Backyard Projects... Now.. don't ask md about Earthquakes, Floods.. 🤣🤣🤣... but maybe Volcanic Eruptions... Asteroids etc...
There has been a few done in recent years, very in depth investigations (German engineers) and it was static electricity as Clyde said. The history of Highlander is also very interesting. they bought it back for 300k from the US Military and shipped back overseas and re assembled and the evolution of technology was restarted.
Hi again. An afterthought, the US Army dropped the idea of using airships for surveillance because they realized they were large, slow, sitting ducks. Cheers, P.R.
These air ships are fair weather crafts. What makes them so efficient is also there biggest issue. The large size and slow speed put them at the mercy of the wind and makes it difficult for them to go around the storms. For slow cruising around or heavy lift they will be great when the weather is nice. But for scheduled flights weather will be a issue. Can you imagine trying to land one of these Air ships on a windy day not perfect day? Or what would happen if the air ship ran into ice or freezing conditions?
One comment really “Why did it take so long” Airlander came out quite a number of years ago way in front of anyone else that he public knows about, they just trusted the one contract they could get, the US military. Luckily they bought the rights and the carcass back to go in another direction, commercial !
To me, airships have a fundamental problem. They have to be incredibly light, which means that there's very little room for making them strong and robust. I think that, unless we can make super-strong, super-light materials, they are just too vulnerable.
How would you keep directional control in a jet-stream ? Its also slow - how do you overcome the statement that time is money ? Sory but I am still not convinced - great video though.
For over a century, slow moving surface cruise ships have been popular, and lucrative for their /owner/operators. They are a for-profit operation. Airship cruises would have advantage of overland sightseeing cruises to leisurely view wilderness, jungles, wildlife!
Total emission-free is available as we speak. Just use mylar solar top and transparent roof combination /which uses sunray to raise the enveloped gas temperatures.☀🌞
Rather than "landing" as on a runway or a field, allow the ships to remain airborne by mooring at the tops of towers similar to the Space Needle (Seattle, WA) or Stratosphere Tower (Las Vegas, NV). Leaving the airships up was the idea of the British, using big mooring mast towers.
Here.. there is NO MOORING TO ANYTHING... it is like a " low level" Space Station... that hovers "permanently".. of course with some help 150+MW of Propulsion and 50MW more for the LTA-ICC FROM 1km2 of Solar Panels .... and "serviced" by Electric Shuttles (for passengers, baggage, crew, cargo, supplies, maintenance crew, waste from below).....
I ll go for the helium blimps for continental travels as well if we could achieve even 100 knots . The helium blimp is a much more safer system than aircrafts and jets.
Rather than using helium, why not have a large vacuum chamber encased in a strong, light material like titanium? Maybe the military has developed something like that.
A helium & hydrogen filled Lazzarini twin hulled design with jet fan engines traveling almost 100 mph could revolutionize air travel. It may comfortably carry 400 passengers. Just don’t fly in bad weather. There have only been 8 deadly airship accidents since WW 2, but there should be precautions such as extra strong moorings and cables and large hangars capable of supporting dirigibles during storms.
I would fly to Europe if they had one. However, going back home the long way is just too long of a ride but since it would be a luxury ship that mean I would be able to sleep on a real bed and dine well and ofcourse if the price is right. WIll have to see
20,000 tons is unbelievably ridiculous... literally unbelievable . pretty sure its closer to 20-30 tons. Also, what is a 20 high altitude? It's hard to believe any units/numbers this video is presenting.
Looking at the comments I am glad to see most do not "care" about high/supersonic speed as if the time saved would extend their lifespan... and ptefer to "cruise" to their destinations... and for those "busy bees" there is always Interent.. to keep working and working... tilll... One thing is clear... thst be a REAL CONTENDER... FIR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL...THESE AIR SHIPS WOULD HAVE TO OUTSIZE THE LARGEST OF SHIPS.. HOW ABOUT MAYBE A DOZEN LIGHTER THAN AIR INTERCONTINENTAL CRUISERS (LTA-ICC) CARRYING 15,000 PASSENGERS AND ALWAYS HOVER (NEVER LAND) AS ELEC. SHUTTLES FERRY FOLKS TO AND FROM THE LTA-ICC... STAY TUNED...!!!
Hydrogen as a lifting gas is a no-go. So is helium. Most of our very limited helium reserve is dedicated to scientific research and industrial applications. This whole airship idea is really cool but it's not feasible as a regular mode of transport. Sorry, folks, but it will never get off the ground (pun intended).
Yes, i have to think about the airships in Mortal Engines movie. isn't it amazing to have your own personal exotic air yacht to travel around the globe?
I doubt that they will ever be anything rather than a dream,It would take weeks multiple weeks from the US to Australia if you actually made it,sorry just to slow people travel to get where they are going to enjoy the destination ,not the trip.
I love ocean liners, sleeper trains, and cruiseferries. Airships have the potential to offer a similar comfortable travel-while-you-sleep experience in the air. They may be relatively slow, but it doesn't matter when it's a 12 hour overnight flight and because it's an aircraft it can travel in a relatively straight line.
I'd love to be able to get on board an overnight flight, eat in a restaurant and sleep in a comfortable cabin, and arrive the next morning at my destination. Airships would be far more comfortable than conventional air travel, with far more space and weight hauling ability.
I also like the idea of giant ekranoplan/GEV ocean liners (large cruise ship size) that hover well above the water and fly with much less fuel use than conventional airplanes, so they're able to offer a more comfortable ride. And smaller GEVs for relatively calm waters like ferries across lakes. But to cross a mountain range, where trains and ships cannot, an airship could be the most economical and comfortable way to travel or transport cargo with available or almost-available technology.
I've been looking for giant airships to become an alternative to cruise ships for some time. Imagine air-crusing the caribbean island hopping just feet above the undisturbed turquoise seas. An airship could hover anywhere next to El-Capitan inside the grand canyon anywhere all in the lap of unconfined luxury. Sign me up.
That is my fantasy: Having a SkYacht, just as you described. The whole skin of the craft would be solar panels. I would live in it and travel leisurely throughout the world.
Go for your dreams... contact NASA... let's get some "down to earth" solutions too rather than just "extra-terrestial" ones ... with NASA/US SIZE VISION & LEADERSHIP TOO... AS WE ELIMINATE POLLUTION AND CRUISE IN COMFORT FOR INTER-CONTINENTAL AIR TRAVEL ... IS BOEING AWAKE... ???
At altitude it might be ideal for skydiving, too. :)
It won't have a bathroom or shower
The luxury will be heavily confined by weight considerations.
"It's maximum altitude is 20."
20 what? Inches? Kilometers? Cubits? Fathoms? What does this even mean?
20000 Feets
@@nehemialalang7878 You mean “foots”.
I think 20 cubits.
Also the cruise speed? 95mps is not close to the same speed of a commercial airliner how is the flight time close with that difference?
@@robertmandel2971 An Inter-Cotinental Flight (say Delhi-Newark) works out like this:
"Last Mile" at BOTH ENDS: 4hrs
Travel Time: 15hrs
Jet Lag etc: 24-72 hrs..
TOTAL TRAVEL TIME: 43-91hrs...
Now compare this LTA-ICC...
If there is a future where these things are commonplace, there two things I want to see.
One, a flying pirate ship (since it is called a airship).
And two, A star destroyer shaped blimp. (so a triangle).
That would be so awesome!
"It's maximum altitude is 20"
Twenty what?
Where are your units?
Twenty centimetres 😂
Go go airship hovercrafts.
I hope this does take off! It's a great idea worth trying! Perhaps it might be an easier flight for people who have phobias of flying or for families with small babies. Especially if the baby doesn't cry the whole flight it's worth it!
I say go for it. We need to utilize this technology, especially when it concerns air freight.
Let's develop ways to transfer cargo through the air without polluting the entire planet. The majority of fossil fuel emissions from aircraft is related to freight transfer not passengers.
And the amount of construction work and concrete needed to build a major airport let alone the connecting the needed infrastructure.
Yes... you can use for cargo too... however with 3D Printing bringing in the "next revolution" in manufacturing... hopefully the need for cargo will also reduce... as "stuff" will be made near the point of consumption... rather than "shipped around the globe"... Look around you and you will see most "stuff" is made of a few materials only... metals, plastics, glass, etc... all can be reproduced in minutest detail(s) by your neighborhood 3D Printers where you can pick em up...
I haven't seen a blimp in years
I haven't seen a blimp.
6:38 - The UH-60 and Defiant X are both Sikorsky projects.
The “Skunk Works” is the Lockheed-Martin Advanced Projects/Program development arm. They engineered and built the Oxcart family of airplanes (A-12, YF-12, M-21, SR-71), the first practical “Stealth” aircraft (F-117) and the more modern F-22 and F-35 air superiority fighter and multi role airplanes. The plane you showed at that point in the video is the SR-71.
I hope they come back
Easy target for terrorism it's a blessing and a curse
The R101 crash on 5 October 1930 was not the worst airship disaster!
USS Akron was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on the morning of 4 April 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. The accident involved the greatest loss of life in any airship crash.
Unlike the R101 and LZ 129 Hindenburg which used hydrogen as the lifting gas, Akron used helium.
Interesting.
This would be awesome for city to city travel maybe not internationally!
For city to city... Electric Teains powered by Solar Energy using a AV-PV Panel Grid... is best as speeds of even 300kmph are becoming a reality... commonplace (??)...
However, once the travel time exceeds 5hrs or so... other solutions like LTA-ICC become reasonable and then of course there is the 4-5, 000km plus travel... the main niche for LTA-OFF Cruisers... relax, wind-down.... and enjoy long distance travel too... rather than "packed like sardines" in a commercial airplane ... TODAY...
International would take forever but travel in the states would be a welcomed alternative
I would absolutely travel in an airship! Way cooler and more comfortable.
Has anyone considered making a fire-proof passenger area to make it safe from hydrogen fire? Maybe use some of those space shuttle tiles? How about having the passenger cabin hung well below the airship attached by cables that could extend toward the ground in the event of a fire? How about an upper hydrogen air bag separated by a Kevlar heat shield from a lower helium bag that could detach in the event of fire? Make sure the cabin can float in case of water crash?
Just like Polluters who will use every trick in the book.. to keep polluting... why mess with Hydrogen when Helium is there... as far as cost is concerned... it did not mean anything to those who perished in the Hindenburg meltdown...did it...???
Hindenburg was a warning to all... those who do not learn from their past mistakes... are doomed to repeat them...
@@AjayAjay-gz3oz I don't think price is the only problem with helium. It is an extremally limited recourse. Now if helium could be manufactured?
@@Never-mind1960 So.. the first thing one needs to know the volume of Helium (reasonably) available versus the Demand to see if there is enough Helium to "go around"... till then.. we are all "missing in the wind"...
@@AjayAjay-gz3oz Will We Run out of Helium?
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated on August 27, 2019
Helium is the second-lightest element. Although it is rare on Earth, you likely have encountered it in helium-filled balloons. It's the most widely used of the inert gases, utilized in arc welding, diving, growing silicon crystals, and as a coolant in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanners.
In addition to being rare, helium is (mostly) not a renewable resource. The helium that we have was produced by the radioactive decay of rock, long ago. Over the span of hundreds of millions of years, the gas accumulated and was released by tectonic plate movement, where it found its way into natural gas deposits and as a dissolved gas in groundwater. Once the gas leaks into the atmosphere, it is light enough to escape the Earth's gravitational field so it bleeds off into space, never to return. We may run out of helium within 25-30 years because it's being consumed so freely.
@@Never-mind1960 A LTA-ICC (Lighter Than Air Inter Continental Cruiser) ferrying 15,000 Passengers (5Million/yr) will require about 500Million m3 of Helium (Buoyancy of 1kg/m3).
Possibly 15 such Cruisers could meet the Global Demand for Intercontinental (long distance) travel (100Million Passengers/yr) .. requiring 7.5Billion m3 of Helium... or 1.3Billion kg (0.165kg/m3).
The Global Reserve of Helium is 10Billion kg.. but this is just one application.. so it WILL put a lot of pressure on Helium demand. Fortunately, the Helium is not "leaked out" of THE LTA-ICC and will be reused after its "first life".
😱 "It's maximum altitude is 20..." 😱
Damn! That's WAAAY too high!
I hope it go at least 30 far!!!
I don't care even a little about "carbon emissions". Airships are just cool.
I'd LOVE to see something like this come to fruition.
Yes, great idea. I would definitely travel in one even if it takes a longer time to get to my destination. 👍👍👍
Not a good idea. They don't fly fast enough
@@Betis91 Have you EVER taken an INTER-CONTINENRTAL Flight (I annually take the Delhi- Newark-Delhi ....15 +/- hrs eachway .. and then spend several DAYS RECOVERING FROM JET LAG...AT EACH END).. you will realize how insignificant is "saving of time"... as compared to time "wasted" in recovering from Jet Lag, Time Difference etc.... just like taking a 100-150km flight and "losing" 3-4 hrs airport travel time... just take the train and reach City Center-to-Centre in 1-1.5 hrs... TOTAL
What about a hydrogen helium mix to reduce flammability to safe levels? Or a multi bag system with lots of small bags of hydrogen inside one large airship bag to limit the effects of a fire. Each bag would be in a fire retardant material.
I have a better idea, but I would rather not say. I can say this, once your high enough, hydrogen can't burn.
For me ... SAFETY FIRST... ABOVE ALL ELSE.... Last time they replaced Helium with Hydrogen in Airships... Nature taught us a lesson... do we learn from it or repeat it... ???
Remember the occupied areas (3Million m2) will be pressurized and oxygen "rich" as at ground level... so why use Hydrogen...
As it is the LTA-ICC will take you halfway around the world in USD500 only.... including meals, lounges, showers, sleeping beds, gym/track (sorry no pool..).. etc.. etc..
Maybe Hydrogen in place of Helium will save ~ $50 - 100(??) ... Is it worth it...???
A concept similar to this was actually proposed for the Hindenburg Class, as the ships were originally intended to carry primarily helium, with hydrogen to be vented as helium was too costly to waste. This would have been achieved with helium filling the outer bag, and hydrogen inside an inner bag, with valves and pipes to vent the hydrogen running through the axial corridor. When it was realised the US would not sell helium for export, this was scrapped but the Hindenburg Class’ axial corridor was retained
I dearly love the idea of flying in a slow and easy airship for sight seeing the Grand Canyon and other sites of great natural beauty. But this article mentions these lighter than air vessels as a solution to the "global warming crisis"! Well he also mentioned that "even with all the slowdown of travel and flights it didn't improve or lessen global warming"! Wake up People and realize that with all the cessation of and slow downs in the use of carbon fuels it did not improve the global warming! That alone, by pure common sense should let people know that global warming is not man caused! It's a natural cyclic phenomenon that has occurred untold numbers of warming and cooling over and over for eons upon eons and will continue to do so eternally. Instead of continuously spending ourselves in to oblivion fighting against ourselves we should concentrate on adaptation to these changing climes and as this present cycle runs it's course; a new cycle will start cooling us down. That's how it's always been and the fossil record proves it!
I would definitely travel in one
I'd love to travel in an airship. It would be awesome!
I want one.
I need one, can’t be a proper gentleman villain without ons
A floating hotel to the North Pole? You just know what is going to happen .. the first air ship (on a maiden voyage) to be hit by an iceberg!
😂😂😂😂Titanic airship
I would rather have "buoyancy assisted" aircraft for common air cargo. the principle of a zepplin and blimp is that it is lighter than air. a buoyancy assisted aircraft aims to lighten the load without actually becoming buoyancy neutral or positive.
I would definitely love to travel in one of them. Maybe even get a job in one of them.
Having worked with Blimps in the Cold War, I would take a trip on them any time.
As long as you are not in a hurry, they would be fun to travel in. it will be more like cruise ship travel than High speed commercial jet travel.
I'd love to work on a design for an airship. That'd be awesome.
Start your own company.. wanna join me... ???
I would definitely travel in an airship. Love the concept and love the idea of traveling in one like a cruise ship.
I would definitely go for a ride on a giant airship for travel.
Could the advantages of Hydrogen and helium i.e. low mass and inertness be obtained by putting a large hydrogen bag inside of a slightly larger bag of helium to protect against combustion ?
That's the very design concept I've been working on for years. In my airship designs, I use multiple inner envelope cell bags of hydrogen within a much larger main envelope filled with helium. I also have incorporated a thicker inner Mylar-type envelope that is filled with regular air (pulled in from the exterior of the ship) that can be heated like a hot air balloon for added lift. Hopefully, one day, I can find the money to actually build them. I may soon use crowd funding to "launch" my ideas.
Why mess with danger... a loud and clear message has already been sent by The Hindenburg about 90 years back ...
It is our "Compromises and Focus on Costs/Profits" .... first..(and last...???) ...that has brought us here today... where we cause $36.5Trillion/yr of Societal Costs from Death (9Million @$1Million/Victim) and Suffering ($100,000/DALY of Suffering) ... just because THE POLLUTER OR USER DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS... SO.. MANKIND KEEPS POLLUTING... as he Produces & Consumes 120,000TWhrs/yr of Energy and REFUSES TO PAY THE ABOVE SOCIETAL COSTS... yes $0.31/KWhr...
WE have Compromised on OUR use of Energy over OTHERS LIVES & SUFFERING... REPEATEDLY... even when, today, we can usher in a ZERO POLLUTION EARTH USING SOLAR ENERGY/ELECTRICITY ALONE... but still prefer to POLLUTE-n-SAVE FIRST...
Look in the mirror and you will see who is behind this Pollution, Mass Murders and Human Suffering that match the WW-II years... 😲😲😲
let us not
So one of the problems that blimps might never overcome is speed
This thing flies 92mp/h which is roughly 150km/h
But your average airliner can reach speeds of 800km/h or 550mp/h
huge difference im curious what blimps companies have in store to overcome this
Would have to outweigh low speed with massive freight loads. Like what ocean freighters do right now.
If you're in a hurry, then take a regular jet aircraft! Passenger airships would appeal to leisure travel/tourism niche similar to train travel for benefit of scenery enjoyment etc.
@@zuutlmna I totally agree... but in a Zero Pollution World... there would be no "polluting aircraft" either... or take a ride on a "hydrogen bomb/craft"... and "hope for the best"... and remember to use ONLY Oxygen for Combustion... NO AIR.. as you WILL PRODICE A DEADLY POLLTANT NOx.. remember Air is 80% Nitrogen...
I wonder if this problem might have been solved already in classified stealth blimps.
@@anonymoushuman8344 If Classisified... would not know.. would we ....???
Why don't they use sails? They could have some masts at the top, and they could furl/unfurl the sails when they need to.
Airships should be able to fly over most storms
And around it.
How about doing a segment on passenger prices projected for various airships.
The LTA-ICC can deliver passengers across the Globe... say Delhi to Newark in $500-800 each way (higher number is for Gourmet Food, Champagne(??), Showers, Cabins... the whole "shing bang"... the lower for basic Five Star Hotel Buffet Food, Beer/Wine, Lounge/Loungers, Toilets etc... still working on the Menu/Color Schemes.. he..he..🤣🤣🤣
See.. 12,000 Paasengers/Day (even though Capacity is 15,000) @ $600 (avg) comes to $7.2 Million/Day or $2.5Billion/yr... with $1Billion/yr paying the "Mortgage" and the Balance for O&M & Profits too... Makes Sense..???
(Today.. I pay $1200-1500 Round-Trip for "Packed Sardine" Travel with from Delhi-Newark-Delhi ... and then live like a zombie... suffering Jet Lag for a day or two... on arrival).
Oh yeah! I'm totally down for the whole idea! I've been an lighter than air enthusiast for 40 years strong! Git r done and bring em' back!
The Comeback of airships. Watch it go down like the Zeppelin over the North Pole be like the modern-day Titanic incident.
Hi. A height of 20,000 ? You omitted giving the unit of measure, but I assume you mean "feet". That wouldn't be anywhere near high enough to enter the jet-stream you hope to cruise around the world on. Airships are limited in height attainable because the atmospheric pressure diminishes with height. Barometric pressure can vary widely during a long flight, which means the blimp will go up and down thousands of feet. Therefore airships do not have absolute control over their height. An airship taking off in high pressure air will fly well, but if the terminal where it's scheduled to land is experiencing very low air pressure, then the blimp may not have enough lift to remain air-born. This problem was partially solved by either dumping water (to gain lift) or dumping hydrogen (to lose lift), but of course there's a limit to how much water ballast can be carried while remaining economic, and how much hydrogen can be dumped.
The other big drawbacks were the slow speeds attainable, often less than the prevailing windspeed; the huge area of the blimp is always subject to sudden wind gusts, and the fact that they could not fly above the weather. Air transport only started in earnest after jet airliners became available, because only these can fly at 40,000 ft above the weather, and at near sonic speeds that turn wind gusts into "minor turbulence". I'm sorry to pour cold water on this blimp idea, but I'd hate anyone to lose their shirt. Cheers, P.R.
To mitigate the risks associated with using hydrogen, it is advisable to maintain a safe distance between the passenger-carrying gondola and potentially numerous hydrogen balloons positioned at different heights in case of an incident. Additionally, the gondola can be equipped with a parachute system. This approach not only avoids the less efficient use of helium but also facilitates the adjustment of altitude by either cooling the hydrogen or compressing it, thereby reducing the bouncing pressure.
Yay Steampunk fantasy come true!!!! Flying by airship!!!!
uK 🇬🇧 Airlander is development from Skycat Skykitten concept..
Then Boeings Lockheed skunkworks got involved ....🤔
It came back to the uk ..as the A10. they are working on the A50.
The materials technology of the old rigid airships and navigation
equipment was more their undoing than the Hydrogen. Its the skin fabrics falling and burning the H2 just goes up and burns in the air.
A modern design could use a crash resistant and fireproof cabin. The motors can be electric.... the powersystem hybrid...solar and central APU generator set s like ships ..more efficient and far less demanding than running a ICE motor direct with rapidly fluctuating loads.
The video only focused on the jet stream .... a quick look at a metrological model or sailing map will show many more bands of circulation at different latitudes and altitudes. See being seasonal.
The problems with airships then as now is; they compete with planes, trains, 18 wheeler's and ships..oh my! They are less expensive to produce, use very little steel if any, use very little or no petroleum products, can be total electric using solar power (heaven forbid), in other words, they are cheap to build and operate, go anywhere, land anywhere and perform any and all tasks done by all other forms of transportation combined, with pen point accuracy! I am all for them!
Is it capable in dealing with strong weather?
Has to be... there will be hundreds of "Is it's"... as in even small Backyard Projects...
Now.. don't ask md about Earthquakes, Floods.. 🤣🤣🤣... but maybe Volcanic Eruptions... Asteroids etc...
One last idea is a heated helium airship.
Sounds good👍Let’s get going!
Your wrong about one thing the Hindenburg was brought down by static electricity.
There has been a few done in recent years, very in depth investigations (German engineers) and it was static electricity as Clyde said. The history of Highlander is also very interesting. they bought it back for 300k from the US Military and shipped back overseas and re assembled and the evolution of technology was restarted.
Hi again. An afterthought, the US Army dropped the idea of using airships for surveillance because they realized they were large, slow, sitting ducks. Cheers, P.R.
These air ships are fair weather crafts. What makes them so efficient is also there biggest issue. The large size and slow speed put them at the mercy of the wind and makes it difficult for them to go around the storms. For slow cruising around or heavy lift they will be great when the weather is nice. But for scheduled flights weather will be a issue. Can you imagine trying to land one of these Air ships on a windy day not perfect day? Or what would happen if the air ship ran into ice or freezing conditions?
One comment really “Why did it take so long” Airlander came out quite a number of years ago way in front of anyone else that he public knows about, they just trusted the one contract they could get, the US military. Luckily they bought the rights and the carcass back to go in another direction, commercial !
I would love to see these in the air and it’s my understanding that they are fairly quiet. I would go on one.
Obviously good for air cargo.
To me, airships have a fundamental problem. They have to be incredibly light, which means that there's very little room for making them strong and robust. I think that, unless we can make super-strong, super-light materials, they are just too vulnerable.
And what about thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornados, volcanic eruption etc. I see only blimps can fly in clear weather
How would you keep directional control in a jet-stream ?
Its also slow - how do you overcome the statement that time is money ? Sory but I am still not convinced - great video though.
Then cargo ships wouldn't exist would they
Upper airways … ? - yip mixing fast commercial jets with your cruise ships will go well… as a pilot I can guarantee you thats a bad idea.
For over a century, slow moving surface cruise ships have been popular, and lucrative for their /owner/operators. They are a for-profit operation. Airship cruises would have advantage of overland sightseeing cruises to leisurely view wilderness, jungles, wildlife!
Total emission-free is available as we speak. Just use mylar solar top and transparent roof combination /which uses sunray to raise the enveloped gas temperatures.☀🌞
"Its maximum altitude is 20." Twenty what? Feet? Meters? Kilometers?
Maybe they aren't sure what the maximum altitude will be, so they've got an altimeter with no actual units yet. It goes to 20. Just plain 20. Ha.
I betcha the engine noise is low too!
Rather than "landing" as on a runway or a field, allow the ships to remain airborne by mooring at the tops of towers similar to the Space Needle (Seattle, WA) or Stratosphere Tower (Las Vegas, NV). Leaving the airships up was the idea of the British, using big mooring mast towers.
Here.. there is NO MOORING TO ANYTHING... it is like a " low level" Space Station... that hovers "permanently".. of course with some help 150+MW of Propulsion and 50MW more for the LTA-ICC FROM 1km2 of Solar Panels .... and "serviced" by Electric Shuttles (for passengers, baggage, crew, cargo, supplies, maintenance crew, waste from below).....
Any destination is accessible whether its land or sea
An idea that just wont lie down - BUT there is always a snag, and thats why we dont have them - and I doubt we ever will.
I ll go for the helium blimps for continental travels as well if we could achieve even 100 knots . The helium blimp is a much more safer system than aircrafts and jets.
Excellent ideas, not sure how the speed would be the same tho??
I didn't once hear the terms blimp or diridgeable.
Rather than using helium, why not have a large vacuum chamber encased in a strong, light material like titanium? Maybe the military has developed something like that.
safest and most comfortable way to travel.. we already have the technology to make this safe... it just needs to happen
Hydrogen isn't flammable, when your almost in space.
A helium & hydrogen filled Lazzarini twin hulled design with jet fan engines traveling almost 100 mph could revolutionize air travel. It may comfortably carry 400 passengers. Just don’t fly in bad weather. There have only been 8 deadly airship accidents since WW 2, but there should be precautions such as extra strong moorings and cables and large hangars capable of supporting dirigibles during storms.
Helium is scarce and needed for science and medicine, after filling up such a ship, it will gradually lose the helium, or have they worked this out?
Doubt it. People have trying to do this for over 40 years and it just isn't a viable form of long distance travel.
I would fly to Europe if they had one. However, going back home the long way is just too long of a ride but since it would be a luxury ship that mean I would be able to sleep on a real bed and dine well and ofcourse if the price is right. WIll have to see
Hi the glitch this was a great 👍 video of air ship’s so long as they are safe yeah I’d fly in one ☝️ David 🇬🇧❤️👍
20,000 tons is unbelievably ridiculous... literally unbelievable . pretty sure its closer to 20-30 tons. Also, what is a 20 high altitude? It's hard to believe any units/numbers this video is presenting.
Man-made climate change is baloney, said the founder of the weather channel
Let's HOPE!
Why "on a World that relies entirely on airships"?
Its the perfect blend of abundant hydrogen and its fuel weight,antigravity not mention a triangles r value
No. In fact, I’d be willing to wager that TH-cam videos _about_ blimps are making more of a comeback than blimps themselves.
I hope this is a good qurosity of flying, must come back
"It's maximum altitude is 20". 20 what? km? miles?
with pricing at $200K/cabin for only 36hr travel, where is the benefit ????
"its maximum altitude is 20."
20 what?! Lol
I want to live in one
Whoever wrote this should edit the copy before they read it. So many errors.
Looking at the comments I am glad to see most do not "care" about high/supersonic speed as if the time saved would extend their lifespan... and ptefer to "cruise" to their destinations... and for those "busy bees" there is always Interent.. to keep working and working... tilll...
One thing is clear... thst be a REAL CONTENDER... FIR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL...THESE AIR SHIPS WOULD HAVE TO OUTSIZE THE LARGEST OF SHIPS.. HOW ABOUT MAYBE A DOZEN LIGHTER THAN AIR INTERCONTINENTAL CRUISERS (LTA-ICC) CARRYING 15,000 PASSENGERS AND ALWAYS HOVER (NEVER LAND) AS ELEC. SHUTTLES FERRY FOLKS TO AND FROM THE LTA-ICC... STAY TUNED...!!!
they were always going to replace mobile homes
Like a snail
I am ready to travel round the world
Hydrogen as a lifting gas is a no-go. So is helium. Most of our very limited helium reserve is dedicated to scientific research and industrial applications. This whole airship idea is really cool but it's not feasible as a regular mode of transport. Sorry, folks, but it will never get off the ground (pun intended).
How about the airships remain stationary and let the Earth s rotation provide the fuel for travel.
Yes, i have to think about the airships in Mortal Engines movie.
isn't it amazing to have your own personal exotic air yacht to travel around the globe?
Must… have… airship…
The maximum altitude is 20...? 20 what lol
No expensive roads need to develop . this can be traveling of future
Blackmatter is better than helium or hydrogen
He meant 20 fathoms and 1 league
Ik
I doubt that they will ever be anything rather than a dream,It would take weeks multiple weeks from the US to Australia if you actually made it,sorry just to slow people travel to get where they are going to enjoy the destination ,not the trip.
Hell yeah. Let's waste whatever Helium we have left. #veryecofriendly
Blimps are non-rigid airships. Much of this is about rigid airships. Two different things. I'd have hoped at least the title would be researched.