Aeroscraft Begins Flight Testing Following FAA Certification 158
Zothecula writes "After a 70-year absence, it appears that a new rigid frame airship will soon be taking to the skies over California. Aeros Corporation, a company based near San Diego, has received experimental airworthiness certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin flight testing the Aeroscraft airship, and it appears that the company has wasted no time getting started."
Ideal bad-terrain cargo carrier... (Score:5, Interesting)
We have shows like Ice Road Truckers about dangerous, expensive, and time-limited freight delivery in the Artic circle because impassable terrain most of the year... And at the opposite end of the globe, the 1,000 mile-long McMurdo â" South Pole Highway constructed over 4 years at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars with lots of ongoing maintenance... And also consider the manifold poor remote villages that are often starving and suffering after natural disasters because they are accessible only by foot (or mule) due to mountainous terrain over which road construction would be astronomically expensive...
All these scenarios, because flying-in heavy items via conventional aircraft over long distance can consume twice their weight in jet fuel.
Airships can no-doubt fundamentally change the arithmetic of delivering supplies to these hazardous and remote locations. If these airships prove to be reliable heavy-lifters, that consume far, far less fuel, they could generate a LOT of cash from carrying cargo to such difficult destinations, no matter how slow they are to arrive at their destinations.
Re:Nice... (Score:5, Interesting)
Interestingly, we now accept air disasters every few years that cause more death and destruction than the Hindenburg without a single call to ground the dangerous jetliners.
Re:deal bad-terrain yes, bad weather no. (Score:2, Interesting)
You are correct about the weather problem, but incorrect in suggesting that satellites and computer based weather prediction will do much to fix it.
Airships have been repeatedly announced and failed to achieve commercial reality, over and over again. This time is no different. An airship is essentially a giant aerodynamic sail. The power to surface area of the vehicle will not allow these airships to fly safely and reliably. Goodyear blimp or no.
Heavier than air aircraft have a hugely more advantageous power to surface area ratio. As a result they can fly in almost any weather and not kill or endanger the passengers and cargo.
Airships are the province of dreamers and romantics. No matter what they say, or what we say, they will continue to unsucessfully throw themselves at this problem. Therefore for anyone not interested in the dreaming and romance, the safe thing to do is isolate and distance ourselves from them.
Re:Windmills do not work that way, Human! (Score:4, Interesting)
I think the new part is partially that the gas is re-compressed rather than vented in order to reduce buoyancy, and mostly that it's designed with vectored-thrust engines that allow it to land and take of while heavier-than-air, drastically increasing stability and safety - I believe the majority of historical airship accidents are involved with those narrow, high-risk operating windows.