Gizmodo: airships

Beautiful Concept Airship Looks 85 Years into the Future

Danny Allen — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:10:00 EDT

This whale-like entry into KLM Indonesia's aircraft design competition reminds me of the French "Manned Cloud" concept from a few years back. The WB-1010 would seat more than 1500 people, and use a combination of super-jet, helium, and wind power.

The concept's designer, Reindy Allendra, imagines the aircraft being constructed from material similar to the giant Airbus A380's GLARE composite: Glass-Reinforced Fiber Metal Laminate made of thin layers of metal and glass fiber.

The WB-1010 would supplement its fuel use with the ability to harvest wind energy into electricity. An extractable robotic stand would also be used during the craft's vertical landings.

Totally pie in the sky stuff, but very cool. Zoom in on the pic above for specifics. I wonder if United will actually have in-flight Wi-Fi on more than 13 planes 85 years from now? [Reindy Allendra via Yanko Design]

250-Foot Long Hybrid Airship Will Spy Over Afghanistan Battlefields in 2011

Danny Allen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:40:00 EDT

Sometimes it feels like I'm already living in the future. The U.S Army's Space and Missile Defense command plans to have an unmanned spy-ship capable of loitering at 20,000-feet (for up to three weeks) ready to deploy by mid-2011.

Dubbed the Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), the craft will be based on Lockheed Martin's P-791 experimental hybrid airship, which you can see in the video below. The smaller P-791 was 125-foot long, but flew six tests in 2006. It's known as a hybrid because only 80% of its lift comes from buoyancy; the other 20% comes from three downward thrusters on each side.

As for the LEMV: a 40-foot long, 15-foot wide area behind the only sometimes-manned cockpit will carry intelligence systems, like radar and wide-area motion sensors, that will beam information back to commanders on the ground.

Totally makes me think of Aeon Flux or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Crazy.
[Aviation Week via The Register]

Spanish Police Foil Remote-Controlled Zeppelin Jailbreak

Danny Allen — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:29:58 EDT

In a plot that's crazy (and evil genius) enough to be from James Bond, three people have been arrested after police discovered their plan to free a drug trafficker from an island prison using a 13-foot airship carrying night goggles, climbing gear and camouflage paint.

It's believed that the inmate (of the Salto del Negro prison on the Canary Island of Las Palmas) was to scale the prison wall and speed off in a waiting car.

The arrested men had setup an elaborate surveillance operation of the prison that involved a camouflaged tent, powerful binoculars, telephoto lenses, and motion detection sensors. But authorities caught wind of the plan when they intercepted the inflatable zeppelin as it arrived from the Italian town of Bergamo.

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Holy crap, I almost wish they got away with it. [Telegraph]

Zeppelins Return to the US This Halloween, $785 Gets You On Board

Sean Fallon — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EDT

We first learned about Airship Ventures plans to bring airship travel back to the US after a 70 year absence back in May when they secured 8 million in funding for the project. Now it appears that their dream of filling the skies with huge, slow balloons once more will become a reality this Halloween when they will embark on their first ever passenger flight.

Details on the flight itself are scarce, but we do know that 246-foot long airship will be under the command of the world's only female Zeppelin pilot and it will take off somewhere in the Bay area. The band Abney Park will also be on board and rumor has it that might even take a few requests. Currently, there are 8 spots left on the historic flight, and tickets are selling for $785. It's a hefty sum, but remember that price pays for the whole seat—but I am sure that you will only need the edge. Ticket info is available in the following link. [Abney Park and Airship Ventures via Boing Boing]

Zeppelins Return to US, Slightly Less Flammable Now

Wilson Rothman — Sun, 11 May 2008 10:30:00 EDT

A San Francisco start-up called Airship Ventures has raised $8 million to launch its first Zeppelin this fall, for the purposes of tourism and research. The "flightseeing," as they're calling it, will cost a $250 to $500 for a spin around the Bay Area in a bonafide don't-call-it-a-blimp Zeppelin. What's the difference, you ask? Blimps are basically helium filled baloons with little cockpits attached. Zeppelins are usually rigid structures, larger and faster, achieving higher altitudes with better maneuverability. Before you airship nerds get all uppity, I will join you in saying that not all Zeppelins are Zeppelins (wha?)—it all boils down to the rigidity of your dirigible. Here's a rundown of this particular model, plus an actual photo of it:

The new Zeppelin NT—yes, capital Z because it's made by the Zeppelin company—is about 20% larger than a blimp, but it's still small by Zep standards, with just room for 12 passengers and a crew. It's "semi-rigid," meaning that it's got an internal framework but not a totally solid hull like the Zeppelins of old. It's also got a single gas chamber, rather than multiple cells. They also achieve lift with helium, which may make your voice sound funny, but won't go "boom" to the horror of radio announcers everywhere.

NTs have been in action since the 1990s, all over Europe and Japan. Fun fact: When a Japanese firm bought one in 2004, they wanted to re-enact a historic (pre-Axis) flight of the Graf Zeppelin, from Germany to Japan, but Russia said "Ix nay." [The Standard via Slashdot; More great pics from official Zeppelin site]

Airship Yachts for Fun and Profit

Charlie White — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:03:27 EST

If you're looking for a lighter-than-air yacht, 21st Century Airships builds highly advanced craft that can be used for promotions or just for fun. Powered by a hybrid diesel and electric system, the spherical orbs can have a full luxury cabin built inside for their lucky occupants. These airship yachts can be custom built to exacting specifications and can lazily float and fly cross-country or even across oceans.

21st Century Airships is even working on projecting full-motion text or video on the inside of these spectacular craft, and can build them with just about any design on the outside. The company is also experimenting with high-altitude airships which could be parked at 65,000 feet in the stratosphere to be used for cellphone antennas and other communications.

Air-Yachts [The Cool Hunter]

Super-Luxury Vacations Aboard Airborne Cruise Ships?

Charlie White — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 10:17:34 EST

Some members of the Gizmodo team have flown on the Goodyear blimp, and marvel at that thrill of standing on a platform in the air. Now blimp maker Worldwide Aeros Corporation says it plans to offer that experience to paying customers by 2010. It has teamed up with hospitality and leisure firm WATG in an agreement to create a new class of super-luxury blimps that will function as airborne cruise ships and fly long-range routes across oceans. Inside its one-acre cabin will be restaurants, a casino, and lots of fancy hotel rooms. The company says these new airship resorts will have living quarters that rival the luxury cabins of the great ocean liners, and will also be packed to the gills with technological amenities. The concept ship is planned to be over 600 feet long with a top speed of 174 miles an hour.

Designer WATG is no stranger to high style and forward-looking design—the company had a hand in the design of the Venetian Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas among many others, and has forward-looking plans for an undersea hotel, and even a space resort. These are some big ideas, but you won't be able to make a reservation for any of these pie-in-the-sky schemes just yet. And didn't they try this before? Something about New Jersey?

Worldwide Aeros Announces Luxurious Airborne Cruise Ships [Born Rich]