DANS LE CIEL DE MAUBEUGE

LEMV Surveillance Airship Taking Shape       Dec 22, 2010

Six months after contract award, elements of Northrop Grumman’s long-endurance multi-intelligence vehicle (LEMV) hybrid airship are coming together.

The persistent-surveillance LEMV is designed to have an endurance when operating unmanned for 21 days at 20,000 ft. carrying a 2,500-lb. payload of sensors and communications equipment.

The critical design review was completed at the end of November, final assembly is to begin in February and first flight is planned for the end of July 2011.

“It’s a fast-moving train,” says Alan Metzger, LEMV program manager. Northrop won the $517 million U.S. Army demonstration contract in July. The first airship should be ready for deployment to Afghanistan at the end of 2011 for a military assessment.

Envelope fabricator ILC Dover has begun seaming together components using fabric supplied by Warwick Mills, Metzger says. These will be delivered beginning in February to the final-assembly site, where the airship will be assembled, inflated and checked for leaks.

The U.K.’s Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), which is leading the vehicle’s design, has begun construction of the Group A equipment that will be integrated with the completed envelope. This includes mission and fuel modules, engines and hard structures.

HAV will begin assembly of the Group A equipment in mid-January, with integration of the air vehicle planned to begin in the U.S. in early May.

Prime contractor Northrop, meanwhile, has set up several LEMV test facilities at its Melbourne, Fla., plant. These include development environments for the air-vehicle control and sensor data processing, exploitation and dissemination systems.

A payload testbed has been constructed that mimics the “Murphy bay” infrastructure in the airship, Metzger says. Full-motion video, radar and communications-intelligence payloads provided off the shelf by the Army have been delivered to Melbourne.

Development of the autonomous control software is underway at Northrop’s unmanned systems operation in California. The LEMV will be operated using the Army’s One System ground-control station, developed by team member AAI.

A One System station at the launch and recovery site will operate the vehicle throughout its mission, Metzger says, while payload data will be processed and disseminated via the Army’s DCGS-A distributed common ground system.

After development flight tests of the first LEMV at the final-assembly site, conducted with a safety pilot on board, the airship is to be ferried to Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., in November 2011 for unmanned, long-endurance test flights.

Northrop has responded to requests for information on heavy-lift airships from U.S. Transportation Command and the Army. Metzger says LEMV is designed so the mission and fuel modules can be removed and replaced with cargo modules.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2010/12/22/04.xml&headline=LEMV%20Surveillance%20Airship%20Taking%20Shape

Big, Green Blimp Coming to Moffett Field  December 20th, 2010

There’s a long and storied history of blimps at Moffett Field – zeppelins, too. (Yes, there is a difference; more on that in a moment). The massive, iconic Hangar One, visible from U.S. 101 as you drive through Silicon Valley, was built for the USS Macon in the 1930s, and during World War II as many as 20 of the Navy’s LTA blimps, which patrolled the Pacific Coast, were based at the Mountain View, Calif., airfield.

Now comes the Bullet 580, from E Green Technologies (EGT). The company has entered into a three-year lease to base what it calls the world’s largest and greenest airship at the NASA Research Park at Moffett Field, NASA said in a press release. The 235-foot long, 65-foot diameter airship, “designed to fly on algae-based biofuel at speeds up to 74 mph,” is due to arrive in early 2011 from Alabama, after completing its third and final inflation and other engineering tests.

Moffett has been home for the past couple of years to the Eureka, a 246-foot zeppelin that Airship Ventures uses for sightseeing on the West coast. But the Bullet 580 is whole different airship. First, it’s a blimp, which, unlike a zeppelin, has no rigid structure inside its airbag. And, says John Youngbeck, EGT’s vice president of manufacturing: “Our airships … are radically different in design, enabling them to move beyond the performance limitations of traditional blimps by combining advanced technology with simple construction.” Indeed, whereas blimps typically fly about a mile up in the sky, the Bullet 580, with what the company says is space for added helium, can gain altitudes over 20,000 feet.

The Bullet 580′s first flight after coming west will be to carry a payload for the NASA Langley Research Center and Old Dominion University, who are working on a remote sensing instrument for measuring barometric pressure at sea.

http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/12/big-green-blimp-coming-to-moffett-field/

Airships cost far less than constructing permanent roads

The answer to the annual uncertainty of Manitoba's winter road system could be floating in the sky.

Hybrid airships, souped-up Zeppelins that could act as transports to remote northern communities, suddenly seem more attractive these days.

The U.S. military has signed a multimillion-dollar contract to fly the vessels in Afghanistan. Airship firms have had two meetings in Winnipeg, with more visits being scheduled. And Manitobans are definitely interested in hearing about any alternative to paying the $2 billion proposed for building an all-season road system to northern Manitoban communities.

Barry Prentice, a University of Manitoba professor who has long been a champion of the airship, says for the price of building a few bridges on these proposed fixed roads, governments could help finance transport airships that could be used year-round.

The life of the soft infrastructure of Manitoba's 2,200-kilometre winter road network falls around six to eight weeks. That short season -- the only time when trucks can ship in larger quantities of things like food, medical supplies and building materials -- is pushing the conversation for the need of permanent roads, but the numbers for such an endeavour are lofty.

The province has committed $75 million for the next 15 years to build a permanent network east of Lake Winnipeg, with an estimated total price tag at over $2 billion. A road to Island Lake (a region of 10,000 people 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg) is estimated at $1.4 billion.

Those figures make the airship an intriguing northern alternative.

Measuring the length of a football field and standing up to seven storeys tall, the modern airship could transport large quantities of goods that would allow communities to thrive, Prentice believes. He says regular delivery of construction materials would allow projects to be built quickly (not over two summers) and an increased volume of supplies would eventually drive the cost down for the intended consumer.

"Trucks are a lot cheaper, but if you don't have the road then what do you have?" asks Prentice, who specializes in supply-chain management at the U of M. "What do we have to lose by trying this?"

A lot, especially if your company ships goods up to northern Manitoba during the winter road season. Initial capital costs for a venture like this can rise into the tens of millions, and without a definitive commercial model to draw from, private-sector investment remains quiet.

As one manufacturer suggested, there's a misconception about airship safety out there -- one the industry will need to fight through.

But before Led Zeppelin album covers cloud your mind, consider the developments down south. The U.S. navy has been using airships since 2006 and this past summer, the U.S. army awarded a $517-million contract to Northrop Grumman to build surveillance ships for use on the front lines as early as next year.

The LEMV (long-endurance multi-intelligence vehicle) is designed to reach altitudes of 20,000 feet and be able to stay in the sky for three weeks at a time. More importantly, Prentice notes, the research and development of airships is being handled by the U.S. military.

Much like the armed forces assumed all the risk in developing the jet engine for the Second World War, the same is being done now with regards to airships.

"Once people see these things in the sky next summer, I feel it will really open up some eyes," said Prentice. "It'll be like wind turbines. Wind turbines had a hard time coming back but once (Denmark) took the bit in their teeth, now they are everywhere."

John Spacek, assistant deputy minister with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, is keeping a close eye on hybrid airship developments. The province has met with manufacturer representatives and has even helped fund demonstrations (a 2008 demo never got off the ground due to the absence of a giant hangar to set up the airship for flight), but the government has no plans to grant more than a courtesy look at this time.

"We're at that pre-commercialization era for hybrid airships, between the military and the public sector," said Spacek, noting the government is a transport facilitator, not a shipping company.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/floating-alternative-to-winter-roads-111654849.html

Lift-off awaits army's blimp after its return  23/12/2010

The army's 350 million baht surveillance airship has been sent back to Thailand after the army returned it to a US supplier in August when it developed major leaks.

An army source yesterday said the US manufacturer, Aria International, sent the Sky Dragon airship back to Thailand last Thursday and the craft was now stored at its hangar in Pattani.

The US company had promised to replace the airship this month.

However, the source said it was still not known if the company had repaired the airship or replaced it with a new one before sending the craft to Thailand.

The company has not provided any information about the airship that it sent back, the source said.

But army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered it to be launched after New Year, the source said, adding that Gen Prayuth has stressed the need to ensure the airship did not get any more bad press.

Army inspectors approved delivery of the airship on July 27 on the condition that the manufacturer took responsibility if it developed any problems.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/212703/lift-off-awaits-army-blimp-after-its-return

NASA's new 'Bullet' airship to fly from Moffett Field

Uses tech from US Navy's zeppelin aircraft carriers

An Alabama firm building a 235-foot airship says that the mighty craft will soon make its maiden flight from Moffett Field, the former US Navy dirigible base located at NASA's Ames campus in California. The "Bullet™ Class 580", interestingly, uses a key technology employed by America's flying aircraft carrier airships of the 1930s.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/19/nasa_bullet_airship_moffett/

World's Largest Airship Inflated for the First Time by E Green Technologies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ushf3kddDlI&feature=player_embedded

Voir quelques vidéos du Zeppelin NT07

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-vEk9b6OF8os/zeppelin_nt_landung_start/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-dRWhSqWV5O8/zeppelin_nt_flight_bodensee_germany/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-1EkTCKXZUhE/zeppelin_nt_friedrichshafen/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-eohI3es6iwM/landing_take_off_zeppelin_nt_afrika/

Zeppelin NT zeigt wieder Flagge für T-City

Das Geheimnis des neuen Zeppelin Werbepartners wurde beim Tag der offenen Tür der Deutschen Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH gelüftet. Seit dem 9. Oktober 2010 trägt das Luftschiff die Aufschrift "T-City Friedrichshafen. Wir leben Zukunft" und macht Bürger und Besucher auf das gemeinsame Projekt von Stadt und Deutscher Telekom aufmerksam.

http://www.telekom.com/dtag/cms/content/dt/de/932690

http://www.schwaebische.de/lokales/friedrichshafen/friedrichshafen-stadtnachrichten_artikel,-Luftschiff-zeigt-Flagge-fuer-T-City-Friedrichshafen-_arid,4172062.html?et_cid=2&et_lid=2

The giant airships which can carry entire buildings hundreds of miles    7th October 2010

Giant balloons that can carry loads over long distances could one day even transport entire buildings.

Australian firm Skylifter is developing a piloted airship that will carry up to 150 tonnes more than 1,200 miles.

They hope that the vehicles could one day carry rural hospitals and disaster-relief centres to remote areas.

The airship has been designed as a disc rather than a conventional cigar shape, which the developers say makes it easier to steer and carry heavy loads under different wind conditions.

Measuring 500ft across - the size of a football stadium - it will move using propellers which can be adjusted to change direction while the heavy weight of the load hanging underneath keeps the airship steady.

And the payload it carries will be 700 times that of a heavy cargo helicopter.

Read more:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1317510/The-giant-Skylifter-airships-carry-buildings-hundreds-miles.html#ixzz11xHGJmW6

Découvrez le ballon dirigeable qui se déplace comme un poisson    05 octobre 2010

Ce ballon gonflé à l'hélium en provenance directe de Dübendorf en Suisse, a la particularité de recréer les mouvements gracieux d'un poisson en se déplaçant dans l'air.

Cette création originale et pleine de poésie de l’équipe de Christa Jordi du laboratoire d’essais des matériaux et de recherche de Dübendorf fait appel à une technologie innovante. Elle vise à faire évoluer dans les airs un ballon dirigeable de 8 mètres de long à la forme originale de poisson. Alimenté en électricité par une batterie cachée sous le ventre de l'appareil, celle-ci envoie un courant électrique afin de stimuler le corps du poisson et de le faire onduler pour avancer.

Ce ballon dispose en effet de la technologie "DEA" (dielectric elastomers actuators), un matériel intelligent qui a la propriété de se déformer selon le courant électrique qui le traverse. Ces sortes de muscles artificiels sont placés en divers endroits stratégiques sur le corps du poisson, contractant ses flancs et sa queue afin de le faire avancer dans les airs. Le dirigeable n'a alors plus besoin de moteur ou de courant pour se déplacer. Seul mouvement de "pression-compression" lui suffit.

Découvrez le ballon dirigeable qui se déplace comme un poisson en vidéo.

Depuis 12 ans, un groupe d'ingénieurs passionnés travaille à la réhabilitation du ballon dirigeable en France. Ces engins gonflés à l'hélium (un gaz qui n'explose pas) peuvent transporter jusqu'à 400 tonnes de marchandises. L'utilisation de ces «DGPA» (dirigeables gros porteurs autonomes) a même un temps été envisagée pour transporter les éléments de l'A380. Réunis au sein d'une association «Force pour l'innovation, la recherche scientifique et les techniques» (First), ces passionnés d'aéronautiques ont jeté leur dévolu sur le Gers pour faire entrer leur projet dans une phase concrète. «La raison est simple, explique Jean-Claude Gallet, directeur de First, le Gers est l'un des départements les moins venteux de France.» Basée à Pau, l'association est en train de déménager à Aignan où la communauté de communes Terres d'Armagnac vient de céder en location vente les anciens locaux des Silos Vicois à la société Euro Airship qui est porteuse du business plan. Dernièrement, le projet de construction d'un «Corsair», un engin de 70 mètres de long pouvant voler à 135 km/h a été présenté aux élus locaux par le Pdg d'Euro Airship, Jean Lescat. «Notre objectif est de construire ici notre premier prototype de ballon dirigeable» explique Claude Gallet. L'association First qui est en train de déménager à Aignan est également en quête de terrains appropriés dans le secteur. «Pour nous, cette zone géographique est idéale, car non seulement il y a peu de vent, mais il y a aussi de l'espace» ajoute l'ingénieur qui met en avant le soutien qu'apportent au projet Aerospace Valley, ASTech Paris-Région et Pôle Pégase, les pôles de compétitivité aéronautiques des régions Midi-Pyrénées, Ile de France et Provence Alpes Côte d'azur. Localement, ce projet de grande ampleur suscite encore le scepticisme de certains. «Ils ont réussi à nous convaincre» estime le conseiller général du canton Marc Payros qui voit pour le secteur une occasion à ne pas manquer pour créer de l'activité et de l'emploi. Le 18 mai prochain, une réunion publique doit être organisée pour informer plus largement la population. Après plus de dix ans de recherches et d'études qu'ils ont menées en collaboration avec les IUT de Lyon, Pau et Tarbes, les ingénieurs de First attendent désormais avec impatience le jour où le premier dirigeable s'élèvera dans le ciel gersois.

http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2010/05/04/828516-Aignan-capitale-du-ballon-dirigeable.html

The Conan Blimp arrives for Reds-Phillies opener                05 octobre 2010

Actually, Conan O'Brien's promotional TBS airship arrived in Philadelphia Saturday night and will be hovering over Game One of the NLDS game between the Reds and Phillies, to be broadcast by TBS on Wednesday. It will also make stops in Atlanta and Tampa during the playoffs; here's the schedule. Yes, the Conan Blimp has its own web site.

http://outofbounds.nbcsports.com/2010/10/the-conan-blimp-will-watch-over-a-troubled-nation.html.php

Blimp crash injures pilot       01 Oct 2010

WEEKSVILLE, N.C. (WAVY) - A blimp crashed in Weeksville, North Carolina just south of Elizabeth City on Thursday night.

The Skyship 600 series blimp was tethered down and broke loose at 9:18 p.m. The blimp hit an airstat, which is an unmanned observation balloon, according to Christy Saunders with Pasquotank County Emergency Management.

The blimp went up about 60 feet in the air and then came down and crashed.

The pilot of the blimp was injured, even though he had no intent to fly. The 40-year-old pilot suffered head, limb, and possible abdominal injuries.

Pasquotank Sheriff's Office, Weeksville Fire Department, and Pasquotank Emergency Medical Services were on the scene.

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/blimp-crash-injures-pilot

Researchers get good view of orca pod from zeppelin    September 29 2010

EVERETT – Pilot Katharine Board often sees pods of blue, gray and killer whales as she flies along the California coast. Compared with other pilots, however, she has a unique vantage point – low and slow – from the only operational zeppelin in the United States.

Board’s airship, a modern model of an aircraft that is a throwback to the 1930s era of aviation, gives her a clear and steady view of the sea giants.

“The great thing about moving slowly and low – we fly 1,000 feet above the ground and our cruising speed is 40 miles per hour – is that you really get to see the world, you really do get to see the places you’re in,” Board said.

This past month, Farmers’ Insurance, the company that sponsors the zeppelin, donated a day of flying to a group of scientists so they could film and photograph an orca pod in Washington’s Puget Sound and San Juan Islands.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/29/airship-gives-low-slow-look-at-whales/

Airship race round the world planned for 2011   

Jean-Michel Jarre on board as 'artistic director'

A Texan businessman bidding to organise a year-long round the world race for airships says he is on track to start the inaugural event next year. Among those lending their names to the project is aerospace bigwig Norm Augustine, who headed President Obama's panel examining the US manned space programme last year.

The global airship race plan has been dubbed the World Sky Race, and is intended to be run as seventeen back-to-back legs that would see the competing ships set off from the zero meridian in London before progressing round the world in an easterly direction.

The event is the brainchild of airship enthusiast Don Hartsell, a former engineering entrepreneur in Houston, who says he has committed $2m of his own money to the project and raised another $2m from unnamed sponsors. Augustine, who was CEO of Lockheed before serving as chairman of Obama's NASA panel, is on board as an advisor. He describes Hartsell as a "free spirit" in a Wall Street Journal report on the race today.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/17/airship_race/

http://www.worldskyrace.com/news.htm

Tavaux (39) : Championnat du monde de dirigeables   18/07/201

9 Th WORLD AIRSHIP CHAMPIONSHIP

http://bourgogne-franche-comte.france3.fr/info/franche-comte/tavaux-39--championnat-du-monde-de-dirigeables-64098091.html

www.worldairship2010.com

German Aircraft To Get Payload Integration Work In Maryland

The newest UAV airship from the German manufacturer Sanswire has arrived in Maryland for initial inspection of the craft, and the integration of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) technologies into the UAV's sensor bay. Sanswire has turned the STS-111 over to specialized electronics engineering firm, Eastcor Engineering, which has already undertaken similar work on Sanswire's SkySat UAV.

Chairman of Sanswire's Board Mr. Michael Clark said, "We are working with Eastcor and our other partners to bring the STS-111 to the marketplace as quickly as possible. My main focus of effort at this point is to get the craft fully integrated and tested with possible payloads and ready for sale. This focused effort, along with my desire to expand the scope of the flight demonstration, has necessitated a rescheduling of the planned flight demo and its relocation to a flight field near Eastcor's facilities in Maryland. I know our shareholders and investors are anxious to see the craft in action, but before we do that, we must work on making the craft fully operational and ready for the market."

"This is an important time in our company's history," said Sanswire CEO Glenn Estrella. "We are about to cross the threshold from a development stage company to a fully functional commercial enterprise. That means that we must focus on producing product and generating future sales and revenues. The important work that Eastcor and our other partners will be doing for us in the near future helps make that goal a reality."

http://www.sanswiretao.com/

L’US Army vient de commander à l’avionneur Northrop Grumman un nouveau type de drone dirigeable, le Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV, ou véhicule de multi-renseignement à longue endurance). Le contrat de 517 millions de dollars prévoit la livraison pour l’été 2011 d’un maximum de trois appareils de 92 m de long, capables de rester jusqu’à quatre semaines en l’air à 6000 m d’altitude avec seulement 10 000 kg de carburant embarqué. Une performance que seuls les dirigeables – de surcroît sans hommes à bord – sont à même de réaliser. Leur mission : assurer la surveillance du champ de bataille à l’aide d’une charge utile (capteurs, radars et autres…) d’environ 1100 kg. L’engin s’inspire directement du modèle HAV304 développé par le partenaire britannique de Northrop Grumman, Hybrid Air Vehicles. Le HAV304, dont un modèle à l’échelle 1/6e a déjà effectué plusieurs dizaines de vols, est un appareil hybride : sa sustentation est assurée à 60 % par l’hélium et à 40 % par un profil élargi de façon à offrir la portance aérodynamique d’une aile. Le dirigeable ne peut donc décoller sur place ou se maintenir en l’air immobile : après un décollage sur 300 m environ, sa vitesse de patrouille sera de 55 km/h environ, pour une vitesse maximale de 150 km/h. Les LEMV sont prioritairement destinés à l’Afghanistan.

http://nouvellestechnos.science-et-vie.com/05/07/2010/le-dirigeable-se-decline-en-version-drone/

Marée noire: la marine américaine envoie un dirigeable pour repérer le brut

WASHINGTON - La marine américaine a envoyé lundi un dirigeable vers le golfe du Mexique pour aider les autorités dans leurs opérations de récupération du pétrole à l'origine de la marée noire, a annoncé le centre qui supervise ces opérations.

Le MZ-3A devrait rejoindre le golfe du Mexique mardi, ont ajouté les autorités. C'est la première fois qu'un dirigeable est utilisé dans le cadre de la lutte contre ce qui est déjà la pire catastrophe écologique que les Etats-Unis aient connue.

Le dirigeable aura pour tâche de repérer le pétrole, de donner des instructions aux navires qui récupèrent le brut à la surface de la mer et de rechercher les animaux menacés par le pétrole ou ceux qui sont déjà mazoutés.

"Nous pensons utiliser une série de capteurs. Mais la localisation du pétrole va d'abord se faire par simple observation. Lors des survols, nous allons repérer le pétrole qui peut être brûlé, dispersé ou récupéré pour être séparé de l'eau de mer", a indiqué le capitaine des garde-côtes Kevin Sareault.

Au contraire d'un hélicoptère ou d'un avion, l'engin a l'avantage de pouvoir rester dans les airs près de douze heures d'affilée. Les coûts engendrés par son exploitation sont aussi bien moindres.

(©AFP / 05 juillet 2010 20h37)

http://www.romandie.com/ats/news/100705183734.ntgjgz43.asp

Airship to assist in oil spill response

NEW ORLEANS - The Navy’s "MZ-3A Airship" is currently en route to the Gulf Coast to be used in the Deepwater Horizon response, the largest oil spill response in history.

The airship is more economical to operate and can stay aloft for longer periods of time than helicopters or airplanes already in use. Because the airship travels slowly, it will be a helpful platform for aerial observers looking for marine mammals and other wildlife that may be in distress.

While the airship’s primary mission is spotting and monitoring oil to support command and control of skimming operations, the locations of animals will also be passed to the Incident Commands so that vessels and crews can be dispatched to assist wildlife. The airship will play an important role in achieving the goal of saving a way of life with the massive response.

The airship, the first to be used in the oil spill response, began its flight the last month in Yuma, Ariz. It is expected to arrive in the Gulf Coast sometime after July 6, weather permitting.

The airship will operate from a mooring three miles southeast of the Mobile Bay shoreline.

“The airship will operate relatively close to shore, primarily supporting skimmers to maximize their effectiveness,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kevin Sareault, Deputy Area Commander for Aviation, Unified Area Command, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response. “While different sensors are being considered, one of the primary means for locating oil will be by simple visual observation by the embarked aerial observers. The mission of overflights is to locate and direct surface assets to actionable oil - that is oil that can be burned, dispersed or skimmed.”

Some of the sensor options under consideration include electro-optical, infrared and radar sensors, tools already in use on other response aircraft. The sensor packages are scheduled to arrive during the week of July 12 and will take several days to install, test and evaluate.

Two potential advantages of airship monitoring of oil in the Gulf:

1. The airship can operate for a 12-hour endurance period, much longer than airplane or helicopters.

2. The airship is more economical because it can monitor a larger area and is less expensive to operate compared to fuel and manpower costs for several helicopters or airplane to cover the same area.

There are currently no plans for other airships to be used in the response. The MZ-3A Airship was built in 2006 and has flown missions as far away as Greece where it provided security for the Olympic Games. It has also been deployed for the Office of Naval Research and Marine Mammal Research, and EPA Atmospheric Testing.

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/gulf_oil_spill/airship-to-assist-in-oil-spill-response

http://www.museeairespace.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/Pdf/Actualites/communique-presse-aviation-verte-26042010.pdf

Icare épouse la cause des dirigeables

L'édition 2010 ouvre ses portes ce week-end sur la Grande Conche. Neuf jours consacrés cette année aux aérostats.

Nul n'ignorait l'intérêt porté par les bénévoles du Rêve d'Icare, passionnés d'aéronautique, pour les aérostats. Depuis des années déjà, la manifestation royannaise accueille des démonstrations de montgolfières, mais aussi de dirigeables, modèles expérimentaux dont c'est parfois le voyage inaugural. Plus discrètement, l'association « Objectif base dirigeable » organise un congrès permettant d'échanger idées et concepts sur les technologies à mettre en œuvre pour replacer sur le devant de la scène ces modes de transport écologiques. L'édition 2010 du Rêve d'Icare place la barre plus haut encore. Le symposium se fait européen. Et les modèles présentés portent en eux les germes de l'aéronautique de demain.

Challenges inter écoles: Diricup
Diri-Cup : Compétition International d'aérostats R/C et automatisé indoor.
Ce challenge, à vocation internationale, propose une compétition entre dirigeables de taille réduite. Il se déroulera dans un hangar à Mantes la Jolie du 26 au 30 mai 2010. Il propose 5 courses différentes, qui doivent être effectuées en un minimum de temps. 

Diri-Cup: Competition International of aerostats R/C and automated indoor.

This international challenge is a contest between airships. It will occur in a shed at Mantes-La-Jolie (France), 26th to 30th May 2010. It proposes 5 different races, which are to be run in the best possible time. A candidate who overruns 10 minutes in a race will be eliminated from this one. 

http://www.dirisoft.fr/                    

All rule on request at contact@dirisoft. fr             contact@dirisoft. fr
And on DIRISOFT website http://www.dirisoft.eu
http://www.dirisoft .eu/

Giant blimp will serve to relay satellite communications, perform surveillance

Science Fiction epics like the Final Fantasy Video games and current series Fringe often depict a world in which giant air ships rule the skies. While airplanes aren't about to give up their command of the skies above our world, there's recently been a surprising rejuvenation in real world airships as well.

E-Green Technologies will be among the companies leading airships into the future following its acquisition of 21st Century Airships, in November 2009.  Armed with its new acquisition, the company has created an incredible aerial "stratellite" (stratosphere-satellite) ship, which it plans to sell to military and civilian interests alike.

The new airship, dubbed the Bullet-580, features a massive cylindrical body with a cone head.  The ship measures 235-feet (75 m) long -- as tall as a 23-story skyscraper.  The airship's outer envelope is made of kevlar, the same material used it bulletproof vests.  It is one-sixteenth of an inch thick, but is 10 times as strong as steel in terms of impact resistance.

http://www.dailytech.com/Skyscrapersized+Airship+to+Float+Over+Homeland+Battlefields+Soon/article18506.htm

http://www.e-greentechnologies.com/

Airship flight to San Diego sets world record

ZEPPELIN NT 07 N° 4  N704LZ  

OTAY MESA, Calif. - A world record was set Tuesday as the world's largest airship touched down in San Diego.

The airship Eureka set the distance record for modern airships flying from Moffett Field in the Bay Area to Brown Field in Otay Mesa. That's a distance of nearly 460 miles. Cesna pilot Jeff Loeffler joined the group of onlookers from the ground and said he had to come out and see it in person.

"It's an honor to be here and see the record broken," Loeffler said.

The 12 passenger Eureka surpassed the existing record by about 70 miles. The trek took about 10 hours and included a route through Monterrey, Santa Barbara, Malibu, and Dana Point. Pilot Jim Dexter said it felt great to break the record and hoped this will be one of many flights to come.

http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-airship-record,0,4473595.story?track=rss

Aignan, capitale du ballon dirigeable             Publié le 04/05/2010 08:23 | LaDepeche.fr

Depuis 12 ans, un groupe d'ingénieurs passionnés travaille à la réhabilitation du ballon dirigeable en France. Ces engins gonflés à l'hélium (un gaz qui n'explose pas) peuvent transporter jusqu'à 400 tonnes de marchandises. L'utilisation de ces «DGPA» (dirigeables gros porteurs autonomes) a même un temps été envisagée pour transporter les éléments de l'A380. Réunis au sein d'une association «Force pour l'innovation, la recherche scientifique et les techniques» (First), ces passionnés d'aéronautiques ont jeté leur dévolu sur le Gers pour faire entrer leur projet dans une phase concrète. «La raison est simple, explique Jean-Claude Gallet, directeur de First, le Gers est l'un des départements les moins venteux de France.» Basée à Pau, l'association est en train de déménager à Aignan où la communauté de communes Terres d'Armagnac vient de céder en location vente les anciens locaux des Silos Vicois à la société Euro Airship qui est porteuse du business plan. Dernièrement, le projet de construction d'un «Corsair», un engin de 70 mètres de long pouvant voler à 135 km/h a été présenté aux élus locaux par le Pdg d'Euro Airship, Jean Lescat. «Notre objectif est de construire ici notre premier prototype de ballon dirigeable» explique Claude Gallet. L'association First qui est en train de déménager à Aignan est également en quête de terrains appropriés dans le secteur. «Pour nous, cette zone géographique est idéale, car non seulement il y a peu de vent, mais il y a aussi de l'espace» ajoute l'ingénieur qui met en avant le soutien qu'apportent au projet Aerospace Valley, ASTech Paris-Région et Pôle Pégase, les pôles de compétitivité aéronautiques des régions Midi-Pyrénées, Ile de France et Provence Alpes Côte d'azur. Localement, ce projet de grande ampleur suscite encore le scepticisme de certains. «Ils ont réussi à nous convaincre» estime le conseiller général du canton Marc Payros qui voit pour le secteur une occasion à ne pas manquer pour créer de l'activité et de l'emploi. Le 18 mai prochain, une réunion publique doit être organisée pour informer plus largement la population. Après plus de dix ans de recherches et d'études qu'ils ont menées en collaboration avec les IUT de Lyon, Pau et Tarbes, les ingénieurs de First attendent désormais avec impatience le jour où le premier dirigeable s'élèvera dans le ciel gersois.

http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2010/05/04/828516-Aignan-capitale-du-ballon-dirigeable.html

Start-up firm confident airship business will soar       May 06, 2010

A year ago, a start-up company developing an unusual airship for hauling cargo moved to Toledo Express Airport from northeast Ohio.

The company, Ohio Airships Inc., received a $50,000 grant from the Regional Growth Partnership's Rocket Ventures Fund to help it soar to the next business level.

But despite additional business management and marketing assistance from the growth partnership, Ohio Airships has yet to take off. A few months ago, company officials said they planned to have their first customer by April, but now they say it may not happen until this month or later.

http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100506/BUSINESS03/5060355/-1/RSS04

Essen-Mulheim, Germany

The blimp D-LDFR "Jürgen Rüttgers"

You can see the website of Michael Tosta

http://www.airport-essen-muelheim.com/

http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/index.php?k=loka&itemid=10977&detailid=732507

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYFkrVlC-QU

Sanswire has announced that defense contractor Global Telesat Corp. 

(GTC) has agreed to purchase a 50% interest in one SkySat airship for $250,000, with an option to purchase the remaining 50% for an additional $750,000.

The SkySat is Sanswire's mid-altitude, lighter-than-air, UAV platform. The airship was initially designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions performed at altitudes up to 45,000 ft. Sanswire and Global Telesat intend to upgrade the airship to improve its viability for multipurpose defense and communications operations

.

More specifically, the two companies plan to develop a flexible platform allowing the SkySat to accommodate a range of customer requirements.

The agreement states that Sanswire will initially receive $250,000 from Global Telesat in exchange for a 50% interest in one SkySat airship.

Sanwire will immediately deliver the existing airship to a facility designated by Global Telesat, whereupon GTC will make a first payment of $50,000 within three days of inspection. This payment will be followed by four additional payments of $50,000, each at 30-day intervals.

Sanswire also granted Global Telesat the option to acquire the remaining 50% interest in the airship for an additional $750,000. GTC must make an initial payment of $250,000 within ten business days upon exercising the option, followed by two additional payments of $250,000, each at 30-day intervals. The option expires on December 31, 2010.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Sanswire_Awarded_Contract_For_Skysat_UAV_999.html

Vodafone unveils Airship A60 in India

Mumbai, April 12, 2010: Vodafone Essar, one of India’s leading cellular service providers, today unveiled the world renowned Airship A-60+ in the Indian skies. Vodafone customers will get a chance to be seated in the spacious deck and enjoy a leisurely journey of the scenic terrain beneath. The ‘Boeing 747’ sized air vessel launched in India from Mumbai, will transit through popular cities such as Pune, Surat, Ahmadabad, Jaipur and finally end its tour at New Delhi. Speaking on this initiative, Kumar Ramanathan, Chief Marketing Officer, Vodafone Essar Limited, said, "Our customers are special to us and we constantly endeavour to bring unique international experiences for them as well as innovative products and services. Launching the Airship is another such initiative to thank our 100 million endearing customers" Vodafone Airship's route plan in India City Period Pune 16 - 18 April Mumbai 22 - 26 April Surat 30 April - 1 May Ahmadabad 5 - 7 May Jaipur 14 - 16 May New Delhi 22 - 27 May Vodafone customers can get a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride this magnificent flying machine by participating in the ‘Win an Airship ride contest’. Customers need to register for the contest by calling 123123 (toll free) and answer a question on IVR. The ‘Star of the Match’ caller tune also gets automatically downloaded free of cost on the caller’s’ mobile phone. Winners for the contest will be announced daily. To further increase the excitement, Vodafone has announced another contest for customers who spot the airship as it glides over their city. Spectators need to SMS SPOT to 56565 (toll free). Entries stand a chance to win exclusive Zoozoo merchandise. These contests will go live from April 13th, 2010 onwards. Vodafone has partnered with Lightship Asia Pacific, world's largest airship operator to bring this popular air vessel to India.

http://www.vodafone.in/existingusers/Pages/MediaRoom_PressRelease.aspx?rid=871

Jean-Louis Etienne «soulagé» de s'être posé en Sibérie orientale  10 Avril 2010

Après cinq jours dans les airs, Jean-Louis Etienne s'est posé samedi matin aux environs de 7h40 (heure française) en Sibérie Orientale, à 220 km de Batagaï. L'explorateur est en bonne santé, d'après son coordinateur de vol Christophe Houver. Il est seulement apparu «essouflé» après les efforts fournis pour se démener avec l'enveloppe du ballon Generali Artic Observer après l'atterrissage.

Dans cette région retirée, la température est actuellement de -13°C. Après 121 heures et 30 minutes de vol dans un espace confiné de 3m², Jean-Louis Etienne a pu se dégourdir les jambes alors que la nuit était en train de tomber dans un secteur désert entièrement occupé par la toundra gelée et où les loups règnent en maîtres. «Je suis tout seul au milieu de nulle part», a confié le scientifique quelques heures après son atterrissage. 

http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/jean-louis-etienne-soulage-de-s-etre-pose-en-siberie-orientale-10-04-2010-881352.php

http://www.futura-sciences.com/fr/news/t/climatologie-1/d/en-bref-jean-louis-etienne-atterrit-en-siberie_23352/

Jean-Louis Etienne a décollé en ballon vers le pôle Nord ce matin   5 Avril 2010

L'explorateur s'est envolé pour un raid sportif et scientifique de 3 500 km d'est en ouest entre l'île norvégienne du Spitzberg et l'Alaska.

L'aventurier Jean-Louis Etienne a décollé ce matin à bord de son ballon vers 6h10 de l'île du Spitzberg dans l'océan Arctique à la conquête du pôle Nord. Durant au moins une semaine, il survolera la banquise et devrait atterrir, si tout se passe bien, quelques 400 kilomètres plus loin à l'ouest sur les côtes de l'Alaska.

http://www.leparisien.fr/environnement/jean-louis-etienne-a-decolle-en-ballon-vers-le-pole-nord-ce-matin-05-04-2010-874876.php

http://www.france-info.com/sciences-environnement-2010-04-05-jean-louis-etienne-a-largue-les-amarres-cap-sur-l-arctique-426115-29-31.html

http://www.jeanlouisetienne.com/generali_arctic_observer/

http://www.linternaute.com/science/environnement/dossier/jean-louis-etienne-se-lance-dans-la-traversee-du-pole-nord-en-ballon/jean-louis-etienne-se-lance-dans-la-traversee-du-pole-nord-en-ballon.shtml

Téléchargez le dossier de presse

http://www.linternaute.com/science/environnement/dossier/jean-louis-etienne-se-lance-dans-la-traversee-du-pole-nord-en-ballon/jean-louis-etienne-se-lance-dans-la-traversee-du-pole-nord-en-ballon.shtml

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jean-Louis-Etienne/203104072744

Conférence sur "LEONARDO TORRES QUEVEDO : l'inventeur le plus prodigieux de son temps" Le 22 avril. Une salle de conférences sur la Maison des Sciences. 20:00 des heures au compte de Francisco A. González Redondo, professeur d'Histoire des Mathématiques dans l'Université D'Alcalá de Henares et le commissaire de l'exposition "TORRES QUEVEDO, la conquête de l'air".

CONFERENCIA "LEONARDO TORRES QUEVEDO: el más prodigioso inventor de su tiempo"

Jueves, 22 de abril. Sala de conferencias de la Casa de las Ciencias. 20:00 horas
a cargo de Francisco A. González Redondo, profesor de Historia de la Matemática en la Universidad Complutense y comisario de la exposición “Torres Quevedo, la conquista del aire”.

Entrada libre hasta completar el aforo.

Pinchando en más información puede descargarse el tríptico de la exposición

DONDE  Sala 2 de la Casa de las Ciencias

CUANDO  del 16/04/2010 al 22/06/2010

OTROS DATOS  · Organización :  Ayuntamiento de Logroño en colaboración con la Academia de Ciencias e Ingenierías de Lanzarote y la Asociación Amigos de la Cultura Científica · Telefono :  941 245943

CASA DE LAS CIENCIAS
Calle del Ebro 1, 26006 LOGROÑO ESPANA

> email: casadelasciencias@logro-o.org                                 http://www.torresquevedo.org/LTQ10/index.php?title=Portada             
> teléfono: 941 245 943
> fax: 941 263 929                                                 http://www.logro-o.org/eventos/201003311031_tripticotorresquevedoopti.pdf         

http://www.logro-o.org/casadelasciencias/ciencias_ficha.asp?clave=21770

Le zeppelin „le N 07-100“ réussit son vol de test pendant plus de 24 heures et 1300 kilomètres. Trois pilotes à bord ont contrôlé, avant tout, la performance de citerne.Der

Der Zeppelin „N 07-100“ besteht seinen Testflug

Der Zeppelin „N 07-100“ besteht seinen Testflug über 24 Stunden und 1300 Kilometer. Drei Piloten an Bord haben vor allem die Tankleistung überprüft.

Es war eine Premiere: Das Flugschiff „N07-100“ hob für 24 Stunden und 40 Minuten ab. Ziel des Flugs war es, Tankleistung, Ölsystem und das Satellitentelefon an Bord zu testen. „Die Abstimmung innerhalb der Crew und der Kontakt zu uns war natürlich auch wichtig zu beobachten“, sagte Dorit Knorr, Marketing-Assistentin bei der Zeppelin-Reederei. Eine gute Tankleistung sei für Überführungen und Sondermissionen wichtig. Solch lange Passagierflüge seien nicht geplant, sagte Knorr.

http://www.suedkurier.de/region/bodenseekreis-oberschwaben/friedrichshafen/Der-Zeppelin-bdquo-N-07-100

Throwback mission: Eye in the sky in NJ a tribute to Navy's past       March 20, 2010

A naval reconnaissance program — that uses a blimp for surveillance and intelligence missions — has been reintroduced at joint base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst after nearly 50 years

The "lighter than air" program is a fleet of one at this point, with the $3.6 million MZ-3A airship, built about four years ago, patrolling the eastern skies.

"It is a fair-weather craft," said Bert Race, a retired Navy commander and government flight representative for the project.

The airship also has ties to the ill-fated Hindenburg, as it honors a Navy serviceman from New Jersey who was one of the last surviving members of the ground crew during the Hindenburg explosion at the Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station in 1937.

The American flag being flown on the 178-foot airship is in tribute to John A. Iannaccone, a 1930 graduate of the U.S. Navy Enlisted Men's Lighter-Than-Air School at Lakehurst. Iannaccone died in 2005 at age 94 and the 5-foot-by-9 1/2-foot flag draped over his casket now flies some 9,500 feet up in the air off the stern of the airship.  >>>more

http://www.northjersey.com/news/88713637_EYE_IN_THE_SKY_A_TRIBUTE_TO_NAVY_S_PAST.html

DARPA's Smart Blimp: Mysterious, Hovering Future of Battlefield Surveillance  Mar 19, 2010

In the future DARPA's ISIS blimp may be hovering above the horizon near to conflict zones, feeding real time radar data to troops and smart weapons from on high. True to its name, it's also a little more magical than the Goodyear blimp as it's almost totally automated.

In fact, the Integrated Sensor Is the Structure has almost nothing in common with the Goodyear aircraft apart from its shape and helium-filling. It's designed to take off from a permanent ground base in the U.S. and fly automatically to any point on Earth within 10 days, where it'll hover in the stratosphere (over six miles up.) At this height it's safe from most ground-based missile attacks and even pretty safe if an enemy aircraft tries to take it out with an air-to-air missile. It can beetle about at 60 knots to be repositioned for better surveillance opportunities, and even sprint away at 100 knots if a threat is imminent. >>> more

http://www.fastcompany.com/1589776/isis-airborne-radar-defense-surveillance-unmanned-airship-blimp?partner=rss

U.S. Surveillance Blimp (Aeros 40D) Fights Harsh Criticism       16 March 2010

BANGKOK, Thailand -- An Arlington, Virginia-based company is defending its harshly criticized US $ 9.7 million sale of a helium-filled blimp, equipped with infrared thermal cameras, to Thailand's army for hunting Islamist guerrillas in the south.

Scathing criticism of the California-built Sky Dragon blimp, and its cameras, has been repeatedly published in Thailand's media during recent weeks, and voiced by worried politicians.>>>more

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1003/S00188.htm

VXS-1 Airship visits Pax           March 18, 2010  

Did you see it? It would have been tough to miss, even if it was at Pax River for just a short stopover.

The VXS-1 MZ-3A Airship — in other words, a blimp — moored near Hangar 109 March 5 on its way from Lakehurst, N.J. to Yuma, Ariz., where it will be stationed for at least the next six months. While there, the airship will be an integral part of ‘‘a multi-service venture to impact the war fighter, we hope, very soon,” said VXS-1 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Chris Janke.

VXS-1 is a part of the Naval Research Laboratory, and the time at Yuma will be ‘‘the first level of development for war fighter systems,” said Janke. ‘‘We try as many different flight regimes as we can, so the client can test things at airship height and speed.”

An airship’s ability to travel slowly and hover for long periods is just as valuable to the war fighter as it is for sporting event coverage. Aside from the height and speed capabilities of an airship, their fabric construction means that onboard radar equipment is not troubled by the ‘‘shadow zone” of a standard aircraft.

The blimp has spent the past two years at Lakehurst. While it is owned by NAVAIR, Lakehurst has one of the country’s few airship hangars, and NAVAIR had existing tenants there. NAVAIR is responsible for ensuring that maintenance, operations, and qualifications all are kept to Navy standards.

Burt Race, a retired Navy pilot, works as a civilian employee of NAVAIR to verify that Integrated Systems Solutions — the California, Md. firm that operates the airship — follows all NAVAIR requirements. He also intends to become a certified airship pilot himself.

For now, though, the craft relies on Chief Pilot Peter Buckley, a dual United Kingdom⁄United States citizen with approximately 24,000 hours of flying time in airships, and second pilot Russell Mills. ‘‘I’m very interested in the science of it, and now I’m involved in the design and engineering of airships,” Buckley said.>>>more

http://www.dcmilitary.com/stories/031810/tester_28273.shtml

Le monument « Dixmude » a quitté la base aéronavale          14 mars 2010

Le monument fabriqué en 1993 à l'occasion de la commémoration des soixante-dix ans de la disparition, au large de la Sicile, du dirigeable « Dixmude », commandé par le lieutenant de vaisseau Jean du Plessis de Grénédan ⁽¹⁾ est dorénavant installé à proximité du rond-point situé entre les communes de Cuers et de Pierrefeu. Il était auparavant à la base aéronavale.

Ce sont « Les amis du Dixmude » qui sont à l'origine du projet.

Bientôt une rétrospective

C'est grâce à l'inlassable passion de l'association, présidée par Pierre Saulnier que, sur la suggestion de leur historien documentaliste Etienne Ducreux, le monument a pu être déplacé et positionné à cet emplacement.

Après six mois de démarches auprès des services de la Marine, via le major Christian Pourcelot, et du conseil général, l'idée émise est acceptée, puis finalisée. Depuis lundi dernier, le monument du « Dixmude », installé sur la commune de Cuers indique la direction de sa voisine pierrefeucaine

http://www.hyeres.maville.com/actu/actudet_--Le-monument-Dixmude-a-quitte-la-base-aeronavale-_loc-1296047_actu.Htm

World authority airship designer dies   5 February 2010

Roger Munk was the president and technical director of Hybrid Air Vehicles LTD

An airship designer who founded a world-leading company at the Cardington hangars has died.
Roger Munk, 63, was the president and technical director of Hybrid Air Vehicles LTD (HAV).
The company designs and builds lighter then air vehicles for international clients.
Mr Munk, who was regarded as the world authority in his field, died suddenly on Sunday after suffering a heart attack.

Mr Taylor vowed that work at HAV would continue despite Mr Munk's death, he said: "We have bid for a major contract in the US and are scheduled to win it. We are determined to fulfil his dream."
Mr Munk, who lived in Bucks, trained as a naval architect before turning to the design and development of airships.
During his career he was awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society's silver medal for his outstanding initiative in advancing British airship technology.

Dave Burns, pilot of HAV's prototype vehicles, said: "This is a devastating loss for all his family, friends and the airship business as a whole."

http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/World-authority-airship-designer-dies.6105342.jp

Bientôt des soucoupes volantes en Corse ?                       28 février 2010

David Vincenti les a vu et vous les verrez peut-être un jour, les envahisseurs bien sûr mais plus probablement des soucoupes volantes celles-ci bien identifiées et dument homologuées, voire brevetée, puisque issues de la recherche aéronautique de pointe.
Si notre île n'est déjà pas exempte de signalement d'objets volants non identifiées le nombre de cas d'alerte pourrait bien s'accroître en flèche si le projet ALPHA D/P récemment retenu par le Comité de sélection de l'Incubateur de Corse arrive à son terme, et donc à la production d'un bien curieux vaisseau aérien dans les 18 mois.
http://www.corsicanews.net/actualite/article-814.php

Des étudiants de l'INSA de Villeurbanne imaginent un dirigeable solaire !         04 Mars 2010

Voler sans polluer, en totale autonomie et en puisant son énergie dans l’air et le soleil, tel un oiseau, c'est l'idée mise en oeuvre par des étudiants pour concevoir le premier dirigeable solaire. L'aéronef s’apprête d'ailleurs à traverser la Manche. Le Nephelios, c'est son nom, sera le premier dirigeable solaire au monde.

Les premiers essais ont été réalisés avec succès...Le Projet Sol’R est parti de...

trois étudiants, après leur rencontre avec un passionné de dirigeables, Stéphane Rousson. Au final, 50 personnes se sont investies dans la construction de ce dirigeable solaire. Plusieurs Grandes Ecoles dont l'INSA Lyon ont participé à la réalisation technique du projet. L’Ademe et des industriels ont aidé à la mise en oeuvre.

Le Nephelios (22 m de long et 5,5 m de diamètre) est le premier dirigeable habité au monde entièrement propulsé par l’énergie solaire. Il transporte un pilote et des équipements de recherche scientifique, permettant des avancées technologiques cruciales pour l’avenir du dirigeable et du transport aérien.

Les panneaux solaires disposés sur la partie supérieure de l’enveloppe ont dû répondre à un cahier des charges précis : poids, surface, solidité, étanchéité…

Source: www.techniques-ingenieur.fr

http://www.lyonpremiere.info/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4093

LEMV Lumbers Along Up There

Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle

January 2, 2010: The U.S. Army wants aircraft manufacturer Lockheed to dust off and spiff up an old aircraft research project, and get it ready for service within 18 months as the LEMV (Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle). The old project in question is P-791, a blimp originally developed as an aerodynamic  airship that would be a cheaper way to transport cargo by air. P-791 looks like three normal blimps smushed together to form one wide blimp. The army wants an unmanned blimp that can carry 1.1 tons of sensors, stay aloft for 21 days at a time, supply 16 kilowatts of power and move at up to 148 kilometers an hour.

The idea of a cargo carrying blimp has been around for over three decades, and the concept is simple. An aerodynamic blimp is a helium filled aircraft, with a rigid, but lightweight, shell that is aerodynamic (like an airplane wing.) Thus the aerodynamic blimp takes off and flies like an aircraft, gaining additional lifting power in the process, and able to carry heavy and bulky cargoes using low power (and low fuel consumption) engines. All past efforts to make aerodynamic blimps practical have failed because these aircraft are still lighter than air vehicles, and difficult to handle on the ground or whenever it's windy. They are also large and bulky compared to conventional transports. But the LEMV  version of P-791 avoids the handling problems, because the aircraft only lands once or twice a month. The LEMV would be able to lift up to five tons, with most of that being fuel for the 21 day mission.

Lockheed believes that advances in materials and automated flight controls make these aerodynamic blimps practical. But, so far, no one has created a commercially viable example of the concept for carrying cargo. DARPA believed that the problems were soon going to be solved, and helped keep P-791 development going. Now, LEMV may bring P-791 out of the lab, and onto the battlefield. The army wants LEMV to provide radar and photo coverage of large areas in Afghanistan, for extended period. LEMV would do it better and cheaper than existing UAVs.

This is an example of an evolutionary technology. Engineers (and some tech savvy historians) understand how some of these crazy ideas eventually do become economically practical. The problem is figuring out when the needed technologies will all mature and make it possible to build workable, and commercially self-sustaining, products. Get involved too early, and you spend a lot of money, with little return. Get in too late, and you just end up another competitor in a crowded market. Lockheed seems to sense that the sweet spot (the time when the first commercially viable products can be built, and the highest profit margins are available) is on the horizon, and they may be able to get there first with P-791. If not the P-791, Lockheed, and other aviation firms, have plenty of other blimp type designs available to chase the LEMV contract.

Topgear's Flying Caravan Airship.flv

http://www.lindstrand.co.uk/images/topgear.jpg