I was talking with a member of the ground crew for the Goodyear Blimp "Spirit of America" based in Carson City, California last weekend. It's about 5 miles from where I live.He had an interesting story
Homeland Security was putting out bids for a LTA drone that can effectively be a low cost satellite hovering around an area of interest. The initial specs called for a cruising altitude of 60,000 ft and lift enough payload to have a decent observation package. Suffice it to say Goodyear pointed out some problems:
Problem 1: Gas expands the higher you go. Which means you have to vent helium as you go higher.
Problem 2: What's going to happen when it has to go down? An airship is not going to float gently down. It's going to crash. Controlled or uncontrolled are the options. Unless you have a ballast system. Which will have to be water because, the safety issue of having lead weights dropping down from a great height will be an issue. Which means you will have an issue of frozen valves and piping.
Effectively the bid went nowhere because of these issues. The most cost effective means would had been an array of tethered LTA's, but whether that flew is a good question.
If Aerocraft can be converted into a drone version, it might be what Homeland Security is looking for.
__________________
Into terror!, Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell
Homeland Security was putting out bids for a LTA drone that can effectively be a low cost satellite hovering around an area of interest. The initial specs called for a cruising altitude of 60,000 ft and lift enough payload to have a decent observation package. Suffice it to say Goodyear pointed out some problems:
Problem 1: Gas expands the higher you go. Which means you have to vent helium as you go higher.
Problem 2: What's going to happen when it has to go down? An airship is not going to float gently down. It's going to crash. Controlled or uncontrolled are the options. Unless you have a ballast system. Which will have to be water because, the safety issue of having lead weights dropping down from a great height will be an issue. Which means you will have an issue of frozen valves and piping.
Effectively the bid went nowhere because of these issues. The most cost effective means would had been an array of tethered LTA's, but whether that flew is a good question.
If Aerocraft can be converted into a drone version, it might be what Homeland Security is looking for.
__________________
Into terror!, Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell