Airships will replace cargo planes and helicopters
Unlimited payload and sustainability!
Airplanes threaten to be the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Or maybe they can be replaced with something? With other air transport or at least with these airships! Can helium based airships replace cargo planes and helicopters in the future?
At first glance, it seems that the idea is stupid and unsafe. The huge Hindenburg blazed up so that it canceled out the entire career of airships, balloons and zeppelin . Have you forgotten them just like that? Probably, people just realized that this is a useless and risky idea.
The only reason for the explosiveness of old airships is hydrogen, which can be safely replaced with helium . Although it is not so good in terms of lightness, it does not burn. It was not used after the disaster, to a lesser extent because of the fear of people, but rather because the Second World War.
But now the idea of aeronautics is returning to the scene, because in comparison with airplanes, airships have several clear advantages. The first point that made them even appear in this article is environmental friendliness .
Balloons are kept in the air because the filler gas is lighter than air. Engines are needed only for control and maneuvering. Engines do not hold the airship in the sky. Control and maneuvering require much smaller engines than airplanes.
Many options to keep airships environmentally friendly
In addition, it is easy to install solar panels and deal with electric motors on the big “back” of the balloon. You can even use hydrogen, but it is safer using universal fuel cells .
The second plus of airships seems to be a minus at first. They are slow-moving – the speed of modern models reaches 90-150 km / h , which cannot be compared even with a helicopter. But the smoothness and stability of the flight can be very useful.
If you install panoramic windows for passengers and navigate the route over picturesque places, then there is a huge potential for tourism .
Even for the economy, airships turn out to be a profitable purchase. The carrying capacity of this aircraft is almost not limited.
The balloon increases the payload mass faster than the size! For example, if the length is increased from 54 meters (our AU-30) to 84, then the weight of the cargo will increase from 1.5 tons to 16. But you can transport both 200 tons and a thousand at a time! Add to this the need for only a small platform instead of a strip, and the profitability of transportation only increases.
However, airships are difficult to control . The pilot has to turn the rudders, change the inclination of the vessel, and control the engines. Without long and careful preparation, the pilot simply cannot cope with even such a leisurely and smooth transport. It is worth investing in finding solutions to all negative factors in order to come up with environmentally friendly air transport for the future.
